Vienna 24.+25.5.2010
Roger and Ann Hiley from the English Lake-District are on visit to Austria due to my invitation. On the 24th we meet them at the Vienna international airport and drive them to the Donauturm, where their one week´s stay starts with a delightful evening dinner in the restaurant in 170 metres height.
The restaurant is revolving steadily, around 360 degrees in about 26 minutes. So you get ever changing views to Vienna and the surroundings. At the moment, the view goes over Vienna´s 2nd district and the city with the Stephansdom to the distant mountains with faintly discernable Schneeberg in the dust.
The river Danube with its discharge flume to the left, which is standing water most of the time and only on floods activated as part of the river. Thus, even extreme, "100 year´s" high waters do no harm to the city. Far left office buildings of the United Nations and the enclosed conference centre.
Sunset behind Kahlenberg and the northwestern parts of Vienna..
View to the west, far left Schneeberg, in the centre the two pompous buildings of Vienna´s General Hospital
Kahlenberg and Leopoldsberg.
Once more Kahlenberg and Leopoldsberg, far right Alte Donau, with Bisamberg behind.
UNO-City (with the curverd buildings), and the view goes downstream. Only about 60 km from here there is Bratislava, the capital of the neighbouring republic of Slovakia. The two capitals are the closest ones worldwide.
Zooming in on Schneeberg, Stephansdom in front to the left.
The next round with evening impressions.
Brigittenauer bridge and the mountains of the Wienerwald ("Vienna´s forest"), far right Leopoldsberg.
25.5.2010: With Roger and Ann in the horse carriage called "Fiaker", shortly after the start from St. Stephan´s square
Heldenplatz, with the two big museums in the background.
Josefsplatz, in the background the Spanish Riding school, where Roger and Ann had attended a public morning training session.