A Short Stop in Vienna

Coming back from a trip to Eastern Europe and having to change trains in this city, my travelling companion and I took the chance to visit the historic centre. We had only a few hours available and, with no guidebook, we limited ourselves to a walk through the streets of the old town. We crossed the wide garden that links the two great Belvedere palaces, then walked down the main avenue as far as the Cathedral. Although it was the beginning of November, the Austrian capital already displayed its rich Christmas decorations. We admired the fine architecture of St Stephen's Church and its bristling tower, then turned back towards the railway station, where the train for Italy was waiting for us. It was a very brief stop in Vienna, unexpected too. We returned to visit it calmly some years later, because the city still had so much to offer us.