We were up at a good time this morning as we had a date with the Belvedere Schloss gallery at mid-day!
We headed into town on our usual line 3 metro and then took a tram from the Volkstheater back the way we had travelled yesterday but the difference was that it was sunny and dry today - a vast improvement. We grabbed a map and headed off to look at the gardens first and the view across the lake to the Belvedere. It is an impressive white building but the gardens were not quite as impressive and we both agreed that Hampton Court was far superior. We were a bit early for our timed tickets and there was an ominous black cloud which I had not expected as the weather was forecast fair and most importantly, I had not brought my umbrella out today. With this is mind we grabbed a seat under a large umbrella in the gallery cafe and ordered two melange coffees and an apple strudel to share. Both were very good and by the time we had finished them, the cloud had disappeared and it was bright sunshine again. Now it was time to enter the gallery. After dropping off our rucksacks at the cloak room we made our way straight to the first floor looking for ‘The Kiss’. We couldn’t find it at first but came across so many famous paintings that I recognised from books and my art studies many, many years ago. Thee were some brilliantly funny carves stone heads - sixteen in total - of different expressions carved by a sculptor called Messerschmit in the 18th century. We circuited the gallery and this time found out way to the main Klimt Gallery (via some Monets and Egon Schieler paintings).
It was beautiful and unlike some paintings, certainly lived up to its reputation. It was so good to be able to get up close and it was bigger than I had expected at nearly two meters square. We spent quite some time looking at it before passing through other rooms with classic Gustav Klimt paintings such as Judith. A brief trip up in the lift to see some Modernist paintings and sculptures before we headed back down to the shop where I treated myself to a book about the gallery with all the paintings in it. Colin bought a new mug tray with space for cake as well and I also got another fridge magnet (kitsch not naff!).
We finally left the gallery, catching the D tram back down to Volkstheater as Colin had his heart set on another Bratwurst in a roll - excellent as it was yesterday and I tried a herby sausage today. There were a number of police vans around the place as apparently there is a conference with Israel and there have been threats made against them because of the political situation in the Gaza Strip - we kept well away from that area.
Back up on the tram past the Belvedere this time as Colin wanted to pay a visit to the Military Museum whilst I explored elsewhere. We were a bit surprised to find a lot of people in military uniforms and some very impressive evening dresses as there was some sort of function on at the same time but luckily Colin was still able to get in at a reduced price! I left him there having set up Google maps to share our locations and walked back to the Belvedere gardens, sat and studied the guide book for a bit before deciding that I’d go back to the cathedral for a better look and maybe go up the North Tower by lift to see the views.
I made it just as Colin was leaving the museum so I had time to queue for a ticket and get the lift up. It was not actually as impressive as many views we have enjoyed but I took a few photos anyway and then had to check in for our flights tomorrow which was definitely the highest I have ever been for a check-in! More choice this time so I moved our allocated seats forward and arranged them to allow a spare seat in the middle although I have a feeling it will be taken by the time we fly. Back down again and with excellent timing we met by the not so secret number ‘5’ on Stephenplatz. Colin had found a restaurant that he suggested we have an early dinner at and I navigated us to it via a different metro this time. We were both really tired but it was well worth it
