We Danced in Vienna

Last weekend David and I went to Vienna, Austria with his school to attend the International Atomic Energy Agency's annual ball. We took an overnight bus on Friday with the other students- it felt like being back in high school going on a field trip!  We arrived in Vienna around 8 in the morning on Saturday, and after checking into the hotel, I was ready for a famous Viennese coffee.  We went to Cafe Central, located in the center of the city and famous for serving coffee to Lenin, Trotsky, Freud, and Hitler.

Vanilla Streudel

Fortified by coffee and sweets, we decided to wander around the inner city for a while.  We ended up at St. Stephen's cathedral and climbed up the bell tower for an amazing view of the city.

After our climb, David and I parted ways so I could get ready for the ball.  David went with some friends to the Prater amusement park and rode the giant ferris wheel.  (You can barely see it in the picture above on the far left).

The evening of the ball was like a dream.  After a cocktail reception at City Hall hosted by the mayor of Vienna, everyone headed to the Hofburg Palace in their gowns and tuxes to waltz the night away.

Cocktails at City Hall

 

I love this guy!

 

The next morning we awoke to a beautiful, warm sunny day (such a nice change from Bologna).  We had a few hours to explore more of the city, so we went to Schonbrunn Palace and gardens and had Wiener schnitzel for dinner (breaded fried pork served with fresh lemon juice). 

 It was a magical experience, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will never forget.