The full set of photos are here.

I took 1317 photos on the big camera, and another 20-30 on the phone. I've edited that down to about 70. It took me eight days to make all my notes ready for this blog, and all my photos ready for display.

Food was not a highlight of the trip (with one exception) - a similar problem I found previously in Germany and the Czech Republic. Not that the food was bad, it's just rarely exciting. As opposed to France, Vietnam, Italy, Thailand ... where I anticipated almost every meal. To my surprise I liked the coffee (which is always espresso) ... although I still prefer to savour a big cup of not-so-strong. If you like the darker beers, Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic aren't your place (but I still had a good time trying).

Speaking of beers - going out to Medl-Brau Penzinger Gastof Brauerei was a weird highlight for me: it took us farther afield than we'd been in the city and into what I assume is a middle class neighbourhood - and to a bar that wasn't touristy and yet still looked exactly like a prototypical Austrian beer hall, presumably because that's what their patrons want.

I found out that chafed ears is a thing: perhaps I should consider myself lucky to have never found this out before. Wearing an N95 mask for six hours a day for multiple days left my ears chafed and in discomfort. (I know there are straps to fix that - I didn't have one with me because I didn't anticipate the problem.)

I was reminded once again that I'm not really a fan of the "Old Masters," and that I love Impressionist art. I love churches (and should probably learn more of their history and structure). I love visiting foreign grocery stores. It's a strange pleasure, but something I find fascinating.

Vienna is a beautiful city to walk in, and we were incredibly lucky for weather.

Be warned if you're visiting: a lot of stuff closes on Sunday! Mostly stores and restaurants. If you're visiting, we would highly recommend the Motel One Wien Staatsoper: the rooms are small, but they're clean, quiet, and very centrally located. Speaking of the hotel, both of us were amused - and soothed? - by the fish tank video that came on our TV every time we entered our rooms. You have to put the hotel key in a slot to turn on the room power, so the TV powered on every time you entered and had been set to show a fish tank with quiet music ...

Here's a list of Vienna's Museums: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_Vienna . There are a lot and we didn't make much of a dent. Note that this list fails to include both the Condom Museum and the Chimney Sweep's Museum (and likely several more) that were available to us on the Long Night of Museums.

Both of us remember the toast topped with "bacon" (bacon is in quotes because that's what the menu called it, but it was probably more accurately described as "cured pork") at Golser Bier and Wein Bar as the best meal of the trip - Golser's beer was also the best of the trip.

The highlights of the trip included:

• the art at the Belvedere
• the art at the Albertina
• going up the tower at Stephansdom
• churches!
• the morbidly wonderful Kaisergruft / Imperial Crypt
• the visit to Medl-Brau Penzinger Gastof Brauerei
• the meal and beer at Golser
• just walking around the city, because:
• the architecture everywhere you turned in the core is glorious

Regrets (mild, not serious):

• not seeing the Albertina Modern
• not taking the time to sit and sip coffee in more cafes