What’s my name?

After sorting out an Austrian bank account, I stopped back at my halls where I met a French student who was just arriving. I introduced myself “I’m Andy”, to which he repeated to himself “Ihymandy” (brilliant). When asked if I could help him find his room, I was surprised to note we would be living together. I hadn’t supposed the previous residents might have just left items when they moved out – I will soon find out when the final person arrives/returns.

After a brief chat, I stuck to my plans for the day and ventured out once more to find Hofburg Palace. The Hofburg is a historical complex which was formerly Vienna’s Imperial Palace and is spread over a considerable area within the city centre. I suppressed an incredible urge to build a snowman in the centre of Heldenplatz (didn’t have the right gloves for it) and took to photographing the equestrian statues and the Neue Burg which borders the plaza to the southeast.

Passing beneath the impressive dome of St. Michaels Wing, my journey took me to the burggarten where I happened upon the palm house. Completed in 1905 the palm house was designed by Austrian architect Friedrich Ohmann, who had studied architecture at the Technische Hochschule in Vienna. Ohmann designed the Palm House in the style of the Viennese Secession; a spectacular Jugendstil iron and glass structure, part of which houses the schmetterhaus - the imperial tropical butterfly house.

Aside from a pleasant stroll through a tropical rainforest environment, the entry fee (€5.50) was well worth the chance to defrost. The hot temperature inside was great but frustratingly my camera was near frozen and the lens constantly steamed up, ruining some great shots. After circling the small route a few times, I ventured back outside and once again the freezing weather has forced me to retreat home.

Now for some tea!