Heiligenkreuz

 We went to the monastery of Heiligenkreuz today.

Founded in 1133, the cloister is especially beautiful.

 This is the abbot's chair.

 This is Friedrich II (the Quarrelsome), Duke of Austria,
the last of the House of Babernberg. 

He died 1246.

 This is the well house.

 The work room of the friars.

This is the sacristy. 

 We went through the Romanesque nave,...

and through the Gothic choir.

 The courtyard is wonderful.

 The trees around the fountain were planted in 1848,

after the serfdom was abolished in Austria.

Then we visited Opa.

Heiligenkreuz

 We went to the monastery of Heiligenkreuz today.

Founded in 1133, the cloister is especially beautiful.

 This is the abbot's chair.

 This is Friedrich II (the Quarrelsome), the last of the House of Babernberg, Duke of Austria. 

He died 1246.

 This is the well house.

 The work room of the friars.

This is the sacristy. 

 We went through the Romanesque nave,...

and through the Gothic choir.

 The courtyard is wonderful.

 The trees around the fountain were planted in 1848,

after the serfdom was abolished in Austria.

Then we visited Opa.

Guglhupf

 Today we went to the Fool's Tower (Narrenturm). 

Built in 1784, it was created as a mental hospital in the old Vienna General Hospital complex, 

and is now home to the Federal Pathologic-Anatomical Museum Vienna.

The Viennese always called it Guglhupf,

which is a Viennese bunt cake. 

Yes, we see the resemblance.

We dove into the world of medical pathologies.

Uncanny. 

18th century mental health care never looked better. 

 Then we went to the Leopold Museum to see some Schiele,

 Albin Egger-Lienz,

and more Egon Schiele.

Opera

We went to the Opera today.

The boys looked sharp. 

We saw "the Marriage of Figaro".

The boys said that it was long.

Kunsthistorisches Museum

 We went to the Kunsthistorisches Museum today.

We saw Vermeer's "Art of Painting".

 

We saw Cellini's Saliera.

Then we put Charlie and Thomas in the replica in front of the museum. 

 

Treasury

 We climbed up the South tower of Saint Stephen's cathedral.

 343 stairs!

 Past the gargoyles.

 Then we went to Trzesniewski's:

 And had some wonderful finger sandwiches.

 After that we needed something sweet from Oberlaa. 

Lemon cake and Mousse au Chocolat cake.

 Some light walking past the Baroque plague column brought us to...

 Dehmel's, the Imperial confectioner shop. 

 Then we went to the Treasury. 

This is the crown of the Holy Roman Empire....

 With the matching robe...

 Fancy flatware.

 The cross of the Holy Roman Empire with a particle from the Cross.

A monstrance with a tooth from Saint John the Baptist,

but the Instagram feed was too interesting...

 We saw the House of Parliament.

 For dinner we were invited at Elisabeth's and Bernhard's.

 It was a 10,000 calorie day.

 We took a group picture.

And then we tried to tie ties. Perfect!