We are spending a few days in Vienna this week. Last night we ended up at the Schonbrunn Palace and one of the famous Chirstmas Markets. The place was packed with holiday shoppers, but we were disappointed with the quality of items for sale. The mulled wine did not taste good and the kids were cold and bored. Overall, not a good experience and overrated.
Earlier in the day in contrast, the Vienna Zoo was great. They do a good job of educating about the natural history of the animals and there was a wide variety of species. I feel zoos are “animal prisons” but in thinking of habitat loss and humankind’s negative impact on most species, at least they are safe inside a cold, central European city.
The kids enjoyed the adventure of using the city’s train system. We moved around the city yesterday quite well with maps in hand. It has been a while that we used public transport, and ethically, I am for it. Practically however, with kids, it is a bit of a hassle. We were in fear of losing one of the four kids in getting on and off busy trains. After four mulled wines though, the fear left us and we all enjoyed the day together.
Ale, Sebey, and Diego are visiting us over the holidays and it was super to see them again. They are faced with climatic challenges, going from tropical heat to temperatures around O C.
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