Vienna Austria

We arrived in Vienna later in the evening than we had planned, which would have been fine. However, upon arrival, as we began entering our apartment address into Google Maps, I noticed a second email from the apartment manager indicating that our address had changed. The new location was over a mile away. Since Jon, Karin, and Kyra were now at a different location, I needed a plan B. Plan B involved taking an Uber, but since my Uber app wasn't working, I found a cab and we set off.

This is when things began to go awry. The new apartment didn't appear to be in a very comfortable neighborhood. After experiencing some tense and uneasy moments, Julie and I finally got inside our apartment. At that point, Julie directly told me that we would not be staying here. I locked the door, which had a sturdy deadbolt, slid a small plastic table in front of it, and reassured Julie that we were completely safe.

After a restful night's sleep with one eye open, the morning brought a new city to explore. However, there was an issue: Julie wasn't planning to stay another night. That's when I shared the good news. I had a new plan and found a different place for us to stay. This current location, though, had a washer and dryer. We decided to wash all our clothes, enjoy a much-needed cup of coffee, and meet Jon, Karin, and Kyra at Schönbrunn Palace. After touring the palace, we would return in broad daylight to our do-drop-inn hotel, collect our clean clothes, and head to a four-star hotel so my little princess would feel safe. Julie agreed to the plan, albeit hesitantly. Next, I needed to figure out how to get to the castle. It wasn't by horse-drawn carriage, though. After a short train and subway ride, we arrived at Schönbrunn Palace, where our good friends, the Vogt family, were patiently waiting for us out front.

The time Julie and I spent exploring the palace and visiting the world's oldest zoo within its grounds provided a much-needed distraction, shifting her focus from her initial impression of what would become a very beautiful city in Austria: Vienna.

The following two days were dedicated to exploring Vienna, known as "Wien" in Europe. We quickly discovered that it is a very walkable city. The stunning architecture, beautiful gardens, numerous concert halls, and many coffee shops made it clear that we were in a unique place, far removed from our everyday life in Monroe. We enjoyed some delicious food, attended a classical concert conducted by four young Australians at St. Stephen's Cathedral, which was majestically illuminated against the city's evening skyline, and leisurely strolled through the streets as if time had stood still.