Yesterday for the first time I ran a little bit in the morning, which was a good idea, and got the day started right, as I had my sneakers purchased the day before.
With the hop-on hop-off bus ticket I purchased the previous day, two walking tours are included. I anxiously went on the first walking tour yesterday morning. The tour guide told us stories about how Beethoven lived in Vienna for 16 years (I think), as well as Brahams and Mozart. He also showed us the statue of the street-cleaning Jew, to recognize the Jews during the Holocaust who we're forced to clean the streets while being laughed at. I learned about the Habsburg Monarchy, and he showed us the Royal Horses, who we're descended from Moorish horses 4-500 years ago.
After the tour, the tour guide, Franz, took a few of us to the Palace of Justice-which was a special treat. The Palace of Justice is a gorgeous classical -style building has a cafeteria on the fifth floor with a beautiful view of Vienna, and reasonably priced lunches. Few tourists know about this spot, as the diners at the cafeteria are mainly workers in the building, and to enter the palace I had to go through a metal detector.
While eating lunch, Franz talked about Hundertwasser's house. The house is a very colorful and very famous apartment house in Vienna, and I was anxious to see it. Franz mentioned the house was 5 minutes away, and right by his house, where he was headed anyway (actually it was more like a 10 minute ride on the metro and then a 5 minute walk). So I walked with Franz and actually went to his house, where he had to take Leopold, his little pooch, out for a walk. Franz had a very beautiful, light-airy apartment filled with books which used to be his father's office.
After checking out Hundertwasser's house, which was really cool, Franz and I parted ways. I then walked around the neighborhood for a while. I Then took the tram back to the hostel, where I took a nap. A pub crawl was happening that night, and I went to the bar where it started. But after the glass of wine I with dinner and half a beer, I decided I didn't want to drink anymore, and left. I walked up the pedestrian mall back to the hostel.
