Today is our last full day in Vienna. We started by heading towards a main shopping street and picking up some souvenirs of the city. It was nice that the shops were open for a change. We decided to swing back by the apartment to drop some stuff off and to fix Jackie's boot heel, which had fallen apart a couple of days ago (we picked up a tube of adhesive glue).
Our plan for the afternoon was to visit the Royal Apartments and the Royal Treasury. Both museums are located in the massive Hofburg Palace. The palace dates from the 13th century and has been expanded over the years. It housed the Habsburg Dynasty, the family of Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1438-1740. Following from there to the start of the First World War they were merely the Emperors of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. For those of us who remember Grade 10 history, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who's assassination triggered WWI, was of Habsburg stock.
*Exterior of the Hofburg Palace
Today, the Royal Apartments Museum houses the palace's silverware collection and the apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife the Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) of Bavaria. The silverware collection was surprisingly interesting. Many pieces are still used for state dinners. The following are some of the photos Jackie took.
*Kitschy collection of plates and serving bowls for their hunting lodge
*This fold style is a closely guarded secret, with only two people knowing the required steps at any given time.
*Picture credit: Daryl van Kampen
After the silverware collection, the tour heads upstairs to the Royal Apartments of Franz Joseph and his wife Sisi. Sisi led a tragic life and ultimately was assassinated. She never wanted to live the court life, but the young emperor fell madly in love with her, regardless of the fact that their mothers were sisters. She avoided many of her court duties, instead spending years at a time travelling throughout the empire and beyond. While this did not help with her popularity in Vienna during her life, after the assassination her shortcomings were overlooked. She is now remembered fondly as a beautiful woman who led a tragic life. There is much myth and legend surrounding her and she was even the subject of a series of three films in the 1950's.
Photographs were not permitted in the apartments which was unfortunate, as they were very impressive.
After the tour we headed to the Royal Treasury Museum. It was not quite as interesting, but photos were permitted which was a bonus. However, no flash was allowed. While Jack made sure not to use flash (she almost never does), she was thoroughly scolded by two attendants for using her focusing light. As a result, she had to cover the light with her finger while adjusting the camera settings to take each picture, which was a pain.
*Crown of the first Holy Roman Emperors dating from the 10th century
*Royal robes 'painted' with golden and silver threads
By now it was getting close to suppertime. We planned on eating at home but stopped in at a cafe for a couple of coffees and apple strudel. It was a great way to spend some time and the cafe was pretty classy, with our waiter wearing a tux. The following is a photo taken along one of the main pedestrian boulevards in the middle of the old town on our way to the cafe.
Afterwards, we took the metro back to the apartment. Now we are packing up and planning our next day. We are thinking of going to one more museum tomorrow morning, housed in the Belvedere Palace outside Vienna, before we catch a train to Salzburg. Until then, auf Wiedersehen!
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