Arriving in Vienna hadn't started well. The door to the train wouldn't open. Finding another open door, I was left with a mother and 1 year old with a Trunkie, no husband, 4 year old, luggage or money. Turns out the family were Hungarian-Australian and on their way to the airport Oz bound so doing my good travellers deed for the day packed Mum, son and Trunkie off to the airport in a shuttle. I really hope they all made it home together.
I found my way to the hostel and then given the bright sunshine took to the streets having missed the opportunity to take photos of every other city in sun so far!
I made my way to the central Basilica and then wandered the streets finding a Schnitzel house filled to the rafters, a ornate clock, music singing through the streets, pianos being practised on and some of the most beautiful shoes I have ever seen (fit only for Elton John let it be said!). The film festival on that evening started at 9pm and with a rain shower about to hit I opted for a nice Italian meal of the Chef's recommendation (a new favourite in Europe when eating alone with a note pad and camera....makes you look like a foody and they treat you well!) and an early night.
The following rainy day I made for the Schnitzel house to experience the true Austrian way. My experience was shared with two lovely Spanish couples and an Australian engineer travelling Europe with a fold up bike (favouring his 20kg limit for a bike than clothes...enough said girls!). The shared experience was really quite fun after queueing for 30 mins in the drenching rain to get in we were happy to bunk in together.
And this feast was definitely a gastronomic highlight. The layers of pork were seperated by another layer of crumbs...I can highly recommend it. The Potato salad was also well worth while...look at me go! I learnt that day Weiner Schnitzel is veal meat hence this just being Schnitzel and hell if you haven't eaten Pork in as many years as I have then this is a bloody good starting pointTo complete my day and a feast for my ears this time I made for the Imperial Room at the Vienna Palace to see the Hoffburg Orchestra playing the greatest hits from the local boys Mozart and Strauss. The Imperial Room had been rebuilt after a fire in the 90's so it was very fresh and felt a little soulless. Sitting on the flat in the back stalls was also a bit disappointing but the performances were not. The Orchestra were brilliant along with 4 Opera singers who pranced in and out to great applaud. My favourite was the percussionist who got red carded for pointing a musket at the Conductors head. Such great fun. The finale was something else altogether. The great works of Straus's Waltz. From the opening chords I had tears rolling down my eyes. Thinking of so many happy memories dancing around the kitchen and living room with my Dad and then of all those unlucky boys toes I stood on at High School Balls when we practised and mastered our steps together (thanks Nick T and Wade for the most part on this score!). Hearing the full version played in Vienna was perfect. Oh it still makes me a bit emotional in a happy way as it did then. Experiences are wonderful to revisit, be it around a camp fire, over a dining room table or in the music halls of royalty.
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| Hoffburg Orchestra and Guest Opera Singers |
The following morning I stepped out to see the Leopold Museum interested primarily to see the Musuem quarter of the city. Leopold holds a great selection of Egon Schiele, Gustav Kilmt and Josef Hoffmann Art Noveau designed furniture. I was in my element! Not least when I got to sit in a hammock and watch the world go by as I learnt about the muesums.
Off to Tuscany I must go. I've lost my ticket but have my seat reservation so I'm hoping for the best...(and as I post this days later, no a problem at all Travel Karma rocks!)
Hey sis - glad to see you enjoyed your schnitzel! Its hard to beat over there - one of Vicky's favourites too!
ReplyDeleteThe opera sounded fun - and enjoyed the trodden toes memory it brought up for you.
Take care,
Love TJ and VJ