Vienna

The Amadeaus Brilliant has a "bow cam" that shows a real-time image looking out over the bow. When we woke up this morning the bow cam image was static: we weren't moving. In fact, we were docked but not in Vienna.

There have been hurricane-like rains over parts of Europe in the last several days, and there's a not-quite-flood crest moving down the Danube. We left Passau a bit early yesterday so that the captain could take the ship downstream past a particularly low bridge before the crest reached it. Otherwise we might have been stuck upstream of that bridge for several days, effectively destroying our planned trip. We did make it past the bridge, but we've tied up at Pöchlarn, a good distance upstream from Vienna, because river navigation is closed at this point. It's expected to open again in a few hours, but we won't wait for that. We'll take buses from here to Vienna and do our planned sightseeing while the ship makes its way to the docks at Vienna.

Up on the sun deck, everything is set up as it would be for a summertime cruise. I doubt many people will take advantage of it, though — it's damp and chilly, and even more so when the ship is under way.

Leaving the ship to board the buses. The vending machine in the second and third photo sells fresh eggs by the dozen, among other things. I wonder if the traditional village store has been reduced to this; sad if so.

Entering Vienna now. A nice-looking church with twin spires.

A bike-sharing or rental plan seems to be in full swing.

 

"That's NEW!"  But there's no indication of what's new.

"No more innocence"

This dog had absolutely no interest in going with his master; I think he's spied one of his lady friends.

We met our Vienna guide, who would take us through the city today.

Along a "walk of fame" similar to the one for Hollywood stars, but these are stars of classical music: J. S. Bach, Anton Bruckner, Franz Schubert, and conductor Herbert von Karajan.

   

We're on Bösendorfer Straße. Bösendorfer is a very expensive brand of grand piano, now part of Yamaha.

The "new" concert hall, still called that after more than a century. It's unusual in that there are no steps leading up to it, as was usual when it was designed. The architect was given an incorrect value for the level of the street, and the building was constructed one story too low. There's a lot of traffic on these streets.

English has become a defacto universal language.

J & L Lobmeyr  sells very high quality chandeliers and other crystal.

This woman was creating bouquets in a flower stall.

Lots of bicycles, as in Portland. Not as many bike lanes, though.

Musikverein

The main concert hall in the Musikverein building is considered to be one of the very few with almost perfect acoustics. We were not able to attend a concert, but we did get to tour the building.

The Chicago Symphony will appear October 29 in the Musikverein. That's the date of our second stop in Vienna, as we go back upriver. One of our group was able to get a ticket for that date and would attend the concert.

The façade of the Musikverein. We toured the interior, from practice rooms built under this courtyard to the main concert hall. No photos were allowed inside.

Mozart House

A marble tablet marks the house where Mozart died on December 5, 1791.

A view of St Stephan's Cathedral from a narrow medieval street.

There are "Mozart Houses" scattered all over Vienna, because Mozart was continually moving from one apartment to another. Usually he was one step ahead of the rent collector.

Mozart lived in this house from March 16 to May 2, 1781. Not even two months, and it rates a stone tablet like this. Sort of like "George Washington Slept Here" in the US: it seems that Mozart lived in most places. It's the same with Beethoven, who also moved frequently to escape his creditors.

We walked through the house's courtyard on our way to the Mozart Museum, passing this very steep set of stairs down into the two- or three-levels-deep cellar.

 

A typical medieval street, very narrow, with buildings not arranged according to any master plan.

We passed by the peace museum.

 

Our next stop was the Mozart museum in one of the many Mozart houses. No photos allowed inside, of course.

The pilaster-like objects on the corners of many buildings were put there to keep the wheels of carriages from damaging the buildings as they rounded corners in the narrow streets. Since the wheels had iron tires, they could easily damage stone walls.

No sitting. No kidding.

Concert

Mozart liked living in this building partly because it contained a room that could be used as a small concert hall.

We attended a concert there. On our way in we were served a glass of champagne.

A lovely room, just the size for chamber music.

One photo of the performers as they were preparing to play. I did not take photos during the performance.

Dinner

After the concert, we walked past this imperial statue. Note the "Hapsburg chin" on the emperor.

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