Vienna

June 1, 2007

Today was a travel day. We got up, had breakfast, and loaded the bus. Then we headed off to Vienna. This time our border crossing was much easier. It only took a few minutes and they didn’t even ask for all our passports. When we got to the hotel we rested for a while, and then decided to walk around for a while before the welcome dinner at 8:00. A large group of us found a long street that was just wall to wall with stores. It was like a giant outdoor mall. All kinds of stores of everything you can imagine. At the end of this street was Stephensplatz. Stephensplatz is a big city square with so many things going on its mind boggling. In the center is the great St. Stephen’s Cathedral with is multicolored roof. It was so big and beautiful. It was such a sight to behold. In Stephensplatz there were all kinds of street performers; break dancers, human statues, musicians, clowns, etc. It was fun just to walk around and take pictures. We went to several shops and just looked around. Then we found a Jazz club that we had heard about and had been looking for. We made plans to come to it on Monday night.

When we got back to the hotel we had the welcome dinner at 8:00. It was quite good. They served a kabob style cooking of chicken and sausage with green beans and potatoes. For dessert we had a crepe with ice cream. It was a very good meal, but we were all thirsty and we had to keep asking for water. For some reason they were a little skimpy with the water. After the dinner we had group meeting and got all the important details about the city and our plans for the next couple of days. Many of us headed to bead early after a long travel day.

June 2, 2007

The day started with a art history class right after breakfast at 8:00. After the lecture we had a short walking tour through the center of town. We went up to Stephensplatz where we had been the day before and headed off toward the center of the old city. Here we walked by several old palaces and royal squares and through some great gates. Finally we arrived at the Kunst Historiches Museum. Here we saw a lot of wonderful pieces from the northern renaissance. Artists such as Jan van Eyke and Peter Paul Reubens were displayed. Their pieces were fascinating. Most of them were of everyday life in Flanders and Germany during the Renaissance period. It was an amazing look back life from 500 years ago.

After the museum we all split up for lunch. A couple of friends and I looked for a while and food a small Irish pub with some Irish and English food. I guess we all needed something a little closer to American food just for a small break. It was very good. We all enjoyed the meal immensely.

After lunch we went to the Vienna Opera House. It was an amazing structure, so opulently decorated. There was a hall with many busts of all the famous composers that had performed there including Mozart and Beethoven just to name two. We saw the Emperor Josef’s private intermission room. It is rentable for 400 Euros for 15 minutes during the intermission of operas. A little pricey, but reasonable enough for a comfortable intermission. The hall was even more amazing. Gold lace along the walls beautiful paintings in the ceiling, and gold and red everywhere you looked. The stage was even more amazing. The back stage runs the length and depth of close to a football field. The house has sets and costuming for 5 productions at a time. Each night a different production plays, and the house rotates between about 15 operas during each season. Once each year they host the Vienna Opera Ball in the Opera House. The Backstage and Grand hall are turned into one giant ballroom. Several of the side galleries are turned into smaller ballrooms. The event is massive and the ticket price is just as massive.

After the Opera House we were told we could buy opera tickets to see Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” at a different opera house, the Volksoper, for that evening for only 1.50 Euros. The only catch was it was standing room only. For an opera this means your shoved in between rows a of bars placed in the space where they couldn’t fit seats, and you have to stand in a small very crowded little space. So naturally most of us bought tickets as quickly as possible. After a cheap dinner in the hotel we headed off the Opera. When we got to our seats most of the guys immediately took off their ties and unbuttoned their shirts. It was so hot that we were all sweating before the overture even started. The opera was amazing. Very nicely performed and the music was wonderfully. I really enjoyed the Queen of the Night’s Aria. Most of us only vaguely knew what was going on because it was all in German. Luckily, a few of us, including myself, had managed to find a synopsis of the libretto, so we knew the story that was being told and could follow along pretty well. About halfway through the second act of the girls with us, Stacy, fainted. Luckily, she quickly revived and we slipped her down into an empty seat in front of us. A bit of a scare, but everything was alright.

After the opera we all headed back to the hotel to get a good nights sleep.

June 3, 2007

We started the day off with a Music Lecture. After lecture we headed to the Belvedere. The Belvedere is a great palace built by a French General working for Austrian Army. They young man was trained in the French military academy and graduated top of his class. After graduating he demanded a regiment to command, but was denied. So in fury he went to Austria and there suggest the same, and it was granted to him. In Austria he flourished. He quickly became a General was responsible for stopping the last Turkish invasion of Austria. In doing so he became immensely rich and so went to building great houses and gardens for himself such as the Belvedere.

It is truly a unique and beautiful structure. Very ornate and finally decorated. Currently it is being used as an art gallery. We saw many strange and interesting paintings from the 19^th century as well as many beautiful pieces of large parades and everyday lives from the 18^th century. The gardens behind the house were huge and beautiful. Unfortunately it was mostly closed off, and being gardened. I think they were preparing for some festival.

After a short walk through the gardens we headed to a rather large biergarden and restaurant for lunch. I decided to splurge, and got a great big plate of Wiener Schnitzel. It was wonderful. It was served with cranberry sauce and potatoes. An excellent meal. During the meal it began to ran, and after we were finished we headed back to the hotel in the rain. We had taken the subway out to the Belvedere and we took the subway back.

June 4, 2007

Today we began with a lecture in preparation for a small private concert at the Viennese Music Conservatory. A lady named Antoinette who spoke perfect English was our guide and lecturer. It was a sort of half lecture/half concert. Several of her students played for us. They played several keyboard pieces on several 3 different instruments; a harpsichord, and broad wood piano from Beethoven’s period, and a contemporary piano. The harpsichord was amazing to hear. The strings are plucked instead of hammered so the sounds is quick and doesn’t last. Pieces from all the major periods were played, and we had a discussion of the differences between the periods, the pieces, and the instruments used. It was a very enlightening experience.

After the concert several of us get a quick lunch and headed to the Schonberg Palace, historical home of the Emperor and Empress of Austria. It was a huge complex with a massive front courtyard, and an infinitely large rear gardens. The palace its self was so ornate I couldn’t imagine living there for fear of breaking something with every step. Gold, statues, and beautiful paintings were everywhere. It was a marvelous walk through. We all used an audio tour, that did a very good job of explaining each of the rooms and its uses.

After the palace we walked back through the royal gardens behind the palace. It was to huge and immense to try and see it all, so we casually strolled through the main avenue, and rested on shady benches. It was quite delightful walk and experience. Those old royals really had it good.

All this day I hadn’t felt to good. I had woken up with stomach problems and they had not subsided during the day. So after the palace I returned to the hotel and rested, going to sleep very early. Unfortunately I missed the Jazz Club, but everyone said it was fun.