The Day of the Goat

While the guys experienced Coaching Lacrosstria Day Two (LacrAustria?), Kerry and I headed back into town to do more Vienna things. A long and lazy brunch at one of my favorite spots, Cafe Sperl.
We finished our food just as the piano player started tinkling the ivories. So we relaxed back into our corner booth, ordered up another round of coffees and some dessert and soaked up some more of the loveliness.

This was followed by much walking, popping into a church here or a nifty building there.

And at some point in the day there was a break for a cheese plate at the Palmenhaus Café in the Burggarten.

Then we toured the Imperial Apartments at The Hofburg (aka the winter palace.) First up came mounds and tons and piles of porcelain china services, silver service, elaborate gold centerpieces, royal cutlery....yadda yadda yadda. It was pretty cool, though a bit long.

Next came the Sisi rooms which give a peak into the life of Empress Elisabeth. Disillusioned wife of the second to last Habsburg emperor, she became a Princess Diana-like cult figure after her assassination by an Italian anarchist in 1898. It was pretty cool, though a bit long.

Last stop was the actual royal apartments, set up with furnishings and day-in-the-life type stuff. It was pretty cool, though a bit long (anyone sensing a pattern here?)

All in all a nice day. In the evening we sipped wine and waited for the guys at Pickwick's Pub, another of my favorite spots to relax in Vienna.

But by far the highlight of the day for both me and Kerry was the goat. Yeah, that's right, I said goat.

We met this little pygmy goat outside Peterskirche (St Peter's Church) just hanging around with his owner. The man in the leather duster and bowler is NOT the goat owner. His presence in this photo is just a bonus.

Kerry pets an Austrian goat!! Bet you didn't plan on doing THAT when you booked your trip?
I pet the goat and he jumped straight up three feet into the air then clattered across the pavement back to his friend in the bowler. I don't know if that means "I like you" in goat-speak but it sure was funny.

Anyone that knows me knows that I've got a thing for goats. The imaginary farm in my head is teeming with them (and micropigs) It's where I go when I need a mental break. So, ya know, running into a goat in the middle of the city was pretty cool.

Then we saw him again like two hours later in another part of the city!! Oh happy day! He was clacketting around on the cobblestones, following his owner. No leash necessary for this little fella. I swear, Kerry and I were tempted to just keep stalking him and discover what other goat adventures he got up to, but we had to go meet our boys.

And that was Sunday. Never mind the history, the culture, the cuisine, the coffee, the art and architecture. It was the Day of the Goat.

-k.