Wien 1130 (Hietzing) Sunday Morning at Schönbrunn

I met a good Austrian friend and his firecracker-smart daughter at the zoo at Schönbrunn Palace this morning. We spent about an hour wandering around, checking out the animals.

I've always enjoyed visiting zoos. I find the animals fascinating. I'm like a big kid when I visit (complete with guilty feelings about the animals being cooped up).

It was fun today to see my friend's little girl enjoying the animals and interacting with her dad. I want to say she's 3, but that can't be right. On the one hand, she's way too smart to be 3. On the other hand, there's no way three years have gone by since she was born, is there? Wie der Zeit vergeht...

I spent some time at the zoo after my friend and his little girl left. I didn't take many photos. For some reason, I wasn't in the mood.

I did, however, take a picture of this place:

Schönbrunn Meierei (an octagonal building housing a restaurant/cafe, located in the center of the zoo). Look at those blue skies. It was cold but nice out today, and contrary to what this picture might suggest, the zoo was crowded with parents pushing strollers stuffed with tightly bundled packages that might have been children.

I had lunch in the restaurant inside the Meierei (pr. my ah EYE). The food was not bad. I had a Schweinsbraten (pork roast) with Knödel (dumpling) and Kraut. The atmosphere was pleasant, even though mine was the only table in the restaurant without any children seated around it. The food prices were reasonable, but not cheap. Fun place to take kids or stop for a coffee / dessert.

I have more Schönbrunn pictures to get online. I'll try to play some catchup this week.

Also took this shot today:

This is the Hietzing U4 station. If you want to visit the Schönbrunn Palace on the U4, get off at the Hietzing stop, not at the Schönbrunn stop. Follow the signs to the Tiergarten (zoo / lit. animal garden). You will enter a large gate and find yourself in the palace gardens. Continue walking in the same direction (as you were walking when you passed through the gate) and you will reach the palace. The walk from the Hietzing station to the palace is the same length as the walk from the Schönbrunn station to the palace, but the first route is nicer. It also gives you a chance to take a look at the zoo and Palmenhaus (greenhouse) along the way.