So, I made it home...but not all of my stuff did. Personally, I think it's still in Frankfurt somewhere and I am no longer fond of Austrian Airlines.
You see, I was required to gate check my second carry on as the flight was fully booked and room for carry-ons was as a premium. First, the person at the desk didn't give me correct instructions for where to put the bag once it was tagged, then the flight attendant mis-read the tag and assumed it was being checked through to Washington. So, I'm fairly certain the tag only took it as far as Frankfurt.
The attendant told me that I could check at the arrivals desk to make sure the bag was successfully loaded on to my flight to Washington. First, the arrivals desk couldn't as they weren't connected to the right system, then the departures desk told me that the system wouldn't be updated for 30 minutes. I went and bought some duty free chocolate and came back.
Then, we had to go through a line for TSA. After that, we had to go to the desk and double check our boarding passes. At that point I asked if both of my bags were on the flight and I was told that they were. Big Fat Liars.
At least I got to see the final Harry Potter movie and Slum Dog Millionaire along with some episodes of Big Bang Theory before landing in Washington DC to find out my bag was missing. This is the bag with most of my souvenirs and my leather coat!
I got hung up with the lost luggage desk for awhile while they searched for it...they finally gave up and sent me running through customs and racing to the tram to my gate. Where we stood around in a confusion cluster while 3 different flights were boarding from the same gate. Half hour flight with the stand up comedian flight attendant and no air conditioning.
Got back to Roanoke, got my bag...got in my car and it started! At least that went right. I had to fill up the tank and headed home. I did make it home awake...which was a challenge considering I had been up for 23 hours. I fell into bed.
This morning, I called the airline and...no record of my bag. Surprise, surprise. I filed a missing bag report and have a claim number. I'll call back this evening. I know everything in it will be broken into a bazillion pieces.
When I get home, I like to spend time going through my loot and playing with my presents to myself. Notsomuch this time. So, I've gone through my photos, cleaned them mostly up (quick job, so they're not perfect). There are more than 300 of them. So, if you are interested...and have a free couple of hours, you can see them all here: Vienna/Budapest Photo Album.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Leavin' on a Jet Plane...again
So, it appears Vienna airport has FREE WiFi (a first for me). I actually got up early this morning...got my act together and thought I'd look for a bit of breakfast. Fat chance. They roll up the sidewalks and batten down the hatches on Sundays in Vienna.
I have photos, but it appears my connection here is a bit slow (well, hell, it's free!) so that may have to wait a bit.
I ended up walking about in the immediate vicinity of the apartment for about an hour and headed back to wait. I was supposed to check out at 11, but I emailed the landlords that I could do an early checkout if that was convenient. I got out about 45 min early.
Dragged my sorry ass and my expanded luggage through the streets of Vienna to the UBahn...where all of the escalators seemed to go in the opposite direction (up instead of down). Hauled expanded luggage down several flights of stairs...got my ticket and hopped on the train. The transfer to the CAT was a nightmare due to construction at the train station. Lugged it back through the streets of Vienna and UP some stairs. Made it to the CAT train with plenty of time to spare.
The airport is a maze, but the cool thing is that you can check your bags with the airline before getting on the train, so I only have my carry-on with me. Not that the backpack is lightweight...but I did get to jettison the big suitcase with the broken bottom bit (so the wheels dragged and it wouldn't stand up).
Finally found my gate, then backtracked to the duty-free shop where I got chocolate for work (and actually dropped an acrylic box of the Mozart candies...and they flew EVERYWHERE). Here, you go through security at your gate, so it is usually a bit faster. Unless you are like me and set off the alarm and need a pat-down. This is gonna be a fun flight, I can tell.
I still have lots of Euro, thanks to the key deposit I had refunded at the apartment, so I'm planning to do a bit of shopping in my 2 hour layover in Frankfurt.
You think I'll get free WiFi there too???
Edited to add photos :).
Nachtsmarkt on a Sunday morning...completely deserted. Kinda creepy. There is no shopping in Vienna on Sundays anywhere but in train stations and airports. It's like being in Paramus, NJ...LOL.
A poster in the Nachtsmarkt for Kerri. Perfect together! Wiener Schnitzel, french fries, and Coca-Cola...I kid you not. Veal cutlet as fast food.
This is a little public park I found on my walk that was literally right around the corner from my apartment. Since it was the opposite direction from the Nachtsmarkt, UBahn, and other places on my agenda, I completely missed it until Sunday.
One thing I'm *really* going to miss about Vienna is just walking down the street, turning a corner, and finding stuff like this. You don't find this stuff in my neck of the woods...
This was actually on the building directly across the street from the apartment. I saw it every day, but didn't take a photo until Sunday Morning. It says "Es gibt nur einen Adel, Den Adel der Arbeit" (There is only one aristocracy, the aristocracy of labor). In support of trade unions.
I have photos, but it appears my connection here is a bit slow (well, hell, it's free!) so that may have to wait a bit.
I ended up walking about in the immediate vicinity of the apartment for about an hour and headed back to wait. I was supposed to check out at 11, but I emailed the landlords that I could do an early checkout if that was convenient. I got out about 45 min early.
Dragged my sorry ass and my expanded luggage through the streets of Vienna to the UBahn...where all of the escalators seemed to go in the opposite direction (up instead of down). Hauled expanded luggage down several flights of stairs...got my ticket and hopped on the train. The transfer to the CAT was a nightmare due to construction at the train station. Lugged it back through the streets of Vienna and UP some stairs. Made it to the CAT train with plenty of time to spare.
The airport is a maze, but the cool thing is that you can check your bags with the airline before getting on the train, so I only have my carry-on with me. Not that the backpack is lightweight...but I did get to jettison the big suitcase with the broken bottom bit (so the wheels dragged and it wouldn't stand up).
Finally found my gate, then backtracked to the duty-free shop where I got chocolate for work (and actually dropped an acrylic box of the Mozart candies...and they flew EVERYWHERE). Here, you go through security at your gate, so it is usually a bit faster. Unless you are like me and set off the alarm and need a pat-down. This is gonna be a fun flight, I can tell.
I still have lots of Euro, thanks to the key deposit I had refunded at the apartment, so I'm planning to do a bit of shopping in my 2 hour layover in Frankfurt.
You think I'll get free WiFi there too???
Edited to add photos :).
Nachtsmarkt on a Sunday morning...completely deserted. Kinda creepy. There is no shopping in Vienna on Sundays anywhere but in train stations and airports. It's like being in Paramus, NJ...LOL.
A poster in the Nachtsmarkt for Kerri. Perfect together! Wiener Schnitzel, french fries, and Coca-Cola...I kid you not. Veal cutlet as fast food.
This is a little public park I found on my walk that was literally right around the corner from my apartment. Since it was the opposite direction from the Nachtsmarkt, UBahn, and other places on my agenda, I completely missed it until Sunday.
One thing I'm *really* going to miss about Vienna is just walking down the street, turning a corner, and finding stuff like this. You don't find this stuff in my neck of the woods...
This was actually on the building directly across the street from the apartment. I saw it every day, but didn't take a photo until Sunday Morning. It says "Es gibt nur einen Adel, Den Adel der Arbeit" (There is only one aristocracy, the aristocracy of labor). In support of trade unions.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
The last day in which I crazy rush to do lots of stuff
One of the main reasons I wanted to stay the full day Saturday is to go to the flea market at the Nachtsmarkt, which only happens that day. So I got up reasonably early (hey, consider that 9am here is 3am on the east coast of the US and stop picking on me!) and thought I'd grab breakfast at one of the cafes there. Um...no...it was a freaking madhouse!
This was actually when it wasn't so bad. It was wall to wall to wall human beings and you had to be aggressive if you wanted to get from point A to point B...so I pushed myself to the far end where the flea market was and gave up the idea of a warm pastry and hot coffee for the moment.
There was fresh sauerkraut to be had and the farmer who made it would scoop it up in his hand to give you a taste if you wanted. And your sense of smell let you know you were near the sauerkraut guy. I didn't mind as I like the smell.
If you didn't like the sauerkraut smell, there were tons of flower stalls too. Yes, those are lilacs. Did you know that they grow WILD here? All along the road to Budapest there were bushes and bushes of them just growing along the highway...it was crazy with all the lilacs. You mostly see darker and lighter purple. I think the white ones are more cultivated.
Of course, what you see the most here is are the fruit and veg vendors. You want an exotic fruit, they probably have it.
This is right at the beginning of the flea market vendors. That area was just too nutso to try to take the camera out and shoot anything. All kinds of junk and antiques everywhere. I got a couple of little things and didn't spend too much although I did probably get ripped off...LOL
I ended up getting a Hühne Kebab for lunch. Basically, this is a chicken gyro...but not in a pita bread. It was actually in bread...but flat. Anyway, it was really good. I later got an enormous fresh squeezed orange juice that cost the earth but was really really good.
I dragged my loot back to my apartment (remember I am right next to the Nachtsmarkt) and dropped it off. Took off my jacket, because it had gotten really warm and sunny, and headed back out for more culture.
This is The Secession. It was built as an exhibition building for the artists who started the Secession movement. Gustav Klimt was a member and its first president. Of course, there was a Klimt exhibit here in honor of his 150th birthday.
I took about 50 bajillion photos of this Art Nouveau treasure. It is entirely awesome! Of course, no photos can be taken inside. The exhibit was of the Beethoven Fries, which was actually a backdrop Klimt did for an exhibit in the Secession and it was not intended to be a permanent piece of art. It was moved a bunch of times and was eventually restored and conserved by the Austrian government. It is on permanent loan here as this is the space it was originally designed for. Normally, you have to look WAY up at it, but a special platform was built in the room so you can look at it straight on (which was not the only similar experience I was to have today).
I bought a couple of things in the gift shop (of course) a mug and a copy of the poster for the first exhibit of the Secession (which interestingly, was not held in this building as it was under construction at the time). If any of you know about this poster...it is the uncensored version :).
After then, I was thinking it was a good time to see more Klimt...of course.
This is the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) which is, of course, undergoing restoration. It was also built by the Hapsburgs to house the imperial art collection...which is still there.
Here's Maria Theresa to greet you. There were actually several portraits of her inside, mostly of when she was a child.
And a random fountain on the grounds actually running! LOL
The Klimt exhibit was mostly of a permanent piece of the building. Klimt did several paintings to decorate the entryway of the museum. Again, a platform was constructed to give you a unique view of the paintings...straight on. I really found these particular paintings to be powerful. They are considered part of his early work...and, honestly, they are commercial pieces done specifically for hire to decorate a public building. Maybe it's just me, but I could see the youth and optimism in them. By the way, his brother Ernst did some of the paintings there too and I rather enjoyed them as well. It is unfortunate he died so young as it would have been interesting to see where he developed as well.
Anyway, the rest of the exhibit was more sketches and there were examples of materials given to him for inspiration. He had to illustrate specific themes and the museum had provided examples of the type of things they were looking for.
After that, I figured I had paid for the ticked for the whole museum....and there is a heckuva lot to see there, so off I went. Not a huge fan of most classical painting. Still there were some fine examples of Raphael, Titian, and a Dührer painting I remember seeing as a child...so I was surprised by it. It is the Tower of Babel, a pretty famous painting and I just walked in the room and POW. The KHM also has the world's largest collection of Bruegel...yes, it certainly does. There were also 3 Rembrandt self-portraits...that guy certainly liked to paint himself.
Anyway, I was happy to head out to the Egyptian stuff (yes...MUMMIES!). They did have a decent selection of sarcophagi and canopic jars. A couple of poor, crumbly mummies and lots of broken statuary. The best was the crocodile mummy! Well there were lots of baby croc mummies, but one BIG one as well!
They also had a decent collection of Roman statues, including a weird room of disembodied heads...LOL. Lots of Greek pottery too (still not as much as the British Museum) and a good bit of Roman glass. What I found particularly interesting was the ancient jewelry. There was everything from Greek, Roman, the Near East, and some Northern European stuff as well (well the descriptions were all in German, so I'm thinking I translated it ok). There was a whole lovely room of Roman cameos which I got stuck in for awhile.
After awhile, my feet hurt...so it's time for coffee. Last day, and I finally get the hang of the Viennese coffeehouse. Walk in, grab a seat and a waiter will come right up to you. Place your order and it is delivered in less than a minute. When you're ready to go, catch his eye to let him know you're ready to pay. I had a Topfelstrudel (cheese strudel) and Wiener Melange (which is becoming a favorite of mine).
Then, I closed the place down in the gift shop. I didn't get much as I have discovered that all the Klimt stuff is focused on The Kiss (and I'm overloaded) and the majority of their museum gift shops focus on books anyway. Too heavy to tote in my luggage. I actually ended up in a shop across the street (run by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY of all places) where I got a few odds and ends I'd been looking for.
I rush back to drop off my stuff again and it's almost 7pm...time for the Opera. Let me tell you one BIG mistake I made. I did not bring my warm coat or my airplane blanket. HUGE mistake. I made it about 80% of the way through the performance before I just had to go because my teeth were chattering. Well, that and a group of young people decided to sit next to me during the intermission and they lit up cigarettes. Yep, wind was blowing in my direction again.
Anyway, it was a pretty groovy experience and I'm sorry I had to leave early. I did cheat on the plot last night as I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to follow along too well in German if I didn't. It was broadcast live from the theater inside. Not being an opera aficionado, I was surprised to see that Octavian (the male lead) was played by a woman. Not sure if this is normal...although, he does have to disguise himself as a woman near the beginning. I must do research.
I did follow along a bit as they did transcribe it (in German) on the bottom of the screen. It was easier to translate reading-wise then it would be with singing.
Practically ran back to the apartment, where I briefly considered putting on a coat and heading over to the Nachtsmarkt for a late dinner. I decided on hot tea and my last piece of apfelstrudel instead.
Doing a bit more packing and off to bed. I wanna come back! Too much to do and a week was too short. If anyone else is thinking about it...I highly recommend this apartment. It is so close to just about everything that I only needed public transportation a couple of times. Seriously, it's clean, safe, and close to EVERYTHING.
This was actually when it wasn't so bad. It was wall to wall to wall human beings and you had to be aggressive if you wanted to get from point A to point B...so I pushed myself to the far end where the flea market was and gave up the idea of a warm pastry and hot coffee for the moment.
There was fresh sauerkraut to be had and the farmer who made it would scoop it up in his hand to give you a taste if you wanted. And your sense of smell let you know you were near the sauerkraut guy. I didn't mind as I like the smell.
If you didn't like the sauerkraut smell, there were tons of flower stalls too. Yes, those are lilacs. Did you know that they grow WILD here? All along the road to Budapest there were bushes and bushes of them just growing along the highway...it was crazy with all the lilacs. You mostly see darker and lighter purple. I think the white ones are more cultivated.
Of course, what you see the most here is are the fruit and veg vendors. You want an exotic fruit, they probably have it.
This is right at the beginning of the flea market vendors. That area was just too nutso to try to take the camera out and shoot anything. All kinds of junk and antiques everywhere. I got a couple of little things and didn't spend too much although I did probably get ripped off...LOL
I ended up getting a Hühne Kebab for lunch. Basically, this is a chicken gyro...but not in a pita bread. It was actually in bread...but flat. Anyway, it was really good. I later got an enormous fresh squeezed orange juice that cost the earth but was really really good.
I dragged my loot back to my apartment (remember I am right next to the Nachtsmarkt) and dropped it off. Took off my jacket, because it had gotten really warm and sunny, and headed back out for more culture.
This is The Secession. It was built as an exhibition building for the artists who started the Secession movement. Gustav Klimt was a member and its first president. Of course, there was a Klimt exhibit here in honor of his 150th birthday.
I took about 50 bajillion photos of this Art Nouveau treasure. It is entirely awesome! Of course, no photos can be taken inside. The exhibit was of the Beethoven Fries, which was actually a backdrop Klimt did for an exhibit in the Secession and it was not intended to be a permanent piece of art. It was moved a bunch of times and was eventually restored and conserved by the Austrian government. It is on permanent loan here as this is the space it was originally designed for. Normally, you have to look WAY up at it, but a special platform was built in the room so you can look at it straight on (which was not the only similar experience I was to have today).
I bought a couple of things in the gift shop (of course) a mug and a copy of the poster for the first exhibit of the Secession (which interestingly, was not held in this building as it was under construction at the time). If any of you know about this poster...it is the uncensored version :).
After then, I was thinking it was a good time to see more Klimt...of course.
This is the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) which is, of course, undergoing restoration. It was also built by the Hapsburgs to house the imperial art collection...which is still there.
Here's Maria Theresa to greet you. There were actually several portraits of her inside, mostly of when she was a child.
And a random fountain on the grounds actually running! LOL
The Klimt exhibit was mostly of a permanent piece of the building. Klimt did several paintings to decorate the entryway of the museum. Again, a platform was constructed to give you a unique view of the paintings...straight on. I really found these particular paintings to be powerful. They are considered part of his early work...and, honestly, they are commercial pieces done specifically for hire to decorate a public building. Maybe it's just me, but I could see the youth and optimism in them. By the way, his brother Ernst did some of the paintings there too and I rather enjoyed them as well. It is unfortunate he died so young as it would have been interesting to see where he developed as well.
Anyway, the rest of the exhibit was more sketches and there were examples of materials given to him for inspiration. He had to illustrate specific themes and the museum had provided examples of the type of things they were looking for.
After that, I figured I had paid for the ticked for the whole museum....and there is a heckuva lot to see there, so off I went. Not a huge fan of most classical painting. Still there were some fine examples of Raphael, Titian, and a Dührer painting I remember seeing as a child...so I was surprised by it. It is the Tower of Babel, a pretty famous painting and I just walked in the room and POW. The KHM also has the world's largest collection of Bruegel...yes, it certainly does. There were also 3 Rembrandt self-portraits...that guy certainly liked to paint himself.
Anyway, I was happy to head out to the Egyptian stuff (yes...MUMMIES!). They did have a decent selection of sarcophagi and canopic jars. A couple of poor, crumbly mummies and lots of broken statuary. The best was the crocodile mummy! Well there were lots of baby croc mummies, but one BIG one as well!
They also had a decent collection of Roman statues, including a weird room of disembodied heads...LOL. Lots of Greek pottery too (still not as much as the British Museum) and a good bit of Roman glass. What I found particularly interesting was the ancient jewelry. There was everything from Greek, Roman, the Near East, and some Northern European stuff as well (well the descriptions were all in German, so I'm thinking I translated it ok). There was a whole lovely room of Roman cameos which I got stuck in for awhile.
After awhile, my feet hurt...so it's time for coffee. Last day, and I finally get the hang of the Viennese coffeehouse. Walk in, grab a seat and a waiter will come right up to you. Place your order and it is delivered in less than a minute. When you're ready to go, catch his eye to let him know you're ready to pay. I had a Topfelstrudel (cheese strudel) and Wiener Melange (which is becoming a favorite of mine).
Then, I closed the place down in the gift shop. I didn't get much as I have discovered that all the Klimt stuff is focused on The Kiss (and I'm overloaded) and the majority of their museum gift shops focus on books anyway. Too heavy to tote in my luggage. I actually ended up in a shop across the street (run by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY of all places) where I got a few odds and ends I'd been looking for.
I rush back to drop off my stuff again and it's almost 7pm...time for the Opera. Let me tell you one BIG mistake I made. I did not bring my warm coat or my airplane blanket. HUGE mistake. I made it about 80% of the way through the performance before I just had to go because my teeth were chattering. Well, that and a group of young people decided to sit next to me during the intermission and they lit up cigarettes. Yep, wind was blowing in my direction again.
Anyway, it was a pretty groovy experience and I'm sorry I had to leave early. I did cheat on the plot last night as I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to follow along too well in German if I didn't. It was broadcast live from the theater inside. Not being an opera aficionado, I was surprised to see that Octavian (the male lead) was played by a woman. Not sure if this is normal...although, he does have to disguise himself as a woman near the beginning. I must do research.
I did follow along a bit as they did transcribe it (in German) on the bottom of the screen. It was easier to translate reading-wise then it would be with singing.
Practically ran back to the apartment, where I briefly considered putting on a coat and heading over to the Nachtsmarkt for a late dinner. I decided on hot tea and my last piece of apfelstrudel instead.
Doing a bit more packing and off to bed. I wanna come back! Too much to do and a week was too short. If anyone else is thinking about it...I highly recommend this apartment. It is so close to just about everything that I only needed public transportation a couple of times. Seriously, it's clean, safe, and close to EVERYTHING.
Friday, April 20, 2012
My Happy Austrian Birthday
Yeah, yeah...got up late. Sue me, it's my bloody birthday. I was actually out the door by 11am and at Cafe Museum not long after. Got myself a table (wonder if Klimt sat here?) and ordered my Viennese breakfast. And what is a Viennese breakfast you ask? Two soft boiled (organic!) eggs in a covered glass dish already peeled, a small glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, a buttered roll, and coffee. Hit the spot!
One thing I am quickly learning about Viennese coffeehouses is that your food comes quickly, but they leave you alone for a looooooooooooong time after that. You practically have to grab their arm to get your check and pay them. It's odd to someone used to the American slow to serve, but quick to kick you out afterwards.
Anyway, was on my way to Kartnerstrasse....the main shopping district. No cars on this road, it's all foot traffic, so I wandered around window shopping. My first goal was to get to Stephansdom (St. Stephens Cathedral). Yes, I was planning shopping...but churches first. And there are plenty of them all over the place.
Here is one I just happened to notice down a side street. When I finally got to Stephansdom, it was undergoing renovations (of course) and some of it was covered up. Still, there was plenty to see.
The front had already undergone the restoration, so It was looking quite lovely. The majority of the cathedral is in the Gothic style, although the main tower is from the Renaissance and the Baroque makes an appearance too. But I loves the Gothic...
And that roof is just awesome! Gotta love those colored ceramic tiles. And you get an idea why restoration is necessary in this view.
Here's a restored bit in the midst of a facade in dire need of restoration.
Lots and lots of Gargoyles...and I took tons of photos of them. These were particularly mean looking and a bit crumbly. There was all kinds of nifty stuff on the outside of the cathedral.
Like this painting....where Jesus looks merely perturbed...and I think he is being fitted for his crown of thorns.
When I entered, it was time for Mass, so we couldn't go all the way in. I spent some time behind bars before being allowed anywhere near the altar.
Still, the view wasn't too bad. There isn't much of the original glass still in the cathedral as it was badly damaged during WWII. Some of it is actually in the Vienna Museum, which I had seen a couple of days ago.
Lots of Gothic splendor to be found throughout. Carvings like this are EVERYWHERE and most still are painted.
I really liked this guy. I did not climb up to the tower or go down into the catacombs (where some early Hapsburgs were interred) because it involved the payment of money...LOL. There was plenty to see for free.
Including plenty of Baroque splendor in many of the minor altars. I checked out the gift shop, decided against a rosary or religious medal...and headed out to shop.
Still, there was lots to distract
These horse drawn carriages were lined up outside of the cathedral to take you on a tour of the old city. I almost got run over by a couple of them.
And another cool building to check out. I actually found a gift shop with sterling silver charms for my charm bracelet (they aren't as common as they used to be) and I got one of Stephensdom. I was torn between that and a lil Vienna coat of arms. I got Christmas tree ornaments at the Österreichische Werkstaetten. And I headed into H&M for a couple of tops and a scarf (I love that place and there isn't one anywhere near me in the US.
Enough shopping....so I decided on more Klimt at the Albertina. Headed off on the Ringstraβe in that direction and ended up in the Burggarten (another public park once part of a palace grounds) much sooner than I thought I would. Apparently, my apartment is close to an awful lot of things.
Here is a Mozart statue I found there. I am giving up on finding Falco and this is a better choice anyway. So, the Burggarten is on the grounds of the Hofburg...the main palace of the Hapsburgs. Lots and lots of museums are in the Hofburg now...and I didn't even cross over to the other side of the palace. The Spanish Riding School is on the grounds (where the famous Lipizzaner Stallions are trained.
This is the side that faces the Burggarten. Lots of people out as it was another lovely day. They were strolling about and hanging out at the cafe that was behind me when I took this photo. Behind the cafe is the Albertina, where another Klimt exhibit is underway.
Not much is the way of famous paintings in this exhibit. Most of it was sketches of studies for his more famous work. The poster of the exhibit is a part of an illustration he did for a magazine (the illustration is called Fish Blood). There were a couple of other pen and ink drawings, but most were charcoal sketches. I'm glad I saw the other exhibits first, because it put a lot of these studies in perspective. I hope to have time to go to the art history museum tomorrow to see his early mural there because a lot of the studies were for that. I will definitely to the The Secession to see the Beethoven Fries (it is right next to the Nachtsmarkt).
There were also some Munch pieces that I liked and several of Degas' drawings and paintings of bathing women that were particularly lovely. They had a pretty good selection of modern art there...mostly sketches and paintings.
Bought a couple of Klimt things at the gift shop...but they really didn't have anything with the sketches in the exhibit other than the really heavy and expensive book. The young woman at the register was German and questioned whether I wanted the English version of the little Klimt book I bought...apparently,. I fooled her with my accent on my "guten tag." LOL.
Left the museum and began to wander a bit again...and it started to rain. This was a bummer because I had been planning to see the free show at the Opera tonight. They have a free show on a giant TV screen outside every night. It wasn't raining too hard...so I decided to treat myself.
To a piece of famous Sacher Torte at the famous cafe at the famous Hotel Sacher! Es war ganz gut (it was pretty good). I also had a Wiener Melange, which is half coffee, half hot milk with whipped cream. I decided to take advantage of the delay in the bringing of the check to hang out and soak up the atmosphere...and I had a second Melange. It was thundering when I first entered the cafe and I was hoping to wait it out.
Got my check and headed out into the rain. There was a slight break and I was hopeful...but it started up again. When I walked past the Staats Oper (opera house) there were people there with their umbrellas. I had no umbrella or way to dry off the seat...so I headed back to my apartment. I am a little damp, but no worse for wear.
Well tomorrow is Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier, which I'd rather see than the Boris Godunow performance tonight anyway.
Tomorrow is the flea market at the Nachtsmarkt and more museums...and Strauss. I'd better pack a lil bit tonight.
One thing I am quickly learning about Viennese coffeehouses is that your food comes quickly, but they leave you alone for a looooooooooooong time after that. You practically have to grab their arm to get your check and pay them. It's odd to someone used to the American slow to serve, but quick to kick you out afterwards.
Anyway, was on my way to Kartnerstrasse....the main shopping district. No cars on this road, it's all foot traffic, so I wandered around window shopping. My first goal was to get to Stephansdom (St. Stephens Cathedral). Yes, I was planning shopping...but churches first. And there are plenty of them all over the place.
Here is one I just happened to notice down a side street. When I finally got to Stephansdom, it was undergoing renovations (of course) and some of it was covered up. Still, there was plenty to see.
The front had already undergone the restoration, so It was looking quite lovely. The majority of the cathedral is in the Gothic style, although the main tower is from the Renaissance and the Baroque makes an appearance too. But I loves the Gothic...
And that roof is just awesome! Gotta love those colored ceramic tiles. And you get an idea why restoration is necessary in this view.
Here's a restored bit in the midst of a facade in dire need of restoration.
Lots and lots of Gargoyles...and I took tons of photos of them. These were particularly mean looking and a bit crumbly. There was all kinds of nifty stuff on the outside of the cathedral.
Like this painting....where Jesus looks merely perturbed...and I think he is being fitted for his crown of thorns.
When I entered, it was time for Mass, so we couldn't go all the way in. I spent some time behind bars before being allowed anywhere near the altar.
Still, the view wasn't too bad. There isn't much of the original glass still in the cathedral as it was badly damaged during WWII. Some of it is actually in the Vienna Museum, which I had seen a couple of days ago.
Lots of Gothic splendor to be found throughout. Carvings like this are EVERYWHERE and most still are painted.
I really liked this guy. I did not climb up to the tower or go down into the catacombs (where some early Hapsburgs were interred) because it involved the payment of money...LOL. There was plenty to see for free.
Including plenty of Baroque splendor in many of the minor altars. I checked out the gift shop, decided against a rosary or religious medal...and headed out to shop.
Still, there was lots to distract
These horse drawn carriages were lined up outside of the cathedral to take you on a tour of the old city. I almost got run over by a couple of them.
And another cool building to check out. I actually found a gift shop with sterling silver charms for my charm bracelet (they aren't as common as they used to be) and I got one of Stephensdom. I was torn between that and a lil Vienna coat of arms. I got Christmas tree ornaments at the Österreichische Werkstaetten. And I headed into H&M for a couple of tops and a scarf (I love that place and there isn't one anywhere near me in the US.
Enough shopping....so I decided on more Klimt at the Albertina. Headed off on the Ringstraβe in that direction and ended up in the Burggarten (another public park once part of a palace grounds) much sooner than I thought I would. Apparently, my apartment is close to an awful lot of things.
Here is a Mozart statue I found there. I am giving up on finding Falco and this is a better choice anyway. So, the Burggarten is on the grounds of the Hofburg...the main palace of the Hapsburgs. Lots and lots of museums are in the Hofburg now...and I didn't even cross over to the other side of the palace. The Spanish Riding School is on the grounds (where the famous Lipizzaner Stallions are trained.
This is the side that faces the Burggarten. Lots of people out as it was another lovely day. They were strolling about and hanging out at the cafe that was behind me when I took this photo. Behind the cafe is the Albertina, where another Klimt exhibit is underway.
Not much is the way of famous paintings in this exhibit. Most of it was sketches of studies for his more famous work. The poster of the exhibit is a part of an illustration he did for a magazine (the illustration is called Fish Blood). There were a couple of other pen and ink drawings, but most were charcoal sketches. I'm glad I saw the other exhibits first, because it put a lot of these studies in perspective. I hope to have time to go to the art history museum tomorrow to see his early mural there because a lot of the studies were for that. I will definitely to the The Secession to see the Beethoven Fries (it is right next to the Nachtsmarkt).
There were also some Munch pieces that I liked and several of Degas' drawings and paintings of bathing women that were particularly lovely. They had a pretty good selection of modern art there...mostly sketches and paintings.
Bought a couple of Klimt things at the gift shop...but they really didn't have anything with the sketches in the exhibit other than the really heavy and expensive book. The young woman at the register was German and questioned whether I wanted the English version of the little Klimt book I bought...apparently,. I fooled her with my accent on my "guten tag." LOL.
Left the museum and began to wander a bit again...and it started to rain. This was a bummer because I had been planning to see the free show at the Opera tonight. They have a free show on a giant TV screen outside every night. It wasn't raining too hard...so I decided to treat myself.
To a piece of famous Sacher Torte at the famous cafe at the famous Hotel Sacher! Es war ganz gut (it was pretty good). I also had a Wiener Melange, which is half coffee, half hot milk with whipped cream. I decided to take advantage of the delay in the bringing of the check to hang out and soak up the atmosphere...and I had a second Melange. It was thundering when I first entered the cafe and I was hoping to wait it out.
Got my check and headed out into the rain. There was a slight break and I was hopeful...but it started up again. When I walked past the Staats Oper (opera house) there were people there with their umbrellas. I had no umbrella or way to dry off the seat...so I headed back to my apartment. I am a little damp, but no worse for wear.
Well tomorrow is Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier, which I'd rather see than the Boris Godunow performance tonight anyway.
Tomorrow is the flea market at the Nachtsmarkt and more museums...and Strauss. I'd better pack a lil bit tonight.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Budapest....all I can say is "WOW"
My feet are killing me...I even have a blister...but who cares. Budapest is awesome and if you ever get the chance...GO! My only regret is that this tour was mostly a bus tour. I say "mostly" because buses are banned from old town Buda and we did a walking tour there. Pest, while not quite as cool, did have some awesome sights and many of my photos did not come out well through the bus window (I need to invest in a polarizing lens). I did take over 100 photos, so a selection is shared here :).
Anyway, did get up at 5:30am and made it to the bus with plenty of time to spare. We had a fairly small group (only 9 people) and a whole bus, so plenty of room. There were a few Americans, a Canadian, a Brazilian, couple of Filipinos, Italians, Australians, and a girl from Switzerland. Most of us spoke English, with the exception of the Swiss girl (who did speak *some* English, and the Italians...who spoke some English as well).
The drive to Budapest is 3 hours and there is no stopping at the border as both Austria and Hungary are part of the European Union (although the old border gates are still there). Lovely scenery once we got out of the city. Lots of farmland in the early stages of planting...or newly planted. Again, as in England last year, rape flowers where blooming (rape seeds are a crop harvested for bio-diesel...and for canola oil as well).
Interspersed were towns and villages with steep red-tiled roofs. There were also lot and lots of wind farms. It appears that Austria and Hungary get a lot of their electricity from wind power.
As we approached Budapest (from the Buda side) it began to get hillier as it had been mostly flat most of the way. First we crossed over the Chain Bridge into Pest and headed to the center of the city. Our first stop was Hero's Square (Hősök tere).
This is the column in the middle of the monument. We had 30 minutes to wander around the square, so I didn't go far. Flanking the square is the Museum of Fine Arts...which looks like any museum you'd see in any large city.
On the other side if the palace of art...which has a cool mosaic at the top. You can see St. Stephen in the center...he is the first King of Hungary.
We then loaded back onto the bus and headed back to the Buda side of the city. In the old city, in what used to be part of a monastery, we had lunch in a quiet little restaurant. For most, it consisted of traditional Hungarian Goulash soup, Chicken Paprikash with noodles, and a biscuit with apricots covered with chocolate and cream. As the soup had pork in it, I was offered a vegetarian option which was a creamy mushroom soup with walnuts in it. It was all super yummy. My Oma used to make Chicken Paprikash and it was very similar. She didn't use tomato or green pepper...but it didn't change the taste much.
When we were done, we met with our local tour guide who took us on a short walk through old city Buda.
Much of Buda was severely damaged during the Second World War. This is one of the few buildings that hasn't been restored. Our guide told us that the government has been promising to do it for the last 25 years or so.
This is the view down the main street. If you look closely at that third building, it is painted with a colorful pattern. This is authentic to how it would have appeared in Medieval times.
This is the Holy Trinity Column in the middle of Old Buda. 75% of Budapest is Catholic.
This is Matthias Church, named after King Matthias who was married here and also ordered the transformation of the main tower. All of the Hapsburg kings were crowned here (remember, it was the Austro-Hungarian Empire) which is why it is also known as The Coronation Church.
I really thought the ceramic tiles on the roof deserved another look. Pretty, right? We then hung out a bit on the Fisherman's Bastion, an area behind the church overlooking the Danube.
These two falconers were there with their raptors and you could get your photo taken with them. That bird on the right is HUGE.
This is a view from the Fisherman's Bastion looking across the Danube at Pest.
Also from The Bastion, looking at Parliament.
These two guys were also there, playing music. We walked back down the street toward the bus and went into a shop with traditional Budapest embroidered goods. Of course I bought a table runner...
Back across the bridge to Pest, where we did the bus half of the tour. We actually went around in a few circles and I didn't get too many really good photos.
Apparently, my reflexes are really good because I got this shot of St. Stephen's Basilica as we drove by.
This is from the other side, and you can see some of the 12 Apostles that appear round the back part of the roof.
Also, Hungary has the second largest Synagogue in the World. The largest is in New York. Tried very hard to get a good photo, but got a lot of bus window glare and we drive very close to it...so this is the best I have. It is absolutely beautiful.
After we drove around a bit, we were dropped off in the center of town to wander about on our own. I did seriously consider going to the Basilica, but wanted to get my souvenir shopping done first. Kind of ran short on time, so decided on a snack instead.
Yes...the shopping. I got a ceramic jar of Hungarian paprika shaped like a...paprika pepper. Also, an embroidered - shirt, hand-painted eggs for my Christmas tree, a couple of other hand-painted kitchen items, a small ceramic hand-painted pitcher...and a couple of gifts. I also found a Lush store....wooohooo!
I headed back to the bus early in case I got lost...because I know myself.
The lot where the bus met us was RIGHT next to the Danube....the freakin' DANUBE! I had to take a bunch of photos....here's a good one.
Everyone piled into the bus...and it was Goodbye Budapest. In rush hour...LOL. We also got our bus pulled over on the way back by Hungarian Police doing random passport checks (mostly, they are looking for people smuggling things like alcohol and tobacco...and using fake passports). They were especially fascinated by the Brazilian passport in our group (guess they don't see too many of those).
We headed back out on the highway.
Past more little towns with red roofs and big churches in the middle. Back into Austria
With the giant wind farms that had me so fascinated. Here you can also see the rape flowers. We got back to Vienna around 8pm and I walked back to my apartment from the Opera. Tired, ouchie feet....but what a great day!
Sleep now, tomorrow is my birthday and I am determined to have a Viennese Breakfast at the Museum Cafe (where lots of artists and writers hung out). I think St. Stephen's Cathedral and maybe some more Klimt too.
Anyway, did get up at 5:30am and made it to the bus with plenty of time to spare. We had a fairly small group (only 9 people) and a whole bus, so plenty of room. There were a few Americans, a Canadian, a Brazilian, couple of Filipinos, Italians, Australians, and a girl from Switzerland. Most of us spoke English, with the exception of the Swiss girl (who did speak *some* English, and the Italians...who spoke some English as well).
The drive to Budapest is 3 hours and there is no stopping at the border as both Austria and Hungary are part of the European Union (although the old border gates are still there). Lovely scenery once we got out of the city. Lots of farmland in the early stages of planting...or newly planted. Again, as in England last year, rape flowers where blooming (rape seeds are a crop harvested for bio-diesel...and for canola oil as well).
Interspersed were towns and villages with steep red-tiled roofs. There were also lot and lots of wind farms. It appears that Austria and Hungary get a lot of their electricity from wind power.
As we approached Budapest (from the Buda side) it began to get hillier as it had been mostly flat most of the way. First we crossed over the Chain Bridge into Pest and headed to the center of the city. Our first stop was Hero's Square (Hősök tere).
This is the column in the middle of the monument. We had 30 minutes to wander around the square, so I didn't go far. Flanking the square is the Museum of Fine Arts...which looks like any museum you'd see in any large city.
On the other side if the palace of art...which has a cool mosaic at the top. You can see St. Stephen in the center...he is the first King of Hungary.
We then loaded back onto the bus and headed back to the Buda side of the city. In the old city, in what used to be part of a monastery, we had lunch in a quiet little restaurant. For most, it consisted of traditional Hungarian Goulash soup, Chicken Paprikash with noodles, and a biscuit with apricots covered with chocolate and cream. As the soup had pork in it, I was offered a vegetarian option which was a creamy mushroom soup with walnuts in it. It was all super yummy. My Oma used to make Chicken Paprikash and it was very similar. She didn't use tomato or green pepper...but it didn't change the taste much.
When we were done, we met with our local tour guide who took us on a short walk through old city Buda.
Much of Buda was severely damaged during the Second World War. This is one of the few buildings that hasn't been restored. Our guide told us that the government has been promising to do it for the last 25 years or so.
This is the view down the main street. If you look closely at that third building, it is painted with a colorful pattern. This is authentic to how it would have appeared in Medieval times.
This is the Holy Trinity Column in the middle of Old Buda. 75% of Budapest is Catholic.
This is Matthias Church, named after King Matthias who was married here and also ordered the transformation of the main tower. All of the Hapsburg kings were crowned here (remember, it was the Austro-Hungarian Empire) which is why it is also known as The Coronation Church.
I really thought the ceramic tiles on the roof deserved another look. Pretty, right? We then hung out a bit on the Fisherman's Bastion, an area behind the church overlooking the Danube.
These two falconers were there with their raptors and you could get your photo taken with them. That bird on the right is HUGE.
This is a view from the Fisherman's Bastion looking across the Danube at Pest.
Also from The Bastion, looking at Parliament.
These two guys were also there, playing music. We walked back down the street toward the bus and went into a shop with traditional Budapest embroidered goods. Of course I bought a table runner...
Back across the bridge to Pest, where we did the bus half of the tour. We actually went around in a few circles and I didn't get too many really good photos.
Apparently, my reflexes are really good because I got this shot of St. Stephen's Basilica as we drove by.
This is from the other side, and you can see some of the 12 Apostles that appear round the back part of the roof.
Also, Hungary has the second largest Synagogue in the World. The largest is in New York. Tried very hard to get a good photo, but got a lot of bus window glare and we drive very close to it...so this is the best I have. It is absolutely beautiful.
After we drove around a bit, we were dropped off in the center of town to wander about on our own. I did seriously consider going to the Basilica, but wanted to get my souvenir shopping done first. Kind of ran short on time, so decided on a snack instead.
Yes...the shopping. I got a ceramic jar of Hungarian paprika shaped like a...paprika pepper. Also, an embroidered - shirt, hand-painted eggs for my Christmas tree, a couple of other hand-painted kitchen items, a small ceramic hand-painted pitcher...and a couple of gifts. I also found a Lush store....wooohooo!
I headed back to the bus early in case I got lost...because I know myself.
The lot where the bus met us was RIGHT next to the Danube....the freakin' DANUBE! I had to take a bunch of photos....here's a good one.
Everyone piled into the bus...and it was Goodbye Budapest. In rush hour...LOL. We also got our bus pulled over on the way back by Hungarian Police doing random passport checks (mostly, they are looking for people smuggling things like alcohol and tobacco...and using fake passports). They were especially fascinated by the Brazilian passport in our group (guess they don't see too many of those).
We headed back out on the highway.
Past more little towns with red roofs and big churches in the middle. Back into Austria
With the giant wind farms that had me so fascinated. Here you can also see the rape flowers. We got back to Vienna around 8pm and I walked back to my apartment from the Opera. Tired, ouchie feet....but what a great day!
Sleep now, tomorrow is my birthday and I am determined to have a Viennese Breakfast at the Museum Cafe (where lots of artists and writers hung out). I think St. Stephen's Cathedral and maybe some more Klimt too.
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