The next cruise is approaching!

We're off soon to Japan to cruise on the Sun Princess from Yokohama to Singapore via Osaka, Kagoshima, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Time zones are as follows -

• All of Japan is 8 hours ahead of the UK
• Taiwan is 7 hours ahead of the UK
• Hong Kong is 7 hours ahead of the UK
• Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam are both 6 hours ahead of the UK
• Singapore is 7 hours ahead of the UK

Sun Princess

At Vienna Airport

We are in Terminal 2 at Vienna Airport.  Everything seems to be on time - we're just having a snack lunch and then will go through security to the gate.  Trouble is, security is right at the gate so we will only go through when we are sure that we don't want to go back!

Thursday

Today has been very wet indeed.  The day dawned bright and clear, but by 11 am it had started to rain and it has rained hard all day since and it has been very windy too.

We walked around the university and parliament area and then went into the Hofburg - the old imperial palace to see various collections and some of the imperial apartments.  After that we had a lunch break and free wifi in Starbucks and then went to Mozart's apartment in Domgasse.

We're now back at the hotel and we've decided not to go to the fre concert as the rain shows no signs of letting up and it is on tv in our room in the hotel.

Challenge for Sarah - only two people have the 'secret' as to how this is folded

Empress Maria Theresa's personal cutlery which travelled round with her

Rounding off the day

We then walked around the cathedral and sauntered back to the hotel via a stop for a bite to eat.

Graeme standing outside Domgasse 5, the only surviving Mozart residence in Vienna

The ultimate teddy bear brand!

Shopping - again!

Outside Vienna's answer to Harvey Nicks ....

Oh no, not another Swarovski shop ....

No, no, no - the Rolex shop is definitely off limits

I think that, if this were Dubai, I as the husband would have been getting a warning text by now about my wife's spendthrift tendencies .....

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Rehearsal

The VPO are seen here rehearsing for the free concert in the park on Thursday.  It's Corpus Christi today (Thurs) and the Austrians always take their holidays seriously so, as it's a public holiday, they put on a free summer concert in the park at Schönbrunn.

And the day continues

Time for Kaffee und Kuchen, or rather Eisschokolade und Mineralwasser in this case ......

and this is the Crown Prince's Garden

Looks like the weather here is generally a bit warmer than in the UK ....

A Panorama!

My first attempt at a panorama following Chris's excellent tutorial!

Thursday

On Thursday, ÖRF, the Austrian state broadcasting company, will be transmitting via Eurovision the free summer concert from Schönbrunn at 8.05pm UK time.

For those of you with access to German-speaking channels, you should be able to see it live on ORF2, their equivalent of our BBC2.

There is also a  preview programme at 8.05am UK time on Thursday morning profiling the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

If you are able to see the evening broadcast, then you may catch a glimpse of us in the crowd!

Wednesday was Schönbrunn day!

.... and you need a full day to do it justice.  With over 2.4 million visitors each year, it's Vienna's biggest attraction.

My arms won't stretch - some interesting outfits below ....

Just waiting for lunch to be served ....

and it has arrived - eating in the Kaiser's summer residence

Lovely gardens everywhere inside the very extensive park

and a slightly moth-eaten red squirrel who knew how to beg from humans ....

Now here's a place to rival Versailles

and they're getting ready for tomorrow night's concert ....

What a view!

Carriage rides abound!

Vienna wouldn't be Vienna without there being loads of Fiaker to choose from for a stately progress round the city

How about the Austrian eagles on the roof tiles?  Best cathedral roof I know!

After lunch .....

After lunch we went to the distinctive single-spired Stephansdom - where Mozart got married - and it has some of the best lighting effects I have ever seen in a cathedral. If you like Hummel figures, this is the shop for you.

More after lunch ...

And here's where the two composers played - now a swish restaurant.  Some other nice architecture round here plus "Legally Blonde" has hit Vienna!