Vienna, Day 1: Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...

We woke up to snow on our first day in Vienna! It was like waking up on Christmas morning! Pox and I have never seen or been in snow before but Mary, however, is a veteran snow bunny. We were so excited to get our first day going, that we quickly got ready and made our way to the neighborhood Mc Donald's for some breakfast. If you've never been to a European Mickey D's Mc Cafe, you don't know what you're missing! Fancy desserts, plenty of coffee choices, and a fancy atmosphere, make for a happy tummy and even happier wallet!

We walked to the metro and experienced 28 degree weather like true Viennese locals and boy, was it COLD. We visited Schonnbrunn Palace, home to Emperor Franz Joseph and the mythical Empress Elizabeth, or "Sissy," as she was affectionately known. The abundance of Rococo Baroque architecture and furniture was endless. Needless to say, we had a full day of Austrian and royal history. We toured the Palace apartments and glimpsed into the lives of Austrian aristocracy.

The gardens had a life of their own. Covered in blanket of white snow, the garden had a mysterious intrigue about it. It snowed as we lost our way in the garden labyrinth, cold air and tiny snow flakes hit our "noses and eyelashes" as we laughed our way through the paths and a few dead ends... alas, no goblin king was nowhere to be found. We found our way out of the maze safely and made our trek up the hill to the Gloriette. Sitting majestically atop a white hill, like the royal crown of the garden, the Gloriette was originally a memorial to another famous Austrian, Maria Theresia. The monument now houses the Gloriette Cafe. All that walking made us hungry, so it was only a matter of time before we made our way into the opulent cafe atop the hill, where we had lunch and sampled the Mozart Torte, Black Forest Cake, and the famous Sacher Torte- known as the world's first cake. The Sacher Torte, follows the world's first chocolate cake recipe and has a layer of apricot preserves and chocolate ganache. It was delicious!

After lunch, we made our way down to the Easter market that was taking place on the Schonbrunn grounds. The smell of warm chocolate, hot spiced wine, and freshly, fried potato chips filled the air. Pastries, Easter crafts, and traditional Bavarian fare filled booths. It was a feast for the eyes and the senses!

We continued our tour of the Habsburg's by going to the Imperial Apartments and the Sissi Musuem. The Imperial Palace holds the silver, china, and personal items belonging to the family. The Sissi Museum delves into the mystique that surrounds the elusive Empress of legendary beauty and ankle-length hair.

As we made our way through the city and back to our apartment, it became evident that Vienna has a lot more to offer than it's waltz, Mozart, and strudel. Vienna is a city so rich in history, that anyone lucky enough to explore it, will most undoubtedly be left wanting to know more.