Back in Europe....first stop Vienna! St. Stephen's Cathedral

After emerging from my jetlag coma, looking out the hotel window we see the Vienna Marathon is underway! People sure do get excited about this! 

Along the route...water bottles and banana peels. Hmm....so many comments. 

Tim walking around the route...two guys bringing up the rear.

So THIS is where he was heading! The Wiener Wurst man! 

Time for a wiener and a beer! He puts the bun on the hot...probe? (What do you call that?) It makes a hole in the bun, then the wiener goes inside there. I'm not making this stuff up... but it was delicious!

 Want a bite? 

Along our walk around town, we saw some cool art...fountains and guinea pig paintings. Apparently the Viennese are not only known for their music, waltzes and food, but their guinea pig art! Not to mention, drawings of dogs in dresses! 

After the obligatory Wiener Wurst and a beer, we continued our walk 

toward the iconic St. Stephen's Cathedral or as they call it - Stephansdom, seen in the Stephansplatz. 

Platz - place, stadt - city. FYI

Some shots of the church's exterior. Over the years, soot and other air pollution have made the church's limestone exterior have a black tinge to it. Apparently they are planning to renovate. 

Beethoven discovered the totality of his deafness when he saw birds flying out of the bell tower as a result of the bells' tolling but could not hear the bells. 

 The tower is affectionately known by the Viennese as Steffl, which is like saying, "little Stephen". 

St. Stephen's Cathedral's massive south tower is its highest point and a dominant feature of the Vienna skyline. Its construction lasted 65 years, from 1368 to 1433. 

 Mozart had been appointed an adjunct music director here shortly before his death. This was his parish church when he lived at the "Figaro House" and he was married here, two of his children were baptized here, and his funeral was held in the Chapel of the Cross inside.

 Famous musicians of St. Stephen's include Joseph Haydn who was a choirboy along with his brothers. He was married there as well as Mozart.
The funerals of Mozart and Vivaldi were held here as well.

Devotional candles

There are at least six separate chapels within the church, one with a statue of Jesus whose beard is made of real hair. St. Valentine's bones are in one of the chapel, as well as a piece of the tablecloth from the Last Supper.