In the Shadows of an Empire

Felix and I woke up relatively early this morning, but we didn't rush out to an active day. We stayed in the apartment for quite a while eating breakfast, listening to music, and just generally goofing off. When we finally did leave the apartment, it was a beautiful day out in Vienna. We decided to enjoy the weather as much as possible, so we took a nice walk around the Hofburg palace and ended up having lunch at the Palmenhaus restaurant in the Burggarten.

We started with a salad of fresh greens topped with a sizeable slab of goat cheese all drizzled with some Styrian pumpkin seed oil and balsamic. Felix had an Indian influenced chicken burger with coriander, fresh fruits and chili sauce. I had risotto with King prawns and sun dried tomatoes. The meal was concluded with a Mango lassi ice cream sundae. A few scoops of yogurt ice cream, mango puree, fresh strawberries and whipped cream. It was a fantastically fresh and light dessert that went perfectly with the sunny weather.

After lunch, we walked around the gardens and found a nice spot to lay down for a bit. History was all around as I looked up from the grassy gardens of the former seat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. We were protected from the heat of the springtime sun by the shadow cast by the Hofburg. The golden double eagle of the Hapsburgs glowing in the daylight, I couldn't help but wonder what it must have been like to call such a magnificent palace home. If only the aging trees in the garden could tell us the stories they have seen; the whispers of military leaders, the gossip shared by the women of the court, the games played by blue-blooded children.

More rest, some reading and some computing made up the rest of the day. I accompanied Felix on his way to work the nightshift at a local hotel late this evening. Wandered around town a bit, and grabbed a Dürüm kebab on Kärtnerstrasse. In front of the State Opera House, they were showing the ongoing show from inside on a large screen. I enjoyed my kebab while listening to the arias, and then grabbed an ice cream on the way home. Vienna is such a great city, and I miss living here sometimes. The culture and history that oozes out of every corner of this place is remarkable. I have another day to enjoy here, and then it's on to the next destination.