Empire and a seamy underbelly

In Vienna for one night and one day, I saw two very different sides of the city. First, the red light district, a place where the streets are lined with sex clubs, some of which have rather haggard looking women, scantily clad of course, curled up in their windows and making eye contact with passersby, while elsewhere, prostitutes stand roadside, wearing thigh high boots of shiny vinyl.

The following day, with a sun and temperature that were more appropriate for Toronto in May than Vienna in January, the city just glowed with a an elegant old world majesty. The buildings that line the ring street are awe-some and very imposing -- their very presence seems to sing, in operatic baritone, that this was once the seat of a very powerful empire. You can, however, sit on the steps and benches in front of these buildings, including parliament, where we enjoyed rather large and extremely messy cheese filled sausages.

Today is the last day in Prague, and Spain comes next.