Pyramids, Pharaohs and The Bishops: Pandas, Koalas and Penguins...oh my!

Day 2 of our holiday turned out to be a lot of fun for all four of us. We had heard about this amazing zoo in Vienna that was on the grounds of a palace that had a "Winter Pass" to increase traffic in the various attractions housed in the area. The hotel front desk recommended taking the subway to the palace so that is exactly what we did. And what an adventure that was for Dimples. He loves all modes of transportation, so, with this being his first adventure on a subway, he was all smiles. The trip on the subway was very efficient and smooth and even though we had to make a transfer to a different line, we made it there with no difficulties whatsoever.

When we got off at the zoo stop, we found a cute little bakery to have breakfast. Oh my. It was delicious. Aside from schnitzel which Austria is well known for, they are also known for strudel...so, naturally, we had to have some strudel. It was delicious. We also quickly devoured a delicious fresh mozzarella and tomato sandwich. It is amazing how much you miss simple things like, fresh mozzarella.

We then made our way to the zoo. We fully expected to have to pay something for the kids to get in, but, they were free which made the beginning of our trip even better because we saved nearly 25 Euros. When we first entered the zoo, we were not super thrilled. The koala house was not open, the Panda house was in the process of being cleaned out, and we could only see the panda from a great distance. But then, we decided to go back and try the koala house again and had a phenomenal time just watching the koalas. Since almost all the animal exhibits were inside, we would walk outside for 2-3 minutes, then go inside to visit whatever creature was waiting for us. The longer we stayed, the better the zoo became and I can now state that this is definitely one of the best zoos I have ever visited. The habitats look very natural and are very large in comparison to other zoos I have been to. The animals were well fed (especially the anaconda we watched eat a rabbit). Both hubby and I were startled at various times. As we entered the Giraffe House we certainly did not expect to see large birds. For those that know me very well, birds and I are not the best of friends, even the little ones. So, when we walked into the Giraffe House, I look to the left as a very large bird is attacking one of the logs in the exhibit. Then, here was this one exhibit with frosted glass and only a couple of clear spaces for a person to look through. Hubby took a look in and saw a familiar large and ugly bird, the Maribou Stork. When we were in Tanzania, we saw these birds all over the islands. They are scavengers and would help clean up the fish remains. Anyway, Hubby was looking in and the bird launched its head towards the glass and its beak hit the glass. Hubby bounced backward laughing at how startled he was.

The kids both had a great time at very different animal houses. Dimples really liked the aquarium, Princess liked the seals and the penguins, but, both kids really enjoyed the elephants. When we were in the elephant exhibit we met another young couple with a child the same age as Dimples and they started to play together. To our surprise the couple work in Saudi Arabia. So, we had a very interesting discussion about life in the Middle East and the similarities and differences between Egypt and Saudi. Due to this unexpected visit and play time, we stayed in the Elephant House for almost an hour. Once we left, we smelled like the Elephant House and could not get the smell off our clothes. Oh well, it was a reminder of our day.

In connection with the Winter Pass, we also went to see the Schonbrunn Palace. This Palace was the home of many monarchs during the reign of the Hapsburg`s. The palace was very ornate and the history of the palace and the people that lived there was truly fascinating. Each room had a very specific decor and many of the rooms housed very important visitors. In one room, Mozart played his first concert at the age of 6 and in another US President Kennedy met with Soviet President Khrushchev. In another room they discussed the children of Marie Teresa and Emperor Franz Joseph...very well know Marie Antoinette who was eventually married to King Louis XVI of France, who eventually was executed by guillotine. It was definitely and interesting tour. Princess enjoyed the ornate rooms and Dimples could have cared less. There was a fabulous Christmas market outside the palace that we enjoyed some hot chocolate and delicious local cuisine.

The kids were getting sleepy so we headed back to the subway. Dimples fell asleep on the way. It was a great day. Next up, we will be visiting the Historic Center of Vienna and then traveling to Bratislava. Enjoy the pictures!