Ceri: What another interesting day! We cycled over the river to the United Nations Centre where we enjoyed the most fascinating tour. The building was buzzing, full with delegates from all over the world for General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency. https://unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/pressrels/2026/unissgsm1621.html
Because of this, we weren’t free to take many photos, but our tour guide explained what was happening. She took us to a viewing gallery where we could watch the convention taking place. There are 4 main UN bases responsible for different areas. The Vienna UN is responsible for coordinating global efforts against drugs, crime, and terrorism, promoting peaceful uses of outer space, and managing nuclear safety and disarmament. So much to take in, and our only criticism was that the 1 1/2 hour tour was far too short.
Then a sunny picnic lunch by the river. We had no idea Vienna would have a ‘beach’ (Copa Beach) near the UN buildings or we would have taken our swim stuff. The Danube spilts into 2 for most of Vienna, separated by a long skinny island. One side was for shipping (although all the ships were moored up, latched to each other side by side).The other side was recreational and the flow so slow that people were swimming straight across it. We watched them, oh so very wistfully, as we would have loved a cooling swim.
Then on to the Hundertwasser area. It was a crazy place influenced by an amazing Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. What a fascinating man to Google. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedensreich_Hundertwasser.
The street looked like something out of Glastonbury and we completely fell in love with the art, philosophy, architecture, ceramics and beautiful wackiness of it… and of course the artist himself. Now we have to cycle on carrying a large ceramic candle holder we bought. Nothing like adding a challenge to our cycling.
He was also a vocal environmentalist who integrated nature into his architectural designs. He ended up living in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand.
And this evening a long evening stroll to St Stephen’s cathedral, street restaurants, window shopping in designer shops and deciding on what to see tomorrow.
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