Day 88 - VISAS!

It was one of our last stops of the day, but I know a lot of you have been worried so here it is at the top of the post. We got our visas for India. According to the dates printed on them, they were already ready on Friday. The talley - One day spent trying to change flights, some hours spent in the Embassy, a bit of stress. The lessons learned - Jess version: It´s relatively easy to pick up a visa on the road. The Cz version: Know all countries´ visa requirements WAY in advance to avoid panic. I suppose a combination of the two will serve us well along the way.

As for the rest of the day, we spent the morning at Schloss Shönbrun. We played real tourist, and took a headset tour of the palace interior. It was interesting to hear the history of the rooms and he people behind them, though I could not begin to tell you who belongs to which generation. Empress Elizabeth, the wife of Franz Joseph, is the most popular figure, but my personal favourites were the portaits of Maria Antoinette, later Mrs Louis XVI, as a child. It was interesting to see the childhood portraits juxtaposed against the history of royal marraiges. From cradle to grave, these children were political pawns. One of Marie Antoinette´s sisters, Maria Christine, was said to be the favourite of her parents because she was the only daughter allowed to marry for love, but I wonder if it wasn´t that she was the favourite, but simply that she had less political capital than her sisters and brothers.

Outside the palace building, formal gardens spread in every direction. We went into the privy garden and admired the flowers from the viewing terrace. The garden also featured some luscious looking lemon trees. We (or at least I) was seriously tempted to snag some fruit, but the guards probably would have frowned on that.

Equally fun, and far more legal were the boxwood labrynth and maze games. The labrynth was sufficiently tall and thick to be confusing, but not too challenging. The maze games were set up in a second labrynth with much lower bushes, and therefore much easier paths. A central fountain operated by means of a rocking board - balance for a split second, and a jet of water shoots up. A cluster of mirrors created a kaleidescope view of the garden, and a series of tiles set in the ground played the "dance glockenspiel". A precourser to "Dance Dance Revolution" perhaps?

After the mazes and games, we wound our way back up to the Gloriette for a cup of coffee. Our pass to the palace and gardens came with a coupon book, including free chocolate with our espressos.

We had wanted to also visite the zoo, but it was already after 2PM, so we opted instead to head out to Karlskirche. Karlskirche is a large Baroque church. Here too we went touristy and got the information handsets. They turned out to be very informative. Among other things, we learned that the church was build specifically because Vienna was in the throes of a second round of the plague in the middle of the 18th century. St Charles Borromeo had been a significant figure during the first round. It was hoped that by building a church to his honour, he would intercede on Vienna´s behalf for this round.

It´s strange how such a cheerfuly round-shaped and brightly coloured church should have such a dark story. Sort of like how even tragic operas from that time all seem somehow bouncy and written in a major key.

The church is currently undergoing restoration works. Rather than apologise for the scaffolding, the management has put in an elevator system, and opened some of the scaffolding for tourist viewing. It wobbles, as scaffolding is wont to do, and it is very, very high up. There are even steps up into the lantern for views out over the city and down, down into the depths of the church. The result is a mix of terror of falling and dying, and of pleasure at being able to look at the frescos close up. As we were looking, my ears perked up at another tourist saying "St Jacob" and "scallop shell". Lo and behold, up in the dom of the Karlskirche is our old friend, a Perigrino of St James.

Karlskirche is in the vicinity of the Nachstmarkt, a consistant reccomendation from our assorted friends and family. We meandered past the retaurants and through the assorted stalls, stopping to buy a back of wasabi-covered peanuts for an afternoon nosh. Interestingly enough many of the stalls were selling Indian spices, and the colours and smells made us excited about our next leg.

From Nachstmarkt, we walked to the Secession House, a landmark of Jugensteil architecture, and a museum of the Vienna Secession. Unfortunately, it was closed because today was Monday, but even the outside was pretty neat.

By then it was 5PM, and we had a date at the Indian Embassy. You can see how that went at the top of the post. Short version: We are cleared for landing in the Subcontinent.

With that off our minds, we celebrated by...

blogging.