Vienna #3

What a day!  Woke up to very, very, heavy rain - bouncing off the pavement -   so we changed our plans and after (delicious) breakfast waded across to visit the Museum of Technology right next door to the hotel.  What a fascinating place, I'm almost glad it was raining.  Exhibits related to music reproduction dating back to the phonograph; mechanical/mechanised  (keyboard) musical instruments - harpsichords, pianos, pianolas and organs; communication 'office' devices - mechanical number counters and typewriters from late C19th;  photography, printing and journalism/media;  road, rail and air transport with two, four or more wheels and/or wings; heavy industry mechanisms; home help devices for cleaning and an easier life style - on and on, several floors of homage to the ingenuity of man. So much so that by the time we left, it had stopped raining!  So courtesy of Vienna's well functioning public transport system, we made our way to Belvedere Palace for the Christmas Village in the beautiful grounds, arriving at dusk. As with the two markets visited yesterday, the hot drinks (gluhwein, punch, hot chocolate etc) are served in ceramic mugs with refundable deposit, or keep as a souvenir, and each market/village has a different mug design.  We had yummy hot chocolate (pictured) in a boot - and yes, we decided to keep them.  Yesterday's Rathausplatz mugs were heart shaped, and yes, we kept those too.  

After a brief functional visit to a mall for cash machine and supermarket priced Austrian cheeses, we then made our way to our last Christmas markets - The Old Viennese Christmas Market on Freyung in the city center.  "A Christmas market was held here as early as 1772; today, it is a place to buy handicrafts, glass decorations, traditional mangers and ceramics. Top-quality handicrafts can also be purchased a couple of steps further along at the Am Hof Christmas Market. Christmas music and choral singing provide the perfect atmosphere." (More info about all the Christmas markets in Vienna here.)  The gluwhein came in yet another mug design, to add to our 2019 Vienna collection. 

Having walked 15,000 steps today, by 19.00 ish, it was time for dinner, which took the form of a seemingly endless stream of dishes in an all-you-can-eat Sushi place for 20 euros each. Bargain.  Finally satiated, we made our way back to the hotel where I had a beer in the bar.  Back to Istanbul in the morning.