The Ham Nomads

24 Jul 2015. <AT> Vienna —

Back into Vienna today. Remember, we were here seven years ago, so we wanted to make this time different, by doing different things. Well, we achieved this aim today!

Plague Column

St Peter's Church

Fountain on the front of the Hofburg

Back into Stephansplatz by the U-Bahn. We got out, and this time walked down Graben, another street from the square. We went past the Pestsäule (Plague Column), and Peterskirche (St Peter's Church), turning down the Kohlmarkt on our way down to the Hofburg Palace. This time we were going to the Spanische Hochreitshule. Unfortunately, in July, the famous white stallions are all on 'Summer Break' in the hills of Austria, they have a different show with the mares and foals from the Lippzaner Stud Piber. Instead of the athletic performance of the stallions, we had "Piber meets Vienna", a wonderful exhibition of dressage, with two mares and their riders doing an elaborate synchronised 'Pas de deux'. The seven prime mares were brought out and shown running free, and then responding to commands from their handlers. The Lippizaners are also sought after as coach horses, and there were exhibitions of precision coach driving, and a combined exhibition of the two dressage horses working in synchrony with a magnificent four-in-hand team pulling a larger coach. But the highlight of the show, especially for the kids, was when the foals were brought out (with their dams), and allowed to interact freely with the people in the audience. The incredible thing about these horses is how well they interact with people, and with each other. It must be a pleasure to train such calm and responsive animals.

 

After our hour with the Lippizaners, we went across the covered courtyard to the Silver Collection and the Sisi Museum. This holds what is called the 'silverware collection', but it is just as much gold and porcelain. The collection is incredible. One of the gold services was melted down for coinage during the wars of the Spanish Succession, but apparently the royal porcelain works duplicated the service, covering it with pure gold — it looked just like the real thing. When it was used for a state dinner, they didn't quash the idea that the Habsburgs had had an entire 'backup' service!

Part of the service of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico

Figurines of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth in State Dress and in National Costume

Just one of the plates in the Asian collection

After this we had lunch in the Hofburg Cafe — Warren settled on Bratwurst! — before visiting a superb exhibition on the life (and assassination) of 'Sisi' — Empress Elizabeth of Austria. No photos, unfortunately, but luckily the museum has a good website.. It traces her life, comparing it with the legend mainly promulgated in the movies, notably a trilogy from the fifties starring the young Romy Schneider ('Sissi', 'Sissi - Die junge Kaiserin' ('Sissi, the young empress'), and 'Sissi - Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin' ('Sissi - Fateful year of an empress').

The outside of the cafe (we sat inside, in the cool!)

Then we wandered back through the streets to Stephansplatz, the U-Bahn and home. It was a hot day, and the drinking fountains in the streets had long queues! Luckily we were carrying our own water with us!

Statues in the Hofburg

Distance driven — today, nil; to date, 24,406 miles ( 39,278 km )