I am here in Wien making arrangements for our October 21-23 reunion.
First, I must tell you that Vienna truly is even better than we remember. Except for the tourist crowds on Kaertnerstrasse and the too-many fancy “international” stores near there including Tiffany, our city looks and feels the way we remember, but better.
The cathedral is being dressed up with a fresh washing that takes away the centuries of soot on the facade; all of the other public buildings and music venues are sparkling bright from being cleaned up; and almost all of the private buildings have also been scrubbed clean.
Most streets inside the ring are now all-pedestrian; you can walk almost everywhere in the Erste Bezirk and not fear you will get hit by a speeding bicycle, auto or bus. This makes walking a pleasure, though I must say the cobblestones, which are everywhere, make it somewhat difficult to keep sure footing for a 70-year-old.
IES Wien 