What do you think we were looking at from the ferris wheel at the Prater?

Vienna's famous Zeile where you'll find the NaschMarkt. Think NOSH and you're understanding German. Nasch is good eating for anyone brave enough to venture into this carnival of food stalls. We bumped shoulders with Vienna's hungry sun-seekers. After a couple of rainy-grey days it was tough to find any empty outdoor seating this Saturday morning.
But we were on a mission beyond food — the weekend flea market in the open parking lot at the upper end of this photo. Great fun - good junk and  an occasional treasure.  We didn't find the perfect china butter dish, but neither of us left empty-handed.
This aerial view clearly how Zeil came to mean  "row" in German (imagine row houses in any American city).

After Palm Sunday mass: YUM! Each meal offers its own surprises - who knew that William Potatoes appeared in the shape of a pear. Austrians mimic a renowned eau de vie with a pear growing inside the bottle.
 
No brandy in these croquettes, but who needs a digestif when the waitress brings twice as many glasses of Zweigelt than we ordered! We're troopers, though. Yes, we polished off every drop of this delicious red wine.

Who is that man behind the pussy willows and boxwood ?!? HINT: check out the pointed gold headgear. Barb and I went early on Palm Sunday morning to the center of old town Vienna for the strewing of palms before mass. No palms in Vienna — blessings and holy water anoint pussy willow branches instead. Seemed like everyone in the crowd had purchased a bundle of branches, some decorated with purple ribbons or even pretzels. More pictures in another post - but an FYI about the draw of religious ceremony. The Vienna Marathon took place this morning, too. Twenty-three thousand runners wound their way around the Stefansdom while no more than 200 faithful or curious onlookers followed the cardinal into this beautiful church for Palm Sunday mass.

Views of the HofReitSchule at the Hapsburg Palace, Vienna.

At the Freyung OsterMarkt (Easter Market) next to the Austria fountain in old Vienna, this vintage truck suggests clues to Oscar Meyer's inspiration. Could this be the Viennese forerunner of the wiener wagon? From the truck's passenger-side sales counter, customers select wurst, salami, and ham that are displayed inside the vehicle. If only I were a Reschinsky, I'd be winding my way through Vienna's narrow lanes from behind the steering wheel instead of balancing on the front bumper!

Those Hapsburgs make it really hard for an American to enter their palace grounds! Palace Gate on the Burgring, Vienna.