Five Go Mad

First night ventured out on the underground and train to Perchtoldsdorf, a village on the outskirts of Vienna, to meet up with Shamice (from Taranaki land) and Martina who live there and offered to introduce us to a Heuriger (a traditional Austrian restaurant vineyard run by a family).  Stopped at the village market on the way and warmed ourselves by the braziers with more gluhwein while we watched a couple of blacksmiths make tiny horseshoes and the girls got chatted up by a hotboy with a macaron stall.  There was some anticipation of meeting these tiny Austrian horses until Martina explained that the tiny shoes are a new-year good-luck tradition. 

Thoroughly enjoyed our experience at the Heuriger. It was just an easy friendly, family atmosphere with really good Austrian food that’s not expensive.  There are dozens of these places in farming based (and wine making) villages like Perchtoldsdorf although they’re not open continuously. The locals in the villages eat at these places a lot. Great to see Shamice again and to meet Martina who explained all the dishes and showed us how to order.

Back in Vienna, a sampling of the Christmas Markets, shopping for more hats, scarves and gloves, Viennese café delights, sachertorte, wiener schnitzel, worst. We took in a Time Travel history tour, Madame Tussauds at the Prater amusement park where we also had a ride on the Wiener Riesenrad, a big-as (65m) ferris wheel dating from 1897. Tours of the Museum of Natural History (featuring many rocks), the Hofburg (the palace of the Hapsburgs) featuring many dinner sets, and took in some chamber music, ballet and opera care of the Salonorchestra at the Kursalon which was excellent. The piece de resistance however of the whole Vienna experience (judging by the levels of anticipatory excitement) will be the midnight Star Wars premiere tonight at the Burg Kino Cinema around the corner. Woohoo!!

​Travelling with Girls 1

Travelling with Girls 2

Escalator traipsing

Many downs and ups

Photo op although I'm not sure what that statue is doiung to that other statue!

Homeward traipsing