Vienna by Night

I know I've said this before, and probably have taken a lot of these pictures before in various forms, but I think it deserves its own post at this point.  Also, with the vast majority of my daily life being consumed with thesis writing, I'm finding myself with a bit of a lack of good blog worthy activities these days.  Most places look and feel differently at night versus the day, and even more so during different seasons of the year.  This time of year in Vienna feels sort of like its spring cleaning, we're past the twinkling lights of Christmas, and not quite ready for the evening activities of summer, but it gives us a chance to admire the grandeur of the buildings and streets themselves.  

Something about the quietness of the nighttime once all the guided tour groups have gone and all the shops have closed creates a sense of timelessness about the city.  As though you could almost be walking past these same buildings at any time since they were built, although I suppose there would be times when you couldn't pass quite so freely through the gates to the palace...

Even the layout of the inner part of the city seems to invite such leisurely wanderings, with all the buildings so neatly contained within the Ring.

Walking through the courtyards of the Hofburg and out the other side

With all the shops being closed, even with people on the streets it is definitely quiet enough to be able to hear the gorgeous cello music from a street musician for several blocks as it echos off the buildings lining the Graben.  With the added live soundtrack it almost seems like it can't possibly be real, that it must all somehow be more like an amusement park experience, but thankfully it isn't.

Looking up at the front of Stephansdom.  A photo I wouldn't dare take during the day as I try my hardest to look like a local and not get asked if I would like concert tickets by the team of guys dressed in their 18th century best, but as most of the tourists have gone home, so have they, and I can stop and stare a bit.

And somehow, even in such a relatively small city as Vienna, in just this one district, it is entirely possible to wander for several hours and not get tired of the beautiful surroundings and the way everything is so carefully lit at night.

We're heading into the home stretch of this semester and school as a whole, graduation forms have been filled out, caps and gowns ordered, now it's just about finishing this thesis on time.  I also have a few fun quick trips planned and some visitors coming which is helping me to keep these deadlines on track!