Home from Vienna
- From: AKogler <akogler@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:33:09 -0700 (PDT)
<bursting into chorus of...>
"Weiner Blut, Weiner Bluuuuttttttt"
I knew it would be cool but I never knew just HOW COOL it would be.
People are polite and friendly. It always helps to go with a native
speaker but people were always friendly to me when I was alone and
tried to understand my bad traveleing German or tried to speak English
to me. Its an extremely civil town. We saw political demonstrations
and to a one they were calm thoughtful affairs. People wait at the
corner till the light says 'walk'..even when no car is in sight.
Crossing agasint the light Is Not Done. If someone crosses against the
light, you can feel the air of general disapproval. Hee!
It was wonderful to be there at Easter. It is a very Catholic city and
everything was closed from Thursday night through Teusday. There were
concerts at all the churches every day all day (masses, I should
say..but to me they were concerts..Oh! The music!) To be at
Stephansdom for Easter was pretty transcendental.
The weather was very wintry. Highs in the 30s and snow almost every
day. Very windy. I had taken silk long underwear etc but there were
times we just couldnt do what we wanted. I had found a barn that would
let me ride and take me out into the woods but we were stormed out.
Waah.
The hotel was right in the InnerStadt so we walked to the Hofburg, the
Museum Quarter, the SRS, etc etc etc. Walked to the Philharmonic. We
went to a string quartet performance in the very salon that Mozart
himself had performed. This was a religious experience for me, indeed.
I walked to all the places he had lived, and was able to spend hours
at the Mozarthaus, where he lived the longest. It was right around the
corner from Stephansdom.
The Fiakres, or horse drawn taxis, were gorgeous and fabulous. I went
to dur Wagonburg, a carriage museum at Schonbrunn, that was sooooo
cool and I learned so much. Now I know what Catherine deBourge was
riding in when Elizabeth met her for the first time (a phaeton pulled
by matching ponies) and what Anne Elliots landolet (sp) probably
looked like. That was very cool and Im so glad we went there. It was
snowing and blowing waay too hard to cruise the grounds at Schonbrunn,
and since it was school hols there were kid field trips everywhere and
Jurgen didnt want to do any tours with a million kids. So I bought a
book about the palace and that has to do.
The SRS was about a block and a half away. We were able to do the
stable tour but they werent offering the private sessions that you can
do with a rider ( not riding, but hearing about how he trains that
horse, etc) We saw the regular performance and I thought of you
Hunter!!!! I didnt cry but it was unbelievably wonderful to be there.
The school is lovely and the horses just what we picture them to be. I
was entertained by how expressive several of the stallions were..there
were some scoots and spooks, immediately corrected. There was alot of
'competition' among the stallions and you could tell they were showing
off to each other...lots of testerone in the arena. We were on the
ring side and could see everything, great seats. I didnt get to see
them bringing the stallions across the yard as Tim had suggested
though I tried to hover around..just wasnt in the right place at the
right time.
Timn, I did not get to Cafe Sperl though I waved at it as we drove by
on the way to Schonbrunn. Ditto Naschmarket. It was just to wintery
for that sort of outing. But I did have a lovely melange and
apfelstrudel at Cafe Schwartzenberg in your honor. Thanks again for
the trip tips.
We had great food everywhere. There were wonderful local type places
right off the Ringstrasse. Apparantly even somewhat humble places have
music in the evenings and we were highly entertained by a violinist
and pianist who, when they learned we were Americans, played Tom Jones
'Delilah' =;-D!!!!!!!!!!!!!, Frank Sinatra 'I did it myyyyyy
waaaaay' , and 'Over the Rainbow'. It was so great.
We heard American pop musice from the 70s and 80s everywhere. I heard
more Elvis and Tom Jones than I have heard in years. It always cracked
me up.
I did cry at the music. I am the total MozartDork and to be in his
primary city, where he lived and worked and performed, was very moving
and exciting. Part of the Philharmonic does concerts in period dress
and to hear the Papageno duet and symphony #40 in g minor in the very
halls he conducted in was pretty intense. I cried at those, I admit
it.
Also went to where Vivaldi died, etc etc. You can get a little book
about Musical Vienna and it has all the houses and places and many
anecdotes about the many many composers who lived there.
The Hotel Bristol was very comfortable and they took good care of us.
We were across from the Opera House and it was neat to watch the snow
blowing across the plaza there. We did not eat at Korso but ate every
breakfast at Cafe Sirk and several dinners and recommend it. Excellent
food and perfect servie. The wait people are very professional but
they dont all want to be your friend, which I find so annoying in
American restaurants. Thanks, I dont want your biography, I just want
my food, ok?! None of that in Vienna.
Right across from the SRS is an excavated site with the medieval wall
built right on/against part of the old Roman settlement 'Vindebona'.
That was very cool.
The local Wein museum was also excellent and we learned alot. Oh!
There was a Clock Museum that was GREAT. Very quiet..the people who
worked there seemed surprised that I was there. The ticket person was
outside smoking and seemed a little annoyed that I actually wanted to
go in >;-> The guy on the first floor would not look at me, but
followed me around but if I turned around to look at him would look
away and try to look busy doing something, which was a challenge for
him since there was nothing to do. The second floor guy was about
300lbs and was dozing in a chair in the corner and seemed really
nonplussed that I was there..I had sneakers on that squeaked on the
wooden floors and they were driving him nuts..I tried so hard not to
squeak but I was expecting him any minute to push me out the door so
he could go back to his nap >;-> The third floor guy was tall, thin,
and very cross eyed and again I was followed around but if I turned to
look at him he would turn his head, but since he was cross eyed, then
he actually *would* be looking at me. That really befuddled him. I am
sure they were all three very glad when I left. Hee! It was the
coolest museum though and I learned alot. It had the original
clockwork mechanism from Stephansdom..huge! Cool! Amazing!
Its the first city I have ever been to that was an Imperial City. You
can tell it was the center of the Holy Roman Empire.
And so..home, to the dog doo in the yard, the usual drama at the
barns, the laundry, the bills, the paperwork, etc etc >;-> CRASH!!!!!
All my lovely friends and workers had done a great job with all the
beasts and the horses were all fine. Whew. I never like leaving for
too long but have such a nice trustworthy circle, so all was well.
And today is Bryans 16th birthday!
Hope everyone had a Happy Easter, that Kambic is surviving his trip,
that Tamra and Calvin had a GREAT anniversary, etc etc etc.
Abby
.
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