Wednesday June 5 - Nussdorf and Belvedere

Took the D tram through town to Nussdorf. This passes most of the sights and is a good way to get oriented in Vienna. Nussdorf itself is a olde-worlde suburb -- think Woollahra -- where Beethoven and Shubert both resided at various times. It's also the basis for Walking Path 1, which goes up into the hils and down again. 

The way up is pretty direct -- it involves following a brook, first along Beethovengasse which runs by the side of a park, past the backs of some posh-looking buildings, and into the vineyards growing up the hill. A few cyclists and walkers were coming the other way, but the numbers thinned as I got higher, and I eventually entered a block of forest near the top of the hill. This ultimately took me through a tunnel under a road -- unimaginatively called the 'Hochstrasse', or high street--and then alongside it for a bit. There is serious forest up here -- you could take a little path into the woods and not be found for days.

The path then went back over the road and down to a little touristy spot with a church and a view over Vienna--excellent in itself, but rather spoilt by the smog. The church commemorates the last, decisive victory against the Ottoman Turks, which was won somewhere near here, and there are also monuments to Empress Elizabeth and Crown Princess Stephanie, who was married unhappily to Crown Prince Rudolf, the heir to the throne. Rudolf killed himself along with his mistress, which can't have been much fun for Stephanie, but she married again and lived to be 81.

More views from different angles on the downwards path, which winds through vineyards. It was a little early for drinking, but they weren't open anyway; some are opening from next week, while others have specific days, and this wasn't one of them. Very few people wearing hats, despite the heat -- there are going to be a lot of Europeans with sunburn and sunstroke. Total walk length - about 12k, including getting lost at the top and doubling back.

Back to town on the tram with plenty of time to stop in at the Belvedere Gardens. These are quite formal in themselves, but they also include a back entrance to the Botanic Gardens, which were a bit more interesting. I didn't try to see everything, but headed home via a supermarket where I bought milk and rolls. Dinner was herring salad.

Today I might take the boat to Bratislava, just so I can say i've been to Slovakia. It's a lot cooler, though these mythical thunderstorms are still predicted.

Love to all,

Jon.

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