Sunday got off to an early start due to our morning activities; see (hear) the Vienna Boys Choir sing at Burgkapelle, followed by a horsey show at the Spanish Riding School. Conveniently, the events are located in the same area (Hofburg Palace), however, to ensure standing room tickets for the Burgkapelle, it is imperative to get there early due to the limited allotment. Luckily, there is a distinct advantage getting to the Hofburg first thing in the morning, there are very few tourists to obstruct pictures.
No tourist in sight
Enjoying the quiet morning at the Hofburg
Before the buses arrived
The Vienna Boys Choir sing at the weekly Sunday mass held at Burgkapelle, a small chapel located inside the Hofburg Palace. The line for standing room tickets starts around 8:15 and can quickly accumulate with tour groups arriving by the busload. Fortunately, the line was relatively short when we got to the chapel. A half hour later, an attendant distributed tickets to the patient freeloaders. Also, my parents could be heard singing joyously knowing I attended a church service for the first time in (well) over a decade - my heathen skin remained un-scorched. During the service, neither the choir nor the members of the Wiener Philharmonic are visible to the audience. Although, when mass concludes, the choir sings a final song in front of the altar - the only time photography and/or video is permitted. Immediately following the "concert," we walked the short distance to Spanische Hofreitschule.
Vienna Boys Choir
Pre-show, no pictures during event
Where we ended up standing for the performance
The line for standing room at the Spanish Riding School begins a half-hour before showtime and can crowd quickly due to the bottle-necked gate. Once inside, there is limited room available and the spots directly behind the seats fill up first - a cutthroat affair. We had selected our location, but were kindly asked by an employee to stand to the side (not behind the seats) because we were near the entrance. As the show edged near, more and more people crowded the area, attempting to swoop -in on our area like hyenas. To get our spaces back, we had to be assertive and state our claim to our (standing) seats - with little recourse, sans some disappointing snarls.
Ruin of Carthage (Roman Ruin) and carriage ride
Schönbrunn Palace
Back to back posts with a picture of us.
Non-scaffolding part of Gloriette
The performance started shortly after the designated time, beginning with the young stallions, a display of fancy hoof-work from the immature steeds. There were four programs in total, the best of which included the jumps and the Ballet of the White Stallions. The announcer described the jumps and prances as natural horse behavior, neither coerced nor contrived - although, that is clearly debatable. When the show ended, our bodies were strained - having stood all morning took a great a toll. A long Metro ride to the Schönbrunn Palace was a much welcomed idea, provided we could find seats.
Palace through fountain
Neptune Fountain
Turtle Fertility Statue...?
We were on the Metro for eleven, glorious, time-consuming stops, minutes that added up for some much needed relief. At the palace, we grabbed a pamphlet that delineated the different priced tours and amenities access. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside, therefore; we decided to pass on the idea of frivolously spending money. We were content with exploring the massive grounds of the Schönbrunn, the grandiose summer residence of the former Imperial Crown (Hofburg Palace was the winter residence). Our time in Vienna was drawing to a close, but we still had enough time for one last activity. We returned to the Hofburg District and enjoyed some coffee and Viennese pastries at Cafe Hawelka before heading back to the airport to catch our flight back to Germany.
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