I was bewitched by the sheer beauty of Vienna
PIPPA JAMES is best known as Janey Louise Jones, author of the hugely successful Princess Poppy series, which has sold more than four million copies to date.
Edinburgh-based Pippa has just released her contemporary fiction debut, a romantic comedy called The Secret Life Of Lucy Lovecake, which is out now from Black and White Publishing.
VIENNA at Christmas was a waltzing whirl of fairy lights, baroque palaces, tear-drop chandeliers and glittering Klimt paintings.
From the moment I arrived, I fell in love with this bewitchingly romantic central European city on the banks of the blue Danube.
There is a timeless elegance and grandeur to Vienna, which evokes bygone days when the Hapsburg Empire dominated and coffee houses shaped the politics of an era.
I adored the classic café culture – fine cakes and pastries, served with tea in silver pots, or delicious “melange” coffee at tables draped with linen cloths, beneath dazzling chandeliers, all reflected in ornate gilt mirrors worthy of Versailles.
Seeing my son, who currently lives in Vienna, after two months apart added to the heavenly experience.
As well as taking me to Das Loft bar, which affords a panoramic view of the whole city, he had lined up a wonderful surprise – a Christmas concert with a string quartet in a church crypt.
Music courses through the veins of Vienna. For me, it’s Mozart or Strauss. For those who know the Graham Greene film, The Third Man, perhaps it’s the strains of Harry Lime’s signature tune on the zither.
Afternoon tea at the famous Sacher Hotel was another highpoint, after a visit to the central Catholic cathedral, the Stephansdom.
Grand parliament buildings abound on the famous Ring-Strasse. And the University of Vienna, founded in 1365, is inspirational and welcoming to visitors.
Former palaces, like the Belvedere, are now home to some of the finest art collections in the world. The Kiss by Klimt does not disappoint.
A twilight walk around the Imperial Palace, with a glimpse of the Lippizaner Spanish horses, brought to Austria by Emperor Maximillan in 1562, will never be forgotten.
As a writer, I always come away from trips with characters in my head. This trip fed my imagination and I am longing to visit Vienna again.