Just a couple of pictures to show you that the church is not only beautiful on the inside...but you probably already guessed that! Karl's Church, with its unique green dome, can be seen all over Vienna. 
The Church is surrounded by a beautiful park-like square, which apparently is a favourite for the students studying at the University across the street! (Doesn't Jason just fit it? So studious looking!)
The Belvedere (read beautiful palace and gardens -- now museums and state apartments) was originally built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy. We walked there late in the afternoon when everything was closing. So, instead of a museum afternoon, we wandered around the grounds, stopped to smell a few flowers, and of course, got lost in a hedge maze or two. 
Throughout the gardens are statues representing just about everything. One thing I can say about Vienna...they love statues. Everything of significance is commemorated there by a statue. Here, Jason is standing next to one of the statues of the Sphinxes. The Sphinxes have lion bodies and human heads. They are said to represent strength and intelligence! And to think, I just thought it made for a very unique picture.
Here's the setting. This isn't the show that the horses are training for. In fact, this is only the morning workout. The riders are wearing the standard uniform, and these horses may be the younger ones just working on a few new skills or the older ones working on staying limber and remembering their routine. Either way, its a treat. But, back to the setting. The room looks palatial. Its so beautiful...looking up there is marble, crystal chandeliers, stunning paintings, and looking down is the softest loveliest dirt for the horses to train on. Oh yeah, and classical music is played throughout the work out. Its surreal at best. 
The people watch from the balconies and the horses (there were three or four on the training area at a time) just go about the morning training. Okay, now for the horse part: they are Lipizzaner stallions. A Lipizzaner is a breed originally produced by crossing Spanish, Arab and Berber horses. And yes, its true, they are born black and slowly turn white. And although the white ones are stunning, I was thrilled to see some of the two and three year olds looking a splotchy grey.
Could a trip to Vienna be complete without an afternoon concert by the Vienna Boys Choir? I think not. And after having listened to them sing...I definitely think not. They are great. At first the conductor let the boys have a bit of fun...they got to sing silly folk songs, make silly noises, and of course, to poke fun at one another. From there, the concert only gets better and better... (Oh and for the peeps back home, I should mention there is an American on the choir right now. A boy from Ohio!)
Taken during the intermission. I was actually trying not to be a complete tourist by flashing the camera all over the room. The result? Less than perfect pictures, but hey, you get the point. Oh and the room was incredible. As you can see...completely fitting the mood of the choir.
Final bows. For the second half of the concert, the boys are joined by an orchestra and older (past) members of the choir who are often asked to join in, even though clearly their voices have deepened considerably!
At first, I was going to put these first two photos in here for absolutely no reason, perhaps other than to remind you of what we look like! But I just remembered something better. This park was across the street from our hotel. So Jason and I, because we hadn't walked enough in the day, would wind up here for a stroll before dinner! On our first evening, we were walking past a pond and there were very funny little movements on the top of the water. Upon closer inspection, I saw them! Baby ducks. Little tiny balls of fuzz zipping around in the water. Hence, the nightly walk. We were thrilled to sit on the bench and watch them exploring the pond with their parents. 
I am standing at the entrance to the park. These two pictures allow you to see the statue thing. Jason is standing by one, I am in front of another...they were everywhere!!
Stephansdom is in the heart of Vienna. In a massive square, all the roads from the shopping district lead to this cathedral. The unique mosaic roof was like nothing we had seen before. It consists of over 250,000 glazed tiles. The cathedral is so massive and dominating, it is impossible to capture the entire cathedral in one picture!
A close up of all those tiles!
First, the bad news. Stephansdom is crowded. Unbelievably crowded. Needless to say our time inside this beautiful cathedral was short. Very short. We also didn't plan our trip very carefully as mass was about to begin when we arrived so all the tourists were forced into one quarter of the cathedral. Ugh.
Here's the good. Its very pretty inside. And unique. Jason was able to take these pictures facing into the cathedral (with all of the tourists behind and around him). All that effort to take these pictures...I gotta put them on the blog!
A side altar. The main altar (in the middle picture) is to the right.
It seemed only fitting that our holiday should end in the place it started! Schwarzenbergplatz. This jet fountain was built in 1973 to mark the connection of Vienna's first Alpine water supply. The tall statue (see another one!) in the back of the picture commemorates the Russian liberation of Vienna. 
At night, not only does the fountain continue with full power, but the entire square turns into a fantastic light show. The lights on the water change colour as well as the lights in the sidewalk! Its quite pretty!
A final goodbye to Vienna!
Jason took this picture inside a shop in Salzburg in February. So, not really an Easter picture, but look closely. Yup! Those are eggs. Well, the hollowed out shape of eggs, decorated in the most ornate and lavish styles. This is one window in a huge shop -- filled from floor to ceiling with eggs! It was an incredible sight! So, since Easter was just around the corner, I thought it would be nice to share this picture. (Oh, and I like it and wanted a reason to post it!)
Beautiful. That's the answer! 
This pulpit is actually inside of a different church than the one in the picture above. It doesn't matter though, because it is so ornate and gorgeous that I thought it was a must see regardless!
Brussels has incredible culture...including a beautiful Royal Theatre House!
Brussels is full of greenery! This park was full of nature trails, benches for relaxing and ponds! The perfect anecdote to a full day of sightseeing!
Churches. You can't get away from them. (They still manage to impress me though!)
A Palace fit for a King! Truly! 
Have you ever wondered if those yummy little items you love to eat are actually enjoyed in the country that they are named after? Well, for Belgium, I can say yes. Belgium waffles are loved by the Belgium people! So much so, that they are sold on the side of the street, from little windows next to shops, and of course, from mobile waffle vans. Chad was kind enough to allow me a photo of him next to the Gaufres van (translation...mobile waffle van)!!
Even though it is the middle of winter, and of course there would be snow and ice everywhere, we couldn't resist my brother's invitation to meet him in Iceland. It was so worth it. Here are a couple of intro-pictures Jason took at sunrise on our first morning in Reykjavik!
I personally like this picture as the ducks are walking on the ice of the pond!
We were lucky enough to be treated to a private bus tour by Chad's friends to some of the most beautiful sights outside of the city of Reykjavik. Away goes the city and it begins to feels as though civilization is fading away as well!
The snow begins to surround the car and we begin to feel as though we are entering another world!
I have included Jason's picture of the sign when we stopped at the lake. I did this because the lake looks so frozen and covered in ice in these pictures you might not know it was there!
See the lake? We are standing right in front of it and it goes for as far as you can see in either direction! 
In case you wanted to see it again!! Without us blocking your view!
The Icelandic people make annual pilgrimages to this historic ground. It is the site of the first Parliament after the Icelandic people settled the island. It remains a sacred ground to this day.
The Icelandic people have created a beautiful walkway through these grounds. Bridges over the rivers and streams and pathways through the snow. Jason is standing on one of the bridges, ready to begin his walk through history! 
This is Thingvellir (otherwise known as the site of the first Parliament in Iceland). It occupies a very special place in the hearts and minds of Icelanders. In 930 the Icelandic Parliament was founded there. Thus the medieval Icelandic commonwealth was established. Many important events in the history of the country have also taken place here, e.g. the official adoption of Christianity in the year 1000.
There is something else unique about the landscape behind me. Iceland actually belongs to two continents. It is split down the middle between Europe and North America.
You might think that water looks eerily still and incredibly black...its not. Iceland is a volcanic island, and all of the ground in these pictures is lava rock. The water in this picture is the clearest and cleanest water I have ever seen. When we got up close, you could see all the way to the bottom and then some! It was amazing!
You might have forgotten that we were with my brother Chad!!
Gullfoss (otherwise known as the Golden Waterfall) is a beautiful double-folding fall that many believe to be the most scenic in Iceland. It thunders 32 metres over a fault into a gorge, with water coming from the glacial river Hvitá, which has its source underneath the glacier Langjökull.
This beautiful waterfall was actually created when part of the glacier Langjökull broke free and tore a gigantic rift through the valley, creating a river that travels 133 kilometres to the Atlantic Ocean. 
These are just cute photos! You can see, however, that the as the day goes on we are getting colder and colder!
Jason is sweet enough to brave the cold and allow me to take his picture in front of this gorgeous waterfall!
So, you already know that I left our camera in America...our Christmas vacation was divided in two parts, the first half was with Jason's family in Indiana and the second half was with my family in Nevada. So my mom was sweet enough to send me some pictures she took with her camera! These are all taken right before we were heading to the airport to go back to London. Here, Chad's dog is doing something stupid and apparently very funny!!
Jason was sweet enough to take this "partial" family shot...only thing missing is my other brother Mark!
And look! A picture of Jason and I! How I love when we get pictures of the two of us together!!
