We started out towards Vienna’s famous amusement park—Prater—on a sparkling Monday morning. We couldn’t possibly leave Vienna without having ridden on this distinctive feature of the Viennese skyline—the Giant Ferris Wheel. Though ridiculously overpriced, the view was beautiful. A last lovely overlook of our dear second home!
On this same visit, we discovered a most terrifying amusement. The Black Mamba.
Honestly, I am not one to be overly amused by thrilling rides. I enjoy them thoroughly—then move on. But this one was so horrifyingly delightful that we went back to visit it again, two days later. We screamed and yelled and laughed hysterically through the whole spinning, plummeting, dizzying ride—attracting the attention of groups of passers-by who stared in wonder at our obvious enjoyment, and then rode it as soon as we had vacated the seats.
Tuesday was another gorgeous springtime day—Mozart, standing in the Burggarten behind the Hofburg, was also taking advantage of the sunshine. And after a whole day of homework-ing, we finished at the YSA Center with crepes (lots of them) and pool to celebrate our final Music Civilization project being submitted.
If you think I'm going to hit that ball in, you're wrong.
On Wednesday Michelle, Teancum, Zach and I defied the sullen skies and demanded good weather for our trip to Schonbrunn. But even under clouds, this place of “Beautiful Fountains” was still breathtakingly lovely!
Thank you to Zach, who lets me steal his pictures. =)
Then, the sun came out!
We were happy about it.
The Desert house was humid, sunlit, and filled with songbirds and gentle living things. We rested on the benches inside and dozed sleepily to the voices of the pretty-feathered creatures darting around.
When we finally pulled ourselves away and headed to the Palm House, we discovered a fairytale garden.
This was the most beautiful, heavenly Eden I have ever entered in my life. The drooping vines entwined themselves around white curving staircases. The vivid blossoms were touched by the kind fingers of the sun slipping through the cloudy glass. Drops of water hung like gems from the luxurious greenness of the leaves. The low-hanging branches of the trees brushed my face and arms as I followed the winding paths through the romantic tangle.
Near the benches, flowers glowed like embers of sweet-scented incense—perfume of the gods! I could have lingered there for eternity.
I had planned a picture-perfect picnic for Thursday. It rained. So I picked up the dripping shreds of my lovely plans and went for a final visit to the Kunsthistorches instead—home to Rembrandt, Vermeer, Titian, Breugel, Raphael, and Rubens, as well as a staggering display of Medieval weaponry and armor. In other words, I met my royal court and I approved. Michelle, my dear roommate, left for Switzerland. How I will miss her and our adventures together!
Friday I awoke (expecting the rain that weather.com had drearily prophesied), to find brilliant sunshine flooding my room. In roughly 5 minutes, my picnic was re-planned, in an hour we had the eatables, and by noon we were on our way to Am Himmel and to a meadow that had called to me ever since I dropped into its green lap the week before.
Himmel, meaning “heaven,” is nestled the hills above Vienna at the foot of the eastern Alps, with a beautiful view of the city, and a ring of “singing trees.” The trees, organized as a Celtic tree horoscope, play music at different times of the year and we all found our birthday trees after the picnic.
Zach's Tree
Teancum's Tree
My tree
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