A Sojourn in Vienna

Final Vienna Posts: IES Building, Leaving, Coming Home, and Summary

2013-02-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

It has finally come! My last blog post about studying abroad in Vienna. It only took me a year and two months or so to finally finish them after I had returned (life got busy!)... Still, I'm glad that I've taken the time to do this so that I can finally bring closure to the experience through the lens of blogging. It's not that I don't feel I processed the experience irrespective of blogging, but I wouldn't feel "complete" or "finished" given that I did blog while there and haven't finished that aspect of my experience. Also, while I have no idea what the longevity of Blogger as a service will be or what may happen to disrupt my account in the future, I can use this blog as a record of my memories of what was important at the time. As far as executing this post, I first want to touch on the IES Vienna center in Palais Corbelli at Johannesgasse 7 in Vienna's first district. I then want to touch on some of the random sights that often made up my daily schedule. Finally, a few photos of my room and a description of the process of leaving will follow. At the end, I will attempt, as best I can, to synthesis my experiences.

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Palais Corbelli:

Looking toward Palais Corbelli down Johannesgasse from Kärntnerstraße
(it's beyond the plastic-covered building under remodel)

The main staircase
to the right is the door to the bombed half of the building

The Palais Corbelli, out of which the IES Vienna program is run, was a small palace or house for aristocrats (originally the Corbelli family) around 1700. It was later updated in the very early 20th century. Unfortunately however, half of the building was utterly destroyed during World War II. Hence, there is even a staircase in the building that leads to a door that leads... nowhere, and is therefore always locked and has mirrors to emphasize space and make it feel like less of a dead-end. The building also has not been maintained to a level that would let its original opulence shine. I imagine some wealth has been stripped as well. IES has made some changes, too. Nonetheless, the building was amazing. The comment of our generation was, naturally, that it was like going to school in Hogwarts or something like that. All of the worked marble, in white with red accents, and red carpets had such a sense of sophistication and the old-world it was almost unbelievable. Perhaps more unbelievable is the fact that these buildings in the first district were almost all designed this way at a time when having a "house" in the city was expected.

Here's a better look at the main staircase

The Courtyard

In these European kinds of houses the first/ground floor is not particularly important (which perhaps accounts for the German language's distinction between the ground floor and the first floor). Hence, Palais Corbelli had mostly concrete and fairly basic plaster on its ground floor where the IES office was. In the middle was a track originally intended for horse-drawn carriages (something the front doors also accommodated). These carriages would normally have gone into the courtyard and then down underground. The courtyard, the back part of the building, and the underground were, unfortunately, off limits to us, however.

The concert hall

The second floor of these kinds of buildings was usually for show, and hence the second floor of the building remains the most opulent portion. On this floor was the beautiful study room, the director's office, and the Baroque concert hall in which music students performed. While I enjoyed these places, however, I spent most of my time on the third floor (not pictured). Originally this would have been an area for living quarters and other private portions of the house. They are therefore less decorated. This did mean I didn't have as much lovely architecture to look at. IES had done the most modification in this area to create classrooms and practice rooms, however, and it was here that students were allowed to eat. Hence, this is where I spent most of my time in classes, studying, and eating.

The study room

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Places Around the Palais:

Giuseppe Verdi's Star

There were other places I passed or visited on a day to day basis near the Palais Corbelli that were an integral part of my life. I'm not posting pictures of all of them (Anker is just in the subway terminal and though it has very good chain, a general Austrian chain).

Arturo Toscanini's Star

The stars to the left, which are featured around the heart of the First District and in the Kärntnerstraße subway station, have been featured in my blogs before. Indeed, I featured Bela Bartok's star several times on account of not liking his music particularly much. In this case, Giuseppe Verdi, my favorite composer, and Toscanini, the renowned composer of the early 20th century, are pictured. I made sure to find both of them again before I left. Indeed, I made sure to pay homage to Verdi on my last day. I have always found it fitting that his star is directly outside the Staatsoper. Indeed, the opera toilet, which I finally did use while Catherine was visiting me, is in there as well. There's nothing too special about the opera toilet, but it was a whimsical experience worth having for the fun of it. One place that it was important for me to visit from time to time was the Konservatorium Wien. My teacher for the time I was there, who was greatly inspiring, taught at the Konservatorium Wien. Fortunately the Konservatorium was just across the street from IES, so it was plenty easy to meet up with her for lessons. While my musical revelations in Vienna did not have the results for which I hoped when I returned home, they were valuable nonetheless if for no other reason that they gave me more confidence about my singing and the perspective of playing the "long game."

Opera Toilet

Konservatorium Wien

Definitely the best Würst I found,
right behind the Wiener Staatsoper!

Not tip-top würst, but good, and good cheap noodles, etc.

Food was, of course, extremely important in Vienna. Some of my big places were Billa for general goods, Anker for sandwiches, and two Würstelstand[en] that stood near the Palais Corbelli. One also sold noodles, rice, and chicken. There were two different Italian restaurants I frequented from time to time, as well. Increasingly, I really began to appreciate the Würstelstand right outside the Wiener Staatsoper. It was great to go to the Staatsoper, get in and get my place, and then have Würst for dinner. The place also had some of the best French Fries I've ever had. It was at that Würstelstand where I learned to love both hot and sweet mustards, dark German Brot, and the banana pepper kinds of peppers as accoutrements. I haven't been able to round up and Käsekrainer (cheese-filled Würst), which were far and away the most stunningly delicious (if not healthy!) culinary item I discovered abroad. My newfound love of mustard has had me obsessed with buying different mustards, however!

This photo doesn't do it justice (kind of looks disgusting, actually...
BUT IT'S DELICIOUS!

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Funny Interlude: Entertainment

Just a quick note. Usually at the Staatsoper I was reading on my iPad (I got through a lot of books for pleasure in Europe, which was a great change from Lawrence, where I basically never get to do any of that reading), reading about the opera I would be seeing, or doing work for classes. We're used to lots of technology and advancement here in the U.S. They certainly have that in Austria, as well, but for student phones IES used ones that were quite old. Despite my access to technology (I even got my ipad activated for cell service in Austria so I could always have a GPS guide and make sure I had a means of contact if absolutely necessary) and my enjoyment of other activities, I made use of the game's Snake-style game. The idea was that you had to shoot colored balls at a moving snake also comprised of balls. Four balls in a row would disappear, shortening the snake, but balls added that didn't add up to four only made it longer. As the levels got harder the snake started with more balls and moved at a more rapid pace. I played it from time to time when there wasn't a lot else to do. Sometimes my thumbs even began to hurt. At a certain point I decided I might as well finish the game and beat all the levels. But I was stuck at nineteen (of twenty) and wasn't sure I would make it. Finally, I beat nineteen, which was easier than level twenty for some reason, in the last week or so of my time being there. I was surprised how pleased I was that I met my silly goal!

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Room, Leaving, and Return:

Goodbye Kettenbrückengasse, Goodbye Naschmarkt

I also never really posted pictures of my room. It was what they call a Wohngemeinshaft in German countries. There was one big corridor with three sleeping rooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen attached to the main hall. I did not use the kitchen too much as I didn't like the condition, and I could certainly not take pictures of my roommates' rooms. I have included, therefore, my room once it was stripped of everything as I prepared to leave and a picture of my gear ready to go in the main hall. My roommates were all nice people and I enjoyed being there with them, although we did not interact a great deal. They were very welcoming of Catherine, enjoyed the cookies we baked for them, and Katherina Sporrer and her parents were kind not to charge additional rent for that time. It was definitely bittersweet taking the Ü-Bahn for the last time and getting off at Kettenbrückengasse, passing by the Naschmarkt, and going up the stairs to my third floor apartment. Soon, however, it was time to leave and head back home in Toronto and back to Lawrence thereafter. I cannot call that sad. I had a wonderful experience and I've had wonderful, if less exotic, experiences since. Still, it was a departure.

The hall looking toward the kitchen with my stuff waiting to go

When I did finally head downstairs to catch a cab, I ran into the strange situation of having to help an old man who had fallen. Stores are often attached to these residences, occupying the street level storefronts. This storefront actually had a door that opened into the hallway of my building. As I was preparing to leave I saw that it was (for the first time ever) open and that a man was lying down crying for help. I was worried about this, because I thought it might be some sort of dangerous situation that early in the morning (like 5:30). I did help him up though, communicating in German (though he seemed so out of it, and my German had improved so much by that point, that I think his state was the biggest issue in terms of communication, not language). I kept asking if he wanted a doctor, but he kept refusing, so finally I made sure he was okay as best I could, waited for my cab (which never came), hailed another, and headed to the airport. I almost had another hiccup on the way as a sound bang made it appear as though a tire had popped, but the driver looked and everything seemed okay, so we continued. I was dressed up, as I like to do when traveling for both weight and customer service reasons. It was nostalgic being at the airport, remember when I was first arriving, when I went in the pouring rain and then walked several miles to pick up my Indochino suit (pictured) from FedEx, and when I picked up and dropped off Catherine at the airport. This time I would be the one leaving, and for quite a while. When I returned home, my family was ecstatic to see me. I was excited to see them, too. I looked forward to it. They had been following the blog and of course I'd spoken to them on Skype, but there was still a lot to go over in person! It was inevitably a tricky space between not being able to tell them everything or "give" the experience to them wholesale, and not wanting to just talk about Europe all the time, but to still provide a detailed, exciting, interesting account of my experiences. We certainly had plenty to talk about over the Christmas holiday.

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Synthesis:

Vienna was exactly the experience I wanted, even if it wasn't the one I knew I was going to go after. I initially thought I would go to somewhere in Italy, without a doubt. I considered the Milan program that IES offers. I also strongly considered Lawrence's own London Centre. Indeed, I am actually looking into trying to go to the London Centre for a stint in my senior year. I applied to Vienna, however, because the offerings beyond music were stronger than in Milan and I figured it would be harder to live in Vienna in the future than in London. What I discovered was unparalleled access to opera, seeing twenty-seven live productions in the span of four months (which, accounting for time spent traveling, means an opera almost every four days I was in Vienna). I traveled to Prague, Budapest, Krakow, Salzburg, Berlin, Nürnberg, Venezia, München, several other locations in Austria, an Austrian glacier to ski that was part of the alps, and across several countries (Slovakia) in my joint Prague/Budapest/Krakow trip under the auspices of IES. Vienna is often seen as a crossroads between Western and Eastern Europe. It certainly was my gateway to the broad European travel I've always wanted to do and my parents wanted me to do on my own. I enjoyed having Catherine there; it taught me what it means to be in wonderful places in a deeply committed relationship. Things are different now, but that will always remain a cherished memory and something I can strive for at some point in the future. Despite, traveling alone through Europe allowed me to have a fast pace, to see what I wanted to see, and to draw my own conclusions and life lessons. It was truly great to do it as I did. I do wish I had connected better with my classmates, but I think my priorities were somewhat different than theirs, and my lifestyle reflected that. I was not relaxed, however much I was enjoying myself, I was driven the entire time to make the most of my experience. One part of this, of course, was the opportunity to jumpstart another language. I have refreshed my knowledge of Spanish since, and hope to keep it up. I am currently taking German. I am confident, however, there was no better way to start learning a third language. I love language just as I love travel, and I would love to have proficiency in English, Spanish, and German. If I ever get the chance, I'd add another, too.

I don't know if I would call studying abroad a "life changing experience," exactly. I think it emphasized a lot of things I already knew about myself, honed them, and made them more adaptable. I remained driven, I remained independent, and I remained curious, but I became more flexible, bolder, and more resourceful. I continued along a path as a music and government major that I had already begun, although Vienna did push me into the government major because of the classes I took there (I don't regret that, though I would happily have been an English major, too). It taught me that I had been absolutely correct in thinking I would love Europe and it showed me that a career involving international interests, possibly in business, was definitely something I should try to pursue. Finally, it confirmed that I will have a lifelong love of classical music, particularly opera. Vienna is accorded the epithet, "City of Music." It was certainly that for me. I may never see as much opera or hear as much classical music live in such a condensed period of time. I have no doubt, however, that I will continue to do so as often as I can. Because of Freud, Vienna is also accorded the epithet, "City of Dreams." My time there was more than a dream, it was very real, and I cherish it for that. Nonetheless, when I imagine wonderful times past and as I prepare for times to come, Vienna will remain in my dreams.

Final Vienna Posts: Other Vienna Destinations

2013-02-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

I was very fortunate to have Catherine around to push me to get to the last destinations that I really just had to see before I left Vienna. Here is a list of those places that don't fall into the categories of the previous posts. Some writing, lots of photos.

Belvedere:

I had actually visited the Belvedere with an IES group earlier in the term when it was sunny and pleasant. The weather wasn't so nice and it was kind of dreary seeing the exterior this time. That said, however, one of the big attractions was getting to see the inside of the Belvedere and the art exhibit inside, which focuses on Austrian painters from the Fin de Siècle and Art Nouveau periods. The biggest attractions at the Belvedere were Monet's Garden Path at Giverny and Gustav Klimt's seminal works Judith mit dem Haupt Holofernes and Der Kuss. The last, of course, was amazing to see as one of the renowned paintings of Symbolism, of art history, and of Klimt's body of work. I got no picture of Der Kuss or really anywhere inside the Belvedere because it was tightly controlled. Also, it was just too awkward to kiss in front of Der Kuss. Too bad!

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Volksgarten:

There are several gardens and parks in Vienna's First District and I visited most of them during my time there. I had absolutely walked through the Volksgarten several times, if for no better reason than that it was a good shortcut to get to the more northerly parts of the district. It was great to visit with Catherine, however, and take a closer look at the garden. There are several monuments there, as well as a Greek-style temple. The picture of me to the left shows how imposing yet beauitful the Rathaus looks over the trees in the distance. Below, the Burgtheater served as a great backdrop for both photos of me and Catherine individually and also for a shot together. It was a bit of a chilly walk, but if I learned one thing about touring European cities, it's that the more you can do on foot, the better and more authentic the experience because it gives more of a "feel" for the city.

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OSCE:

This one is just brief: The OSCE is an international organization that is lesser known compared to brethren like NATO, the EU, or the UN. Nonetheless, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe plays an important role in international proceedings. I had the opportunity as part of Professor Neuhold's New European Security Architecture course to visit the OSCE and watch how it operated. On some level, of course, the proceedings weren't especially interesting - it wasn't a historic moment or anything. On the other hand, like everything in that regard, it was really cool to be let in at all and see how things went generally. Catherine got to accompany, which was nice for her. Another awesome fact: the OSCE operated out of the Hofburg, at least in part, showing how such a historic palace used at one point for the governance of an empire is now being co-opted to serve other governmental means. (I cannot say peaceful means, like NATO, the OSCE is not necessarily dedicated to peace, but like all international organizations the hope is that peace for their constituents will eventually proliferate and become worldwide peace.)
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Cafes:

Cafes are a huge part of Vienna's culture. While I was there I ate several times at some of the outdoor stations the cafes run in the middle of Kärntnerstraße in the warmer months. I also ate in a cafe with Attila Glatz, for whom I used to work. Finally, I hung out with Lorenz from Indochino-Review.com at a cafe, as well. I had not, however, had the opportunity to eat at Cafe Mozart or the Hotel Sacher cafe. Both were things I absolutely had to do before I left. Cafe Mozart does, of course, have excellent baked goods and beverages, as do pretty much all the cafes in that area of Vienna (and even chains have great baked goods, too). It's not known for that. The main reason to go was for the atmosphere and the history, and Catherine and I had a great time there.

The other place we made sure to visit, though, was Hotel Sacher. The atmosphere in the Hotel Sacher cafe was nice, also, but the main reason to visit is absolutely the Sachertorte for which the hotel is famous. At both Cafe Mozart and Hotel Sacher I had, of course, heiße schokolade ohne schlag (hot chocolate without whipped cream), which was fine. Catherine had an incredibly tea at Hotel Sacher, though. Catherine had some kind of pancake with plums that she thoroughly enjoyed. I bought a Sachertorte and we both tried it. Neither of us were thrilled. I'm not big on marzipan, I have to say, and its huge in Vienna (and for sachertorte, particularly). I'm glad I had the experience, though!

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Stadtpark with Johann Strauss II:

I had walked through the Stadtpark before (in some ways this post could have come with the earlier one about the Volksgarten). On one of Catherine's last nights (perhaps her very last night, if I recall right) after going to a concert at, I think, the Konzerthaus, though it could have been the Musikverein, we took a walk through the Stadtpark at night. We walked along the water and over a bridge, which was fun in that late Autumn, early Winter atmosphere. Of course I knew of the marble and gold gilded statue of Johann Strauss II and I'm fairly certain I had seen it before, perhaps at a distance. I never got a look at it up close, however. I will admit that seeing it in the snow, or with flowers around it and a blue sky, might be more typical times to visit it rather than a late-autumn night with recent rain. Still, it was awe-inspiring to stand beneath it, and magical to do so as a couple in love.

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Cathedrals at End Time:

After Catherine left I continued to tour sites in Vienna, trying to cram everything in that I hadn't taken advantage of during my time there. Some of that is detailed in earlier posts, of course. One thing I haven't mentioned though, was my time spent at cathedrals. Vienna, like many European cities, is a city of cathedrals, and while people do say that sooner or later European cathedrals can start to blend together, I saw no reason not to ensure I had seen the most monumental of the cathedrals in Vienna.

I revisited the Stephansdom one more time at this point. I had visited almost immediately upon arriving in Vienna and just took a general tour around the outside and the entry inside. I also returned with Catherine and we took some pictures outside of the building. I believe she toured the inside on her own. Countless times I walked by the Stephansdom through the square outside of it and it was a very useful landmark when I got lost and didn't know where I was because I always knew where the very center of the city was.

This time when I returned, however, I took the time to pay my way into some of the more reserved areas like the crypts and further back in the main hall of the cathedral. I also went all the way up in the tower and looked down at the square, out over Vienna, and at the iconic roof. It was exciting and I enjoyed the opportunity to see Vienna from on high one more time (I had several opportunities for this from several different vantage points previously).

The roof is truly beautiful and very unusual even among cathedrals with similar roofs across Europe. One notable thing, however, is the damage that was done to it during World War II, necessitating significant repairs. The style was maintained, but the image of the Hapsburg crest now bears markers detailing the year of the completion, not quite the same as the original. It was really fascinating and I was glad I took the time to actually go up before I left.

I also went to the Votivkirche. This was another place I had seen from a distance but at which I never quite had the opportunity to make a stop. Sadly, the Votivkirche is undergoing restoration (well, that part isn't sad) and had a huge coca-cola advertisement on the front to support the effort. What's neat about the Votivkirche is that, though it is smaller, it is essentially what the Stephansdom would look like had it actually been completed as originally planned, with all four spires. The inside was gorgeous, and had more of a blend of intimacy and grandeur, rather than out and out grandeur like the Stephansdom.

Finally, I visited the Karlskirche. I had seen the Karlskirche before, as well, but never stopped in. There was a Christmast market in front of it, but I didn't spend too much time there, it is smaller and considered less remarkable than some of the others I had already visited. The Church is significant because of its different style and almost Arabian or Turkish influence. Perhaps most remarkable, however, was going inside and climbing to the very top of the building's cupola. It was undergoing restoration so there were several halfway points. It was awesome to be able to get up close to the paintings though and also to look down and see just how far down it would be, especially in the era when the church was actually constructed. I think we sometimes take those kinds of vaulted ceilings for granted. I also got to look out at all the pennies people had thrown for good luck at the very tip-top of the cupola into the wells and then down through the dreary windows onto the cute Christmas market revelers below.

All in all, these were great experiences to end my time with. I very much enjoyed experiencing them with Catherine, and I was glad to have her as a driving force to make sure I did get out and get them all done even as coursework was closing in on me. I hope to return to Vienna in the future and revisit some of these places as well as those in other posts, and hopefully I will be able to share the city with someone else in the future. Indeed, I'm sure I will discover new places as well. This is the last really substantive post about places I visited. I'm sure I missed all kinds of things, especially in these posts to bring closure to my blogging over a year after the fact. Still, I wanted to do this exactly for that closure. My final post will be about IES' facilities, the end of my time in Vienna, returning home, and an attempt to synthesize my experiences as a whole.

Final Vienna Posts: Vienna Performance Destinations

2013-02-03T16:36:00.000-08:00

I want to take the time to record some of my final destinations in Vienna that were related to performances of various kinds. I won't review the actual performances themselves, for the most part, because they are all available on my blog The Passion of Opera, rather, I want to detail my experiences actually going to those locations. A lot of this will just be pictures.

Wiener Staatsoper:

First, of course, I returned to the Wiener Staatsoper several times toward the end of my time in Vienna. I went to two operas with Catherine, La boheme and Nabucco. La boheme was a great production with famous singers designed by Zeffirelli. There was no better opera for a young couple to see together. Nabucco was flat out confusing, but like every opera I saw, a learning experience. It took some work to get pictures of me and even the usher I had befriended was shooing us out by the end, so sadly we didn't get the pictures we wanted in the actual Stehplatz area of the opera house. Still, Both Catherine and I got a picture there, and I also got a picture of myself with my iPad - a key tool in whiling away the waiting time and in looking up information about the operas I was seeing.

Musikverein:

We went at night but I returned in the day
to get a picture of the building's exterior

The Musikverein's Großer Saal is renowned as one of the best halls, in terms of acoustics, in the world, if not the best (for instrumental performances, at least). I knew I had to go sometime while I was in Vienna. Sadly I missed the time when the Wiener Philharmoniker was at home performing there, but Catherine and I were able to attend a Bach mass. It would have been better to see something like Mahler that was actually composed for that location and made more use of the space and (gasp) didn't have voices. Still, it was a great experience and a "must-do" for a music lover in Vienna.

We had fancy tickets, too!

Konzerthaus:

Contrary to the Musikverein, the pull of the Wiener Konzerthaus was not the hall itself but that the Wiener Sängerknaben (Vienna Boys Choir) would be performing as part of Bach's Weihnachtsoratorium or Christmas Oratorio. Because of its length (and because they could make more money) the work was split over two days. The Boys Choir did not play a large role, but I gained appreciation for the work and I enjoyed seeing the Boys Choir since they are world renowned.

Spanische Hofreitschule:

A diversion from music, I went to one performance of the Spanish Riding School. This group is also known for their famous performances, and seats, especially for their more formal performances, are incredibly expensive or even unattainable at any price (not unlike the Wiener Philharmoniker). Sadly, I got lost on my way there (in my final few weeks in streets I'd walked many times!) and showed up quite late to the performance. Thankfully, they still were able to take me to my seat. I missed the showing of the "young horses," not yet grown horses that were being trained. I still got to see the whole show, more or less, of the adult horses being trained/shown off (I can't recall or maybe never knew whether they were all in training or some were active show horses). It was cool to see. Horse shows aren't something I have any particular affinity for or know much about, but it was an exciting, impressive show that reminded me what amazing animals horses are.

My best attempt at a photo in terrible circumstances

Wiener Volksoper:

Not going to the Wiener Volksoper's productions for the entire time I was in Vienna was a big mistake. Certainly I had my hands full with shows at the Wiener Staastoper approximately every fourth day, classes, traveling, etc. I also didn't love the works they were presenting in some cases. Still, they present a different side of opera with high quality but less developed productions featuring generally younger singers. In this case, I had the opportunity to see a production of Madame Butterfly that was actually far superior to the one I saw at the Staatsoper. The production was thought provoking with its twist ending in which Butterfly refuses to kill herself and Puccini (a character in this production) orders the rest of the cast to kill her. It was a great experience and if I ever lived in Vienna again I would make sure to catch productions at the Volksoper regularly.

I did Standing room at the Volksoper, too.
The house is smaller, though, so the view was great!

So all in all, a great run of final performance destinations and final performances. Things I missed, though: Bruce Springsteen. Sorry Dad.

Final Vienna Posts: Schönbrunn Palace & Weihnachtsmärkte

2013-02-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

In a sort of absurd turn of fate, it wasn't until Catherine was in Vienna that I got to Schönbrunn, one of the principle attractions of the city. Schönbrunn, the summer residence of the Habsburg family, pales in size, though not in beauty, only to the Hofburg, their winter residence. On the one hand, because of the gardens, grounds, ease of getting there, and pleasantness, it might have been better to visit earlier around late summer or early fall. On the other hand, the beauty of Schönbrunn prepared for Christmas with an immense Christmas tree and a Christmas market that, while not as large as others, had a wonderful quaintness to it.

Don't think for a moment the inside didn't compare...

That's not to say that the inside of the palace wasn't also gorgeous and informative. We learned a lot about Sisi, since it was her favorite residence. The palace, with over one thousand rooms, certainly wasn't somewhere we could tour in its entirety. The parts we went through, however, were impressive. Being built more uniformly, it made more sense than the massive complex of the Hofburg. I won't go into too much detail, in part because it has faded some and in part because touring a place like this is an experience hard to put down in words. I will say, however, that I continued to look for word-working pieces. One is included here. Finally, though the massive Christmas tree was done up outside, they also included one in the interior, which was a nice touch.

Very cute!

Another big focus, both once Catherine and I left Schönbrunn and also when we were elsewhere in the city, was the plethora of Christmas markets, known in the singular as Weihnachtsmarkt (also known as Christkindlmarkt). Catherine and I were cold, but the roasted chestnuts outside of Schönbrunn were delicious. It was the first time I'd ever had them, and what an introduction it was. Also, after that little snack, we had freshly made chocolate strawberries with dark chocolate. The chocolate was delicious, the strawberries were fresh and sweet, and the whole experience was heavenly. Having all of this happen at the foot of one of the most impressive yet elegantly beautiful palaces in the world, could not have been more magical. I love my Christmas traditions at home with my family, but I wouldn't have minded making this a part of my Christmas every year!
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It isn't just Schönbrunn that gets so decorated for the season, however. The entire first district of Vienna was quite festive and the city has somewhere around twenty Weihnactmärkte scattered around at major landmarks, as the pictures above demonstrate. My german class actually went to one market together and the teacher bought us all a mug of hot chocolate made from freshly melted chocolate of various flavors. It was quite delicious and, while it didn't compare quite to the fresh mint peppermint hot chocolate in Venice, it was maybe the second best I've had in my life and definitely top five. It was fun to go with my German class. We were definitely expected to order in German! The picture of the market below shows what a typical one of the markets might look like. Some of the more famous markets are much bigger with more avenues through which visitors can walk, but most of them are smaller affairs. The great thing is that, while there is definite similarity between the goods and some commercialism going on, the items are largely still high quality goods produced in small batches. Anything you buy therefore is a fairly unique treasure.

The largest and perhaps most famous market is the one outside the Vienna Rathaus. Above is a view from across the street. showing the front of the market and the Rathaus itself. What the photo fails to capture, however, is that there were several avenues through the shops, and they go all the way up to the foot of the Rathaus. My feet easily got sore walking through there multiple times. The first time I went with Catherine and she bought a wonderful ornament for her family. Later, I returned and bought wooden placards for my parents. My mom's simply said how I loved her as a mother, my Dad's was for the workshop, saying it was a "state approved" workshop. I also picked up a glass ball ornament that has the Staatsoper in snow painted on it (though I never actually saw it in snow) to keep in the tradition of my family having ornaments from where we travel. As Catherine and I left the market the first time around we saw these lovely, very cute snowmen lights, and I had to take a picture of them since my family loves snowmen (especially my mom)!

Hi!

Final Vienna Posts: National Library, Globe Museum, Crypts, Scroll Museum, Silver Collection

2013-02-03T13:23:00.004-08:00

Here is a smorgasbord of different places that I wanted to get to that are all largely administered under the auspices of either the National Library or the Imperial palace. Some of them, like the Library, Globe Museum, and Crypts I had the fun of visiting with Catherine. Others I checked off the list right at the end of my time in Vienna, like the Scroll Museum and Silver Collection.

National Library:

WHOA!

The library is as good a place to start as any, however. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to visit a library in the style of the one I dream of owning. Let me be clear - I don't think any private citizen could really own a library like the National Library. The grand, immensely vaulted ceiling, two stories of shelving, gilt, and large frescoes are beyond anything imaginable in a private home. Still, the dark wood, the windows, the books with fine leather covers, and the tall shelves were beautiful, and in the style that I love to think of as what a classic library "should" look like. We didn't really read too many books there, but did take a look at some of the manuscripts on display. The particular exhibit, in this case, was books about early taxonomy. It was cool to see what early scientists from over a century ago presumed about the way animals were related and their characteristics. They also had skeletons, etc. on loan from other places. It reminded me, with both the atmosphere and the display, of what a library really would have looked like displaying all the glory of modern science in, say, 1910.

One of the things most everyone finds amusing and most everyone loves is bookshelves that function as doors. The National Library had many of these. It was fun to see, and if I ever have the luck to own a library, I would love to include one of those, too!

Globe Museum:

Look! The World (and Other Places Too)

The Globe museum was not particularly large, but it was neat to see. Globes hold the same kind of "old world coming of age" appeal of the taxonomy exhibit in the library. I never knew there were so many different kinds of globes with different purposes. There were myriad globes describing just the earth's surface, as well as ones describing the night sky, the moon, etc. They also ranged in size, greatly, and it was fun to see the tiny ones and the huge ones. The majority of the globes were exhibited in low, warm light. Some, however, were highlighted with spotlights in a dark room. I'm not sure whether there was a purpose to this other than that it made those globes really pop against their surroundings and was impressive as a museum technique. There were also some other, unusual instruments such as orreries. It was a kind of unusual thing to make a trip to see, but I figured, "where else can someone see a globe museum?!"

National Crypts:

A Child's Coffin

The Crypts were the last part of this tour of national museums that I made with Catherine. I was supposed to be meeting my House of Habsburg history class there in order to learn things about important members of the Habsburg house first hand, so to speak. Somehow that got mixed up, however, and I was unable to find the group. It didn't matter so much, though, the history was somewhat self-explanatory and I already knew who the main players were. It was interesting, however, to see the differences in the various coffins - some incredibly ornate and others more simple. There was also a fascinating dichotomy between the imagery of death and the imagery of Christianity and salvation. Of course the rank and wealth of the family members made a difference in the adornment, as well. Certain things, like children's coffins, were surprising to see; they were simultaneously sweet and morbid.

Maria Theresia

Three parts were of especial interest. The first was the coffin of Maria Theresia, raised on a high pedestal in a central part of the crypt. It was relatively simple, but extremely regal and elegant, which seems a fair portrait of the woman herself. I was impressed with the presentation because it was not overwrought, but the position of the coffin and the crown atop it made it clear that this woman was one of the most influential rulers in history.

Franz Joseph was also one of the great rulers of history, and his love for his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria, Sisi, was also legendary. Fittingly, he is buried with her by his side and his son, Rudolf, on his other side. This marble crypt was more permanent, but maintained a basic line. Intriguingly, the crypt really did seem to emphasize the soft, familial side of the man rather than his rulership.

The final coffin of interest was that of Otto, the last Habsburg. He died right before we arrived for IES' Vienna program in the summer of 2011. It was interesting to learn how a country that had been long disillusioned with its monarchical past suddenly had a fit of nostalgia and went all out for the funeral. It was truly the end of an era and a sign of modernity.

Imperial Silver Collection:

After Catherine had left there were a few things I was still missing on the checklist for my final two weeks or so in Vienna, so I headed over to the Imperial Silver Collection. It's hard with just a handful of assorted photos to do justice to this place. The sheer amount of silver, in plates, serving dishes, silverware, etc. was astounding. Almost certainly it was used at many different locations over long periods of times, seasonally, etc. because no matter how large a given party might have been, that party could never have required this many full services. The neat thing, of course, was to see and compare the different sets, think about who they might have belonged to, what there purposes were, etc. There were notations, of course, but it became overwhelming - the main experience was just seeing the items themselves.

Many of the plates were painted, which added an additional element of interest to them. This made both the meaning of the plates deeper and also personalized them even more to their owners and to their given purpose (kind of food, season, etc.). Going one step further, the Imperial Silver Collection included a lot of porcelain, which was often painted as well, in various styles. Some of it was in a standard, European style, while other examples reflected the interest in orientalism at the time. Finally, some of the porcelain had the crest of the Habsburg family on it, which in a way was the coolest thing to see because it truly harkened back to the heart of imperialism and the way that system functioned.

Scroll Museum:

This was another one I wanted to check off just because it would mean I went to everything included in the National Library brochure. I have to say that the scroll museum, while interesting, was not particularly amazing. It was rather small. Pictures were forbidden and there was no way I could get around that. Even had I been able to, I don't know how interesting they would be. There were literally lots of scrolls behind glass in a whole variety of languages with some historical significance. That said, none of them had astounding historical significance. It was interesting to learn some about the process of recovering and maintaining these sources and what can be learned from them. A few caught my eye and had me saying, "wow that's a treasure from history." But for the most part it was just kind of, "yup, those are scrolls." Still, I got everything done!

Final Vienna Posts: Museums

2013-01-27T15:33:00.001-08:00

While I had been to many, many museums by the time November and December rolled around, there were some I hadn't gotten to yet that I really wanted to see, and a few that I had been to already that I was interested in revisiting. Part of the drive for this was also to show Catherine some of the best, most interesting museums in the city.

One such museum I went to due not because I had originally intended to, but because the professor for my class Europe Beyond the Nation State wanted us to go there. This was the War History Museum, which was a bit further out in a more modern part of Vienna that took a few connections to get to. I don't have pictures of the interior or the exhibits, but this is a picture of the exterior of the old barracks in which the museum is housed. The Turkish influence (one of Austria's great enemies) is fascinating. The museum itself was interesting too, possessing weaponry and defensive pieces from every period of Austrian history through the present. For someone fascinated by military history, it was amazing (and a bit awe-inspiring in a scary way) to see the tools with which warfare has been carried out firsthand. There weren't too many pieces that were, on an individual level, worthy of mention, but the whole experience, from small knives to full suits of armor to tanks and artillery, was quite impressive. Catherine was happy to come along, though this might not have been her favorite topic.

I wanted to make sure to take another tour through the Kunsthistorisches Museum. This was, of course, something Catherine had to see because of the concentration of highest quality, famous art work in one place. It was for that same reason that I wanted to be sure to return, myself. My earlier post on the museum has plenty of pictures of artwork, so I have put only this one Vermeer, here. It was great taking another tour through though, and reconsidering my assumptions, thoughts, etc. on the art in the different sections, by painters of by different nationalities. One great new thing, however, was the specific Winter exhibit that included a lot of impressionist artwork dealing with Winter topics by artists such as Monet, Renoir, and Pissarro.

Hi!

Another thing that I got to do by returning to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, however, was to see another wing I had not seen previously, dealing with Antiquity (particularly Egyptian, though Roman or Greek is mostly portrayed here). It's interesting because the elements in this exhibition were usually three dimensional art such as sculpture, and in some cases more along the lines of artifacts that might be seen in a history, rather than an art, museum. It was quite fun, though, and a different experience from my first visit.

I also returned to the Imperial Treasury, mostly to show Catherine what was there and all the amazing artifacts that it contains. The cool thing was that this time I was able to get my camera to work (having gained much more experience taking low light photos across Europe) and therefore I was able to capture some of these incredible artifacts without the damaging effect of a camera flash. I have attached them all below with corresponding captions, but will not go into detail because the details do exist in an earlier post.

One of many cloaks,
probably for coronation

A "unicorn horn"
actually a narwhal tusk

A bed for Napoleon's son

Huge. Jewel.

One of the Imperial Crowns

The classic trinity of power

A trinity for religious items

Finally, one place that I had not been before but that I went to in part because I was with Catherine and we were trying to see all the places was the Albertina Museum (of modern art, more or less, although they don't call it that). This museum focuses on much of the abstract art from the late 19th century and the 20th century. We went through countless exhibits of Cubism, Surrealism, Symbolism, Dadaism, etc. I won't recall these in detail, but I loved the temporary exhibit currently showing there of the works of
René Magritte. Magritte is one of my favorite painters, especially in the modern era, and so I was extremely happy to see his works in person. Some prime examples to end this post:

Actually, just kidding. There were also some famous Monet paintings on the top floor (WATERLILIES?!!!!)
Go figure...

Kaprün Ski Trip

2013-01-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

Even before we got to Kaprün I was busy taking pictures!

And with good results!

Catherine on the way to Kaprün

Downtown Kaprün

The IES Vienna program offers a ski trip around the time of U.S. Thanksgiving to the small town of Kaprün, which has a corresponding ski area based on the glacier Kitzsteinhorn. After taking the bus out to this area, we ended up in a lodge with good food and nice, warm, sizable beds. It was quite exciting to have the opportunity to go skiing in the Alps in Europe, even if it was too early for there to be good snow or terrain open off the glacier. We were quite excited when renting equipment, though I had brought some things like my helmet and gloves that I was certain would be hard to find as rentals. The skis were nothing special, of course, but they did a fine job.

The rest was just days of skiing! It was fun to finally see Catherine ski, to coach her a little bit, and (!) to show off a little bit. We tried to pick hills that were good for both of us, though, and traded off skiing down first for a bit and then stopping. There isn't much more to say about this, other than that it was a really fun time and reminded me that, while I may not live somewhere I can ski so easily at this point, I need to remember to keep it a part of my life and, hopefully, a part of future relationships. I will post the remainder of the important photos below. It was definitely a fun trip, and I hope that the next time I ski in Europe, perhaps I can graduate to some of the bigger Alps and actually make the trip during ideal ski season months!

Nürnberg

2013-01-27T14:08:00.000-08:00

Nürnberg Bahnhof

A tower visible just outside the train station

On my way back from Berlin I stopped at Nürnberg. Unfortunately, I had quite some difficulty with my train connections both due to some mistakes of my own and also some confusion on the part of the company providing the trains. Hence, I basically spent one afternoon and evening in Nürnberg. It was an enjoyable time, however, and the late Autumn sunset on the old city was quite impressive. Indeed, as soon as I stepped out of the train station (pictured above) and looked back at the building, I knew I was somewhere with great history and an impressive landscape. Looking forward, then, I could immediately see the inner sanctum of the old city, surrounded by a moat and with turrets and walls all around. For someone who grew up playing out elaborate stories, with toys or without, about castles, knights, and medieval times, this was like a fairytale come to life. What followed was a tour through the city mostly at random. I did remark that in many of these cities that I visited, the main downtown "old city" attractions do not recognize that there are, in fact, large parts of these cities that are modern, as well. Nonetheless, here in the old city I had much less guidance than I have in other cities. I knew a few places I wanted to visit (this was carried out entirely by foot). But largely just wandered.

Nürnberg Castle

One such destination was the Nürnberg castle, of course, beautifully painted in orange by the season and the setting sun. There were several constituent parts of the castle complex, all high up at the highest part of town. While I could not go inside, just walking from place to place and imagining what life would have been like when these were truly residences with a defensive purpose was amazing.

I also was not bereft of a cathedral to visit, but like most other things, because of the day of the week, time of the year, time of day, and short time I was there, I did not stop inside (in fact I did not stop in anywhere in Nürnberg). Nonetheless, the outside of the cathedral was beautiful and I appreciated seeing that aspect of this very old place, also. It's such an important piece of European history to learn about religion as well as politics, as books like The Pillars of the Earth have demonstrated.

One of the wonderful things about being in Nürnberg was to see the way the city's markets functioned. There were seemingly three arms of this. One was the standard market culture, selling normal items such as fruits and vegetables. Another was the Christmas market culture that was there due to the time of the year. While these markets were of course similar in sentiment and in wares to the markets in Vienna, they had a different feel to the, which was interesting to observe. Finally, there is the year round market in the center of the old city that sells wares made in old styles of craftsmanship. It was there that I had a wonderful conversation with a woman in a pewter store in both German and English and also where I picked up a hand-blown glass ornament. These markets reminded me of an earlier, "simpler" time (ignoring the philosophical debate about nostalgia) that is in some ways seen throughout Europe compared with the United States, but perhaps especially here in Nürnberg.

Just walking through Nürnberg's streets

Finally, since, as I mentioned, I had wonderful experiences walking around, I will add some photos of random things I happened upon. Among these things was the opera house, which was not particularly interesting from the outside, but which was fun to think about and the season for which was posted on the door.

The beautiful water that runs through the city

More pretty water

The opera house - almost in a Spanish style, seemingly

Berlin

2013-01-27T13:44:00.005-08:00

Berlin was a trip that I knew I had to make due to its historical significance, current importance, and relative proximity to Austria. I also had some personal reasons for going there. I have always wanted to see Jim Steinman's Tanz der Vampire. I had thought I would be going to see the show in Stuttgart or Oberhausen, which would have been less interesting otherwise, but fortunately those productions closed and a new one opened in Berlin. It was quite an opportunity to see the show, as it is almost exclusively performed in German-speaking European countries. It was a definite bonus to be able to visit somewhere as historic as Berlin simultaneously.

My first view upon arriving in Berlin at the Berlin Hauptbahnhof

Arriving in Berlin was exciting. I traveled a lot and, to some extent, Prague and Budapest (and Vienna itself) qualify on a similar level as Berlin, but really nowhere else was as monumental in terms of size as Berlin. The train station was in itself an indication of this fact.

I walked a lot in Berlin. After taking the subway once or twice a day, I would usually walk everywhere else, which was tiring, but in some ways a more authentic way to experience the city. My first day I spent almost exclusively walking between major monuments.

One of the most major monuments I visited was, of course, the Brandenburg Gate. Both days I was in Berlin were marked by steely grey skies. Nonetheless, seeing the Gate with a Christmas tree in front of it was quite impressive. It really showed off the Gate itself while also giving a kind of festive note to the experience. I had a fun time looking at the writing on the Gate, trying to read it, and learning some history.

Another major attraction, though not one that I got more than outside view of, was the Reichstag, which is both historical and modern. While the building is largely in an older style, the modern metal dome on top was designed by Norman Foster to have an ecologically friendly profile, provide a 360 degree view of Berlin, and also a view of the parliament below. I did not have the opportunity to go inside (prior registration is necessary) but viewing the exterior was still impressive!

The Berlin Victory Column was very impressive, sitting as it does at the intersection of four very major roads. I did not actually know at the time why it was built (commemorating Prussian victory in 19th century wars), but I enjoyed visiting, nonetheless. Around this monument (I traveled by foot and saw some other sights on the way there and back), are a large number of sculptures and monuments to famous figures. Additionally, I passed a beautiful manor with guards out front, and could not puzzle out what it might be. One thing along the way, though, was a monument with tanks and artillery commemorating Russian deaths in World War II. This was a reminder that, despite the beauty of the Berlin Gate, Reichstag, and Victory Column, the imposing monumentalism of these buildings should never overshadow the cost of what happens when such impressive nationalism runs away.

From the Russian Monument

Even more somber, perhaps, was my visit to the Holocaust Memorial, just out of the way away from the Berlin Gate. The placement was perfect; close to major monuments and the city center (a place of importance), but also just enough out of the way so as not to render it a vulgar "attraction." The design, also, blocks of varying height reminiscent of tombs, exemplifies how minimalism can be powerful in evoking chilling emotion.

Just as nationalism as an ideology should not run amok, my visit to Checkpoint Charlie and the remnants of the Berlin wall demonstrated the power of ideology overall to shape tyranny and inspire devision. It was also fascinating comparing my experiences to those of my father, who visited in the height of divided German history. The museum was interesting but a bit overwhelming. Still, seeing the pieces of the wall and looking into "East Berlin"was unforgettable.

The typical "European tourist activities" were scant here in Berlin. I did look at the Berliner Dom Cathedral and also the Fernsehturm (television tower), that are both tourist attractions, but went inside neither of these monuments (the Cathedral was closed the only time I got near it, the Fernsehturm out of the way a bit and not dissimilar to the CN Tower in Toronto). I did, however, stop by Alexander Platz just to see it and because, as a fan of the trilogy of Bourne Films, I wanted to see one of the most important locations in that series. I was always impressed by the multiple "on location" film sites, and Alexander Platz seemed very interesting. That said, I was there at night, so not a lot was going on. The Kaiser-Wilhelm Memorial Church, usually a great attraction because of its "almost crumbling" look after World War II and the story that it was left that way as a testament to the horrors of war, was boxed up inside a bunch of panels for preservation work that made it look almost like a modern office building. I went inside, but not being able to see the exterior was disappointing.

Finally, I did get to see Tanz der Vampire, and it was wonderful. I will conclude this with a copy of what I said about that production in my opera blog, The Passion of Opera:

Some diehards might object to me putting this piece of German musical theatre on a blog billed as being about opera. That said, while there is a lot of campiness in this piece, I really do feel like the German's have a greater feel for making authentic musical theatre that is closer to opera than to the musical theatre of the United States and Britain (though this also is, of course, amplified). In fact, Jim Steinman, though not German himself, strongly emphasizes the influence of Wagnerian music on his compositional style. I have long enjoyed Steinman's music, and appreciated the opportunity to see this musical because it is put on almost exclusively in Europe, the Broadway version having failed spectacularly. I will admit it is not a work of art in the same sense that most operas at least aspire to be. But the over the top sets, campy storyline, and wild acting style, contrasted against the dead seriousness of the characters believing in the ultimate impact of the story, is priceless. The music, as well, bombastic and melodramatic, is enjoyable. It was really just a fun, wild evening of musical theatre.

A Summary of Final Experiences to Follow

2013-01-26T15:18:00.002-08:00

I thought about doing this summary exactly as I did my summary on my opera blog, all in one post. I think in this case I will, in fact, break up the posts. This is mostly finishing an archive for my own purposes, not one that I expect a great many people to read, but I want to bring closure to my experience blogging while abroad. The posts related to my final destinations, travels, experiences actually in Vienna, and finally, upon returning.

Wiener Staatsoper Review: L'Elisir D'Amore Review

2011-12-01T05:54:00.001-08:00

My review of the Wiener Staatsoper's production of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore has been posted at: http://passionofopera.blogspot.com/2011/11/wiener-staatsoper-more-old-fashioned.html