We had breakfast at the hotel, which was a very nice buffet. Then everyone headed out to meet up with Gerhard, our local guide and owner of The Third Man Museum.
Is Gerhard a little obsessed by this film, yes I think he is. Does he also have a poignant and robust collection of memorabilia from WWII and and a compelling presentation that illustrates the lives and hardships of the people of Vienna during Hitler's reign, most definitely.
I felt like his obsession with he film and it's underlying message, are his gateway to being able to tell the stories of those affected.
His vintage projector that he modified to screen a portion of the film on a continuous loop was impressive.
As someone who's dealt with film restoration professionally, I may have developed an eye twitch after seeing the reel of film exposed to open air and potential dust and contaminants!
After The Third Man Museum, we visited the Naschmarkt which is a giant open air market place with food and merchandise booths.
After The Third Man Museum, we visited the Naschmarkt which is a giant open air market place with food and merchandise booths.
After the Naschmarkt, we started on a grand circle tour along the Ringstrasse. We boarded one of the trams that circles the city and went to the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien.
Thanks to prearranged reservations with the Rick Steves Tour, we did not have to wait in line for tickets like everyone else. Jana went to the box office, picked up our tickets and in we went!
The architecture of the museum was breathtaking inside and out. There's a large dome in the entryway that leads off to different exhibits. We went up the grand staircase to the gallery we were touring. The painting on the ceiling is a marvel.
Munkácsy's Apotheosis of the Renaissance is painted on the ceiling at the top of the stairs.
According to our tour guide, it shows the pope, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. The perspective of the painting is truly impressive as it makes it appear that they are looking down from above. Amazing forced perspective.
Even the museum cafe is stunning to look at!
The grandeur of the gallery's and the scope and scale of the paintings on display were astounding.
The scenery was only enhanced by the beauty of my travel buddy, Wendy!
After the museum, we had free time until our final dinner together. Wendy and I went wandering the city. We stopped at a Vegan outdoor market and sampled some of their wares. Then we meandered a bit and found a butterfly exhibition.
On our way back to the hotel from the butterfly exhibit, we found a statue honoring Mozart.
We gathered together at the hotel to go to dinner and had one last nightcap before boarding the tram to go to dinner. We went to this lovely restaurant, Schübel-Auer. The tables were arranged picnic-like in a lush outdoor garden setting.
Not sure if it was the nightcap, or the tram ride, but something didn't sit well with Wendy, so we ended up calling it a night and headed back to the hotel.
