On today's agenda is the Belvedere. This was a palace built in the late 1700's to be a simple garden home for Prince Eugene. Simple of course does not describe this lavish structure ornately decorated with greek themed statues and frescoes. I didn't get the entire history of the place yet, but know there was a fire here in the 1950's which destroyed many of the internal frescoes and furniture. It is now a museum of a grand collection of Austrian artistry from 1700's to present.

And, it houses a superior collection of Gustav Klimt. Including the masterpiece "The Kiss." I am getting chills again just writing about it. You've seen this painting many times, it is very famous. But the size of the piece is gigantic. I am so privileged to have been able to see it in person.

The rest of the collection is spectacular as well. All art styles, medieval, secession, renaissance, cubist are represented. We spent all morning into the early afternoon here, stopping for a glass of wine in their café.

We then went to the Prater - the site of the famous and large old Ferris Wheel from the 1948 movie The Third Man. ? I never saw it, but we went anyway. Nice little amusement park, empty because of the rain and cold, except for a few brave tourists like us who needed to cross it off the list!

We then set off to find the Jewish museum. Weather, confusing maps, winding streets, and no English speakers led us in circles. We were definitely wandering around old Vienna now, 1700 era buildings and roads surrounded us. We stopped at one gasthaus for a glass of wine to try to gather our direction (my data plan is reaching it's limit so I must be cautious when using my GPS now). We of course (as we had many times in Prague) found ourselves making wrong turns everywhere.

I had picked out a restaurant that I wanted to try, Griechensbiel. Can you guess why? We had come across it right when we got off the underground and amazingly found our way back to it! It is a restaurant that has been around since 1447. Can you imagine who has been here? Beethoven, Strauss, Schubert, Wagner, Brahms, and even Mark Twain just to name a few! The dinner was the best we've had on our vacation. The wine superb, the service excellent. Alex had to try their beer; Konig Ludwig. We see our last name everywhere here!

Satisfied and content, we bundle ourselves up with my new hat and new scarf and new umbrella, and head on back to the hotel.