As a tourist in Europe there is one thing you soon discover: you should have been here yesterday, mate! Either the gothic cathedral is covered in scaffolding, the museum is closed on Monday, or the best pictures in the gallery are away on loan to the National Gallery in Melbourne!
And the Spanish Riding School in Vienna is no different. The famous Lipizzaner stallions go away on vacation during July and August. This upsets the tourists enormously so they bring in some trainee stallions who are learning the art of aerial ballet.
Fortunately we were standing at the stable door when they were brought in! They are a very muscular, stocky breed with a big barrel which would put me off a bet, and they are more grey than white.
But like the Il Palio in Siena, at least I can say that I have seen them!
Auf wiedersehen!