We woke up this morning in Vienna. Just the thought of being here filled my heart with joy. I like cruising while I sleep. It’s a wonderfully painless way to travel. Our first concert took place at the Spanish Riding School. That’s right, we actually went to a performance of the Lipizzaner Stallions. Both horses and riders amazed us. The sand floor arena in the centuries-old school gleamed under the light of chandeliers. The horses danced to the music of Strauss, Schubert and Mozart. Years of watching my daughter and later, my granddaughter practicing their riding has given me just enough knowledge to be deeply impressed by the skill and precision of these riders and horses. This was definitely a joyful moment.

After the show, Tom and I wandered around Vienna on our own. That meant we got lost. We were searching for St. Stephen’s Cathedral. As we wandered, we discovered a stunning rose garden. There were plenty of big churches. We’ve seen so many ancient towns that the buildings and churches are looking very similar. We finally asked for help and learned we had set off in exactly the wrong direction. That helped a great deal. Eventually we found St. Stephen’s. It was truly a joyful moment. We went inside to pray. I thought it was a good idea to give God thanks for the good people who showed us the way. From there we caught the shuttle bus back to the boat.

This evening we attended a special concert at the Liechtenstein Palace with the Vienna Imperial Orchestra. The music was excellent. Two opera singers performed arias and a duet, and two ballet dancers interpreted the orchestra’s performance of Johann Strauss’ Blue Danube Waltz. During their performance, they chose audience members to dance with them. Tom was thrilled to be chosen. It was a joyful moment for both of us. What a fabulous day.