On Saturday, April 16, Reinhard Pfliegl took me for a private sightseeing tour of Vienna. Reinhard is one of my hosts who is also the former Managing Director of Austria Tech. It was very nice to have a local guide for my very first day in Vienna. Reinhard was super and I appreciated his assistance.
Reinhard picked me up around 1230 for a day of sightseeing. We headed west to Kreuzenstein Castle. The Autobahn isn't nearly as fast as I anticipated, it is a little slower than a typical US Interstate. At least that was the case around Vienna. Kreuzenstein Castle was on top of a hill near the neat little village of Leobendorf. It would be worth while to go back to the area because it is known for small wineries.
We then moved across the Danube at Tulln on our way to the Monastery at Klosterneuburg. Klosterneuburg was a very nice place. Other than the Monastery there were several little shops with a lot of activity. I enjoyed my first Viennese coffee, not a regular of caffeine, it gave me the jitters. But I played the local game.
Continuing on our tour, we made it back to metro Vienna. Reinhard said Schonbrunn Palace was a must. I had seen pictures similar to the building you see below, with dinner near, I nearly offered to insist that we move forward. I am certainly glad we stopped. The Palace itself looks exactly like the post cards. However, the gardens in the back, only the naked eye could do it justice. It made Keeneland look like my parents yard. Incredible place!!!
Reinhard, his daughter Elisabeth, her husband Gerhardt, and I had supper at Plachutta. There are multiple locations in Vienna. We were at the Nussdorf location. This was my first real foreign dinning experience. The decor surprised me, it almost reminded me of a stuffy American restaurant. Only this one allowed dogs (dogs are allowed everywhere in Vienna) and the menu was not elegant. The specialty was boiled beef. When I opened the menu, there it was, a picture of entire cow. Made it easy enough, I selected the shoulder (brisket), had some horseradish, fried potatoes, and spinach. The food was very good minus the unavailability of ice water. Sparkling water is such a ridiculous concept in my opinion. But fair enough...great day!
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| Kreuzenstein Castle |
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| Me in the castle's bailey. |
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| Klosterneuburg Abbey |
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| Alter in the Abbey Church |
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Schonbrunn Palace
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Schonbrunn Palace (Gardens)
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