Day 24: Vienna, Austria

We learned today that it is possible to be on your feet for seven hours straight before sitting - and to carry on a few more hours after that! Here's a rundown of our busy day; we are so glad we extended our stay.

- Stood outside the Hofburg Chapel to listen to the Vienna Boys Choir sing at mass.
- Toured Hofburg, the main palace of the Imperial Habsburg family. This included a special exhibit on the famous "Sissy," a forlorn narcissistic empress with hair down to her ankles, which was washed in egg yokes and cognac. She even had gymnastic rings in her private chamber.
- Walked through the Habsburg
Imperial Burial Vault.
- Saw Augustinerkirche, the Habsburg's family church. Fun fact: while their bodies are in the Imperial Burial vault, their hearts are all in silver urns in the basement of this church.
- Toured the Kunsthistorisches (say that five times fast) Museum, which contains the collections of the Habsburg family, including a vast art collection that made me incandescently happy. Vermeer, Rembrandt, Velasquez, Bruegel, Raphael... Amazing. The antique music exhibition allowed you to listen to classic pieces played by the (sometimes odd looking) instruments you were gazing upon.
- Visited St. Michael's Church, where Mozart's unfinished "Requiem" premiered.
- Stumbled across a hidden gem for lunch: a delightfully healthy cafe where Lisa enjoyed local, organic beer.
- Returned to St. Stephan's Cathedral to hike up 343 steps (Lisa's count came up six shy of their advertisement) to see a stunning view of the city. After our climb down, we peaked inside the cathedral again to see the place where Mozart's wedding and funeral were held.
- Had more ice cream.
- Confirmed our plan to read a biography on the Habsburgs upon our return; they are fascinating!
- Phew! Night all!