Day 72 - Running the Danube, Belvedere Gardens and a Cold Day at Vienna Prater

Another early one. Alarms weren’t needed again. Kia, the kids and I were all up around that familiar 4:30–5am window. Still pitch black outside, so it was another morning of burning time with coffees and quiet pottering before the city woke up.

I eventually laced up and headed out for another run, knocking out a 5km loop. This time I ran down along the river and it was honestly beautiful. There’s a bike path and then a proper trail right beside the water, so you’re running with the river right next to you. I only followed it for about a kilometre but it looks like it just keeps going forever. Easily one of the nicer urban runs I’ve done. On the way back through town I ducked into a Spar to grab some bread, milk and a few basics, then back home to rejoin the chaos.

After a shower and breakfast, Kia and I sat down and had one of those necessary but not always easy chats. Budget, work, the trip, schooling. All the stuff that bubbles away in the background until it needs air. We then got the kids into some bookwork and started setting them up on a learning app we’d been looking into. Turned out to be free, super interactive, and game-based with points and rewards. There’s a little test at the end of each lesson too, which is great for making sure it’s actually sinking in. They even had a play with the language side of it. Emmett did a maths lesson, Maddie worked through some English, and all things considered it went pretty well.

Once that was packed away, we headed out. We grabbed 24-hour tram passes for Kia and me, and just used single tickets for the kids as needed. First stop was Belvedere Palace. We didn’t go inside the palace itself, but spent time wandering the grounds and gardens instead. The palace dates back to the early 1700s and was originally built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy. The gardens are beautifully laid out, even in winter, but it was properly cold. Gloves, beanies, jackets… and still big piles of ice everywhere. We took lunch with us and ate it in the gardens, hands freezing, but it was still a great way to experience the place without the crowds or ticket lines.

After that we jumped back on the tram and headed north of the river to Prater. It’s basically Vienna’s permanent amusement park. Free entry, you just walk straight in. There are roller coasters, haunted houses, endless dodgem car setups, and two huge Ferris wheels including the famous old one. It’s kind of like the Ekka, but permanent and much bigger.

Inside the Prater we stopped at a very old, traditional Austrian coffee house we’d been recommended. The moment we walked in we all looked at each other because the smell was… something else. Honestly, it smelt like someone had taken a poo on the floor. No idea what it was, but it never went away. We just slowly accepted it and sat down anyway.

Emmett got a hot chocolate. Kia ordered an affogato. Maddie had a pot of tea. I ordered a Großer Brauner, which is basically a strong espresso served with a small jug of hot milk or cream so you can add it yourself. We shared an apple strudel and some sort of chocolate tart. All very nice… but the bill came to €40. About $65 AUD for four drinks and two pieces of cake. That one hurt. Nice experience, but definitely not something we’ll be repeating.

After that the kids wanted to go on a ride. They both have their own spending money for the trip and we said they could use that if they wanted. None of us were willing to pay, and they weren’t willing to spend their own either. The rides aren’t cheap. That, mixed with tiredness and the cold, led to things unraveling a bit. Listening has been pretty poor lately and after being told to stop a few things multiple times, emotions boiled over. Emmett got upset, Maddie was pestering him, and he ended up hitting her pretty hard. That was the breaking point. We were not impressed, and it’s clear some boundaries and resets are needed moving forward.

We caught the tram home, stopped by another Spar for a few bits, and had a leftovers-style dinner from the last couple of nights. Maddie decided she wanted to cook and ended up making most of dinner herself, which was actually really lovely to see.

After dinner we all sat down and watched the final episode of Limitless together. Cold day, long walks, early starts… it wiped us out. Everyone was in bed by about 7:30.

I’m really loving Vienna. It’s beautiful, clean, historic, and calm in a way that feels very different to the places we’ve been recently. I’m keen to explore more, and hopefully we’ll get back out ice skating tomorrow. If we can all manage a sleep-in, even better.