Thu 28 Aug- Vienna, Strauss-Mozart concert

Thu 28 Aug- after breakfast buffet, we went for the bus and walking tour of Vienna. The bus took about a half-hour to go the distance the Metro covers in about 5 minutes, but the guide kept our attention with numerous anecdotes and history of Vienna. The walk introduced us to St. Stephen's cathedral, the 'plague column', Michael's Gate, some Lipizzaner stallions going into the Spanish Riding School (http://hutchings.smugmug.com/photos/363974629_EJMve-M.jpg); by bus we saw the huge Ferris wheel from 1899 in the amusement park, got to walk through the grounds of one of the many palaces and its garden.
Back on the ship we had a nice salad from the buffet. We took the Metro back to Stephenplatz and walked around town for several hours, picking up tickets to the Spanish Riding School training session tomorrow, and a concert tonight by the Konzertburo der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wein at the Grosser Musikvereinssaal.
After the port talk, we had another great dinner: choice of house wine, melon wrapped with ham, cream of carrot soup, breaded mushrooms stuffed with feta cheese on mixed vegetables (Stan) or grilled butter fish on creamy leek and crispy potato rosti with tomato risotto fennel and lemon saffron sauce (Kiyomi), Swedish pancake filled with chocolate pastry cream for dessert.
We took the Metro to Karlsplatz, and headed for the concert hall on the brochure. When we arrived, we were told the venue had changed, so we walked back to just about where we got off the Metro for the actual venue. It was a Johann Strauss and Mozart concert by the Wiener Hofburg Orchestra, with five operatic soloists. It was a lively, upbeat program, marches, waltzes, cheerful arias and concluding with 'The Beautiful Blue Danube'. Our seats in the balcony loge gave us a good view of the orchestra (http://hutchings.smugmug.com/photos/363974652_qaVYo-Ti.jpg), and the acoustics were quite nice. We really enjoyed the program.