Facts and snacks

At the height of the Hapsburg Empire, Vienna was the cultural capital of Europe and one of its wealthiest cities. The end of this empire in World War I and heavy bombing of World War II have shaped modern-day Wien (pronounced Vien). Still standing are many spectacular monuments, museums, and other buildings including the Opera House, the Imperial Palace and St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

When we come to a new city, we often look for the highest point to take a good look and get our bearings. We decide on climbing the tower at St. Stephen’s. Like the Cathedral in Reims, its buttresses, columns and inlaid sculptures make it a fine example of gothic architecture. Although the cathedral survived the bombings of the last Great War, it was severely damaged by fire. The timber roof was destroyed and the huge church bell came crashing through the tower. It has since been restored.

Outside Stephensplatz (St. Stephen’s Square) the street is bustling with merchants, mimes and buskers. A group of street gymnasts give a crowd-pleasing performance. The temperatures have cooled from our days in Cinque Terre, but it is still sunny and 16°C. We make our way back to our apartment, but not before passing through the Viennese Market Place.

For a full kilometer, merchants line both sides of the street. There are fresh olives, cheese, cured meats, stuffed vine leaves and peppers, candied fruit and chocolate, wine, coffee, breads and desserts. The merchants are unrelenting – come over, sample this, taste that. We escape with an assortment of food stuff, maybe a little more than we bargained.

We’re all about the food. On our wedding day, Monica presented me with a wicker basket filled with a variety of food items and a tablecloth. The tablecloth has traveled with us for 15 years. It has been as far west as Vancouver Island and as far south as Mexico. It’s been laid out on slate rock beaches on Newfoundland’s northeast shore and on picnic tables in Canada’s National Parks. It has accompanied us in canoe and kayak, on bike and skis, in car and camper. It’s been the backdrop for many a fine cocktail party.

We get back to our apartment and Monica lays out the tablecloth. We strategically place our delectable purchases on the cloth and dig in!