Today was going to be a big day. Since we weren’t able to get to the zoo yesterday, we were determined to make it today. So it was an early morning and we were first in line for the Vienna Imperial Zoo. It was a VERY cold morning but at least no rain and we enjoyed the zoo for over 3 hours. My favorites were the Rhinos, the giraffes and the bats. Creepy cool!

When Candace and I travel together we usually make time to go to a local spa. Pampering is an important thing after you’ve trekked in the Alps for a full day and are getting ready to spend 14 hours in a plane. Also, it’s pretty cool to see spas in other countries. Will they do anything differently than we do? What will the experience be like? Anyway, we had booked at massage at Vienna’s famous Sacher Hotel after a recommendation by a local. Vienna’s world-renowned Sacher Torte is also sold here. One of the first things on my must-do list for this trip was to have the Sacher Torte at the Sacher Hotel. So regardless of the spa, this was going to be a destination.

We had a massage scheduled but also wanted to spend some time just enjoying the spa. Being absolutely freezing at this point, we were happy to head there. We got off at the Stephansplatz metro stop which is the center of the city – also called Innner Stradt – and one that we hadn’t been to yet. We were thrilled when we got off the metro and were hit with huge crowds, tons of stores and Christmas all over the place! It was just what we were looking for. One entire store was draped entirely with white lights and a huge red bow. We oohed and ahhed all the way down to the Sacher Hotel which happened to be directly across from the Vienna State Opera House. We were treated like royalty as we entered and were lead to an access-only elevator to take us to the spa. The spa was lovely! We were given all of the necessities for relaxation – robes and slippers, fruit and tea. There was a Therarium which I’d never heard of before. It was essentially a sauna but every 10 minutes water would spray onto either Lavendar and Mint leaves and it created the most wonderful fragrances. Apparently these herbs are good for your skin too. There was also a relaxation room – nice and dark and oh, so comfy. We relaxed and warmed up for a couple of hours and then were off to our massage.

I had a wonderful one! It wasn’t too unique from the massages at home except that the masseuse massaged my stomach. I don’t think that happens too often in the US. The whole thing was an incredible experience! And since we were running late, we decided to get the Sacher Torte to go. We’d eat it with a nice Austrian wine while we were all dressed up for the opera later.

This was the night I’d been waiting for! La Boheme at the Vienna State Opera House – called Weiner Staatsoper, which is reported to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. It had sure looked that way when we walked past. And…to top it all off we got to wear fancy dresses! When in Vienna, right?! I may be biased but I have to say that we looked pretty damn good! Maybe except for the knee-high socks and winter boots we were wearing under the dresses. We had to keep warm, right? Once we were in our finery, of course wine and the unveiling of the Sacher Torte were in order. OMG – YUM! This dessert is so rich but not overly sweet. It has a bitter chocolate sort of taste which was to-die-for. And paired with wine – sheer perfection!

We got to the opera house just in time to pick up our tickets and head back to the Sacher Hotel for a quick cocktail before the show. This hotel is exquisite. It is so warm and full of Christmas. Dark reds and blues and blanket the walls which are filled with dark wood. It’s simply gorgeous. And the huge Christmas tree and homemade gingerbread house made it all the more inviting. We snagged a prime seat in the small, intimate bar and enjoyed our cocktails.

Off we went to the opera. We were absolutely the most dressed of anyone we saw but we simply didn’t care. We felt and looked beautiful. Our seats were not the best but I thoroughly enjoyed the show! As I said, we saw La Boheme which was loosely used to create the modern-day production of Rent on broadway. Well this is one of my favorite shows ever and since I already knew the story line, it was relatively easy to follow. The intermission was different than anything I’d experienced in the States. All of the tables had been reserved by patrons and included glasses of Champagne or wine and an assortment of food and pastries. It was quite lovely. The entire experience of the opera held up to my expectations. It was a spectacle to be seen in so many ways – the show, the people watching, the traditions of the patrons.

Having only had part of a Sacher Torte for dinner, we headed to a café for some food. Candace had said earlier that she was disappointed that she wouldn’t get to have gulash again but there it was! Wow, that’s some good stuff. And the perfect portion when we share. Disappointment…gone! We were also able to reflect about the week and what were our favorite parts. There were a lot of favorites!

It has absolutely been one of my favorite trips ever. Vienna is a GORGEOUS city with so many different sides to it and so much to do. I’d recommend it to anyone. It was magical at Christmas in a way that is probably unlike any other time of year but I imagine it’s stunning when everything is in bloom in the spring or summer.

Drinking copious amounts of wine last night didn’t bode well for the run we had planned for the morning. So instead we slept in (finally!) and tried to recover. The run can wait for tomorrow.

On the day’s agenda: Vienna’s famous Naschmarkt. The Naschmarket is a fruit and vegetable market but it offers so much more. The fruits and veggies come from around the world and there were many that I’d never seen before. There were also spices and cheeses and meats and breads. Interspersed were food vendors offering all sorts of traditional fare. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating and we got soaked going through the market. Cold and wet, we really didn’t take full advantage of the market. Soaked at this point, we decided to head to the next destination.

Yannick, our guide from the snowshoeing adventure, had recommended an ‘underground’ Christmas Market called Karlsplatz. This market is different in that it offers less traditional Christmas fare. It’s known for it’s sweet playground for children and crafts which feature local artists. As you all know, every trip I take is commemorated by a piece of art from a local artist so I was very excited about this market. So, even though it was pouring and we were soaking wet and freezing, we trudged along hoping to find something fantastic. Well, we did! There was some incredible art there! One of the requirements for those wishing to run a stand at this market is that the products on sale must be made by the applicant themselves. So it was all very original and we got to speak to the artists we bought from. Success!

Cold and wet and kinda depressed about the weather, we headed back to the apartment. I have to say, I felt a little trapped. All of my loved ones know that I’m no fun to be around when I feel that way. But Candace handled it – and me – well. BFFs just know what to do in those situations…

We decided to try another famous Christmas market in the evening. We bundled up – really, really bundled up – and headed out, stopping along the way for mini bottles of wine. Night one we drank gluhwein – the Austrian version of mulled wine – and just decided it wasn’t for us. So we decided we’d fill up our gluhwein mugs with our own wine! Yes, we are just that smart 🙂

The Weihnachtsdorf vor dem Schloss Belvedere (or Belvedere Palace). This market is the latest addition to the Christmas market scene in Vienna and is set against the backdrop of the baroque style Belvedere Palace which was the summer residence for Price Eugene of Savoy and now houses museums and stables. The palace is absolutely stunning to walk into! The grounds are incredible and feature a large pool and majestic and massive wrought iron gates. It was a beautiful sight! But slightly less impressive because some of the fairy take Christmas lights weren’t turned on 🙁 We still had luck with the vendors and enjoyed walking around with our version of gluhwein.

The Belvedere Palace is in a district of Vienna that we weren’t familiar with so we stopped into a sweet hotel to ask for a restaurant recommendations. The most adorable bellhop (what is that called in German?) suggested a traditional restaurant around the corner. What a recommendation! The restaurant was called Sperl and was fantastic. It was warm and cozy and almost completely full and reeked of Christmas and Viennese charm. We split some wonderful and I drank the traditional Gruner Vetlinger wine which is very similar to a Pinot Grigio but just a bit sweeter. We had a blast getting silly with the waiters.

We decided we were tired and a date night was in order. We stopped on the way back to the apartment to pick up some wine and dessert and promptly put ourselves to bed with ‘This is 40’ playing on my tablet (thanks Kerry!) and a Schokokuchen pastry to share (an Austrian pastry similar to a donut with chocolate merenge inside).

Another FANTASTIC day in Vienna! But, the question remains, will we ever see the sun while we’re here??