Tales from Vienna

A friend of mine recently reminded me about the beauty of my childhood home - Vienna, Austria.  I was lucky enough to grow up in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods, not to mention having been fortunate enough to live in a famous composer's villa.

The German composer, Richard Wagner may have only lived there between 1863 and 1864, but it was here in this villa that he worked on his opera masterpiece, "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg".

As a young girl, having been an only child and home alone qiute a bit, my favorite pastime was walking across the Kennedy Bridge (named in honor of President Kennedy), buying myself a 16 Schilling (yes, I am aging myself! 😅) 4 scoop ice cream cone at Della Lucia and walking to Schönbrunn Park to wander and explore.

Schönbrunn Park, being just a stone's throw from my home, was a child's backyard dream come true!  I spent countless hours wandering around, taking in all the families and children, elderly, and friends young and old, enjoying their leisurely strolls through the park, no matter what time of year.  During the spring, the park would especially come alive with buds blooming and birds chirping.  The rose garden section was always my favorite, by far.

I would sometimes wander towards the palace, where I'd always wonder what the inside must be like.  In my thirties, when I came to visit with my family, I finally got to take a tour of the inside and there are simply no words to describe it.  Having been fascinated by the Austrian 'Sissi' - the Young Empress - movies, since early childhood, touring the palace was as if I had been teleported into a scene of my favorite movie.

Schönbrunn Palace was the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers and is located in Hietzing, Vienna.  The palace grounds include not only the palace, but also the world's oldest zoo as well as the Palm House, the Desert house, numerous gardens, a labyrinth, and hours worth of beautiful shaded serene walking paths.  There are also quaint coffee shops as well as restaurants located inside the park!

Whenever I visit Austria, no matter how short the trip, I always make time to visit my childhood home, enjoy some delicious Italian gelato at Della Lucia and wander through Schönbrunn Park, reminiscing of a childhood long gone.  Yet my villa home and my 'backyard' remain, forever unchanged.