with the tour group in vienna

We checked in the Sacher Hotel right in the center of Vienna two days ago. Haven't had great internet access, my only complaint about this gorgeous 5 star old school hotel. We met up with the tour group we will be traveling with. Nice folks and our tour manager from Maupin tours is a lovely woman named Blanka Lukes from the Czech republic.

This was the tiny welcome sacher torte that was in our room. two of these plus chocolates and fresh fruit. Our room has a Chandelier! actually two of them. Nice furniishings and our window terrace looks right out on the goregous state oper house which is right in front of the hotel. Staff is very professional and the service great. Nice food too. The breakfast buffet is unbelievable.

On the 20th- the day we checked in, we did not meet up with the group until the late afternoon. So in the morning we went on a walk around the area around the hotel. Bought chris some very nice shoes, and went to see the Roman Ruins! it was an amazing though small exhibit, deep under a building. Very small display but quite interesting. The man selling tickets looked like he had been underground in this tiny museum since they discovered the dig!

We walked and taked and ended up for coffee in the famous Cafe Central- more on that later. it was one of my favorite interiors of the coffee houses we have visited so far. This one was the hangout of Trotsky back in the day! The Landtmann had better coffee but this one had a gorgous interior, high vaulted ceilings and great food.

Met up with the group and went to the City hall (rathous) christmas market, then met up for a reception and dinner with the whole tour group. Chris and I are the youngest in the group. Lots of older folks. But they seem nice. A bunch of crazy characters really. There are two sisters who remind me a lot of my mom and my aunt peggy. There are two older lady friends traveling together. A couple from New Jersey who seem quite nice, two sep. gentleman traveling on their own. One is an opera lover and has already bought tickets - he went to Don Carlo last night. and then the couple who are Maupin Tour regulars. they are nice, from arizona, and have a house in england but their luggage was lost and they are having a tough time.

Dinner was at the Sacher, nice but not fabulous. The breakfast food has been the best so far actually and the famous Sacher torte of course.

more on the Hofburg and other tour highlights to date soon.