Belvedere Palace

Day 7 of our Danube River Cruise.  Our last day in Vienna.  We toured the famous Belvedere Palace with its staterooms filled with art from the Austrian National gallery in the morning.  The Center hall was the scene of the signing of The Austrian State Treaty in 1955 which officially reestablished Austria as a free and independent country after the war. In my photo you can see the art tribute to the European refugee crisis in the reflection pool of the Belvedere Palace. The tribute consist of 201 rings each holding five life jackets retrieved from the Greek island of Lesbos.  
After our tour, we were walking around the grounds when Dave found this snowman.  We couldn't find an explanation of his presence!  In the evening we were treated to a 5 star farewell dinner at the Palais Liechtenstein.  In this private palace is the world's most important private art collection.  We were so fortunate to be able to see this art.  The evening also included a fantastic orchestra, opera singers and dancers dancing the Vienna Waltz!  Even though it has been a fabulous trip, we are both ready to see our humble home:)