We reserved the second part of our trip for the Schonbrunn Palace and gardens, the summer  residence of the Habsburg Monarchs.   The place was located a little bit farther from the city center, so we decided to already check out of our hotel, spend a couple of hours over there, then head for home.

We entered the palace from the side entrance since it was where we found a good parking spot.  I also figured it was a great way to cut the walking distance.

But I was wrong.  In order to fully appreciate its beauty, one has to enter it from the main front entrance.

The place was so huge and grand.

We walked through the whole perimeter to view the gardens.  This next picture was taken from the right wing.

It has amazing French-style gardens that are simply breathtaking.

The rear side of the castle did not fail to impress either.

The gardens at the back were just as beautiful as the ones on the side.

There was also a huge fountain with the statue of Neptune at the far end.

With its huge expanse, it was quite a walk.

But the view from the fountain facing the palace was also awe-inspiring.

Furthermore, the area seems to be a runner’s haven.

With all its mazes, varied terrain and beautiful scenery, it makes up for a very good run.

After walking and admiring the beautiful sites of the Schonbrunn Palace, we headed for home.

If there is one person I know who likes to have everything planned, it is my husband.  But since we were on holiday, I somehow persuaded him to just follow where the GPS navigator will take us.  And so we did.  The funny thing was, it added  a twist to our already colorful day.  I chose a route that avoided toll roads and highways so we can see the countryside but it took us somewhere we didn’t expect – the ferry boat!

I thought it was a lot of fun, but he was not so happy about it.  My friend Georgia used to say that her GPS is a Global Piece of Sh*t, because of all the wrong directions that it takes her.  At this time, my husband was thinking the same.

Although later on, we all just laughed about it.  It’s another adventure added to our list.

Anyhow, the route did take us to the countryside.

It was an interesting drive through small villages and farmlands.

Until finally, we arrived at the border.   Home sweet home!

All in all, the trip to Vienna is now part of my most memorable trips .  My son who is turning 3 next month will surely remember this — specially the ferry ride.