Easter Markets!

Today was another gorgeous spring day here, so I decided this morning to get up and go visit a couple of the city's Easter markets that opened this weekend.  I started with the Old Vienna Easter Market at the Freyung, which is near the city center.   

There were lots of stands selling various craft and food items

And in the center of the market are piles and piles of painted eggs.  They were amazing.

and this giant painted egg at the end

and of course you need a basket for all these eggs...

After walking through this Easter market for a while, I wandered around the center of town just enjoying the weather.  The crowds were definitely out today, lots and lots of tourist buses and people wandering around with maps looking vaguely lost.  I took a bunch of pictures walking around today, but I think I'll save those for another post, since I have a feeling there will be a lot of pictures in this one when I'm finished.  I then went out to Schoenbrunn, which is on the other side of town, but definitely seemed worth the trip today.  

 

This market is a bit larger than the other one, with lots of tables for standing while having a glass of wine or beer, not a bad view with Schoenbrunn in the background 

Their pile of hand-painted eggs, not nearly as many as at the other market, but equally as beautiful 

adorable little wood animals

I actually ended up spending quite a bit of time wandering around the gardens at Schoenbrunn and going up to the Gloriette, which I had actually never made it up to before.  I'd always been there just as it was closing or when I didn't have time to walk all the way up there, but I'm so glad I did today, the view was gorgeous.  I'll post pictures of that along with my around town wanderings later.