Vienna - Cafe Griensteidl

Time for a break and there is a great place to sit, take in the 5PM "Kaffee und Kuchen" (coffee and cake), and watch the world walk by.  You will see a mix of tourists and locals walk by this location.

Take a moment to read about the traditional Viennese cafe.


From the article:

Unlike some other café traditions around the world, it is completely normal for a customer to linger alone for hours and study the omnipresent newspaper. Along with coffee, the waiter will serve an obligatory glass of cold tap water and during a long stay will often bring additional water unrequested, with the idea being that you are a guest who should feel welcomed and not pressured to leave for another patron.

Alrighty then!! When in Vienna, do as the Viennese!!  The bells chime and it's time to take a break!  (Be careful of the volume, these bells ring loud.)

Nice Kaffee selection.

How can you pick just one?

We were able to get a perfect end table before the rest
of the world came to sit down too.

The waiters were all decked out.  

The view out to Michaelerplatz.

I ordered a cappucino. Notice that the coffees were brought
on the silver tray, with small glasses of water.
The cake reminded me of the desert that we used
to have at home: banana pudding and vanilla wafer
cookies.  

This was another teary moment, it was so good.

Nice foam.

Little cookie, whipped cream and a strawberry slice on top.

 I took my time enjoying these treats, and then grabbed the camera and started to play. There was a cool fountain on the other side of the Michealerplatz.

Impressive neo-Baroque Michaelertor
 (right, under construction),
the entrance gate to the Hofburg.

Close up view of the top of the dome of
Michaelerkirche.  This is the oldest building in the Michaelerplatz
and is the church of the emperors.

The statues at the entrance gate to the Hofburg Palace.

'Mastery of the Land',
designed in 1897 by Edmund Hellmer
 and symbolizes the Austrian army.

These are close-up views of the sculptures.