Grüß Gott! Now that I've been in Austria for....eight weeks (wow how time has flown!), I think it's time to begin my blog post with Vienna's customary greeting. This phrase is used to say hello to anyone and everyone: people behind counters in shops, waiters in restaurants, people on the street. And that's about the extent of my German. Haha. Not completely true - I've learned a little but of vocabulary (mostly related to food, but what else would expect?)
So it has been almost three weeks since my last blog post, and frankly I'm not so sure what to write about! Our schedule has slowed up a little bit, and in our free days in Vienna we have had lots of time to explore the city and do all of the touristy things that we have been ignoring over the past two months. No big trips or epic excursions, and unfortunately most of the touristy things I have done were places that forbade pictures. So many of the pictures below are of food. A word of caution: you probably shouldn't continue reading on an empty stomach. Consider yourself warned :)
Anyway, now to recount the things that I've done. After we got back from Prague, things went pretty much back to normal with concerts, history work, and practicing. That Thursday, though, we took an excursion to St. Florian and Steyr, two places in Upper Austria. St. Florian is an old abbey quite like Melk (see my post from Week 1) where Bruckner had lived and worked for years (and where he's buried underneath his organ), and Steyr is a town close by where Bruckner and Schubert often visited.
This is Bruckner.
This is Bruckner's organ.
And this is chicken cordon bleu!
Our next big tourist event was that weekend, when Shannon, Remy, his sister Anne Caroline (who was visiting from Swaziland), and myself toured Schönbrunn, the summer palace of the Hapsburgs. It was a magnificent building, on the level of Versailles in Paris, with history dating back to Maria Theresa in the 1700s. What was coolest, though, was that renovation work was being done on one of the main rooms, and it was halfway done. So you could see almost a before and after effect split down the center of the room.
Schönbrunn - the summer palace of the Hapsburgs
The pretzel was larger than my head.
Me, Remy, and Shannon at Schönbrunn.
We've also amped up our pastry and sweet (and occasionally real food) tour of the city as the final departure date looms. Of course, these antics will be described in great details by the pictures below, so I think I'll just leave it at that.
A pastry called buchteln. They're served piping hot from the ovens from this one cafe in Vienna every night at 10 PM.....and only at 10 PM.
Buchteln - sweet rolls filled with plum jam and dusted with powdered sugar.
Kaiserschmarrn. Torn up pancakes served with powdered sugar, raisins, and a plum compote.
The next week we toured Sigmund Freud's office in Vienna where he lived and worked for most of his life until he was forced to emigrate to the United Kingdom during WWII. Consequently most of his belongings (including the couch) are in London, but it was still cool to see such a historical place. Later that week we saw a production of Die Fledermaus at the Volksoper. This operetta is distinctly tied to Vienna, for it is performed every year around January 1, and it was a wonderful experience to see and hear. Especially the older gentleman who threw up about two rows in front of us.
Freud's office.
Freud's waiting room.
These had to be some of the best sundaes ever, from Castelletto's in the First District.
We traveled to the Alte Donau island in the middle of the Danube River that runs right through the city on a particularly nice day two weeks ago. The water was freezing, though, but nonetheless I can say that I have set foot in the Danube. And then I found (and picked) reed rush growing on the river bank. (For those of you nonclarinetists: reed rush is an abrasive grass used for clarinet reed work.)
The next big thing that we did in Vienna was tour the catacombs underneath Stephansdom. We traveled down into the depths of Vienna, seeing ancient tunnels. We saw the burial urns of the Hapsburg emperors whose entrails, hearts, and other organs were jarred and stored in various churches around the city - gives new meaning to spreading the wealth. Then we traveled even further underground to an older part of the catacombs where we saw just pits and pits of bones, many of them remaining untouched since they were dumped there during the Black Plague during the 1300s.
This past weekend, the weather was beautiful so we walked around the city a bit and then traveled as a group to the Prater amusement park in the center of the city. Being the wuss that I am, I was appointed the official photographer (yes, I did go on a few things, but nothing that would impress anyone so they're not even worth listing). The next day, Shannon and I attended the most wonderful concert by the Vienna Philharmonic. Wiener Philharmoniker tickets are sold by subscription only, so due to this we were only scheduled to see them once as a part of the FSP. But Shannon and I were determined to see one of the world's best orchestras again, so we waited in line early one morning a week before the concert to see if any subscription tickets had been returned; we got lucky and bought two seats behind the orchestra in the organ loft. We couldn't see a thing, but we didn't have to. Their performance of Beethoven 3 "Eroica" was simply breathtaking.
Shannon, Anna, Danielle, and Amy on some crazy roller coaster at the Prater amusement park in the center of Vienna.
Wiener Philharmoniker offices!
The original sacher torte at the Café Sacher. There's a reason it's the original - the best one yet.
Vienna Philharmonic concert - from our seats behind the orchestra in the organ balcony.
Our new favorite gelato shop! Right next door to the place where we got the sundaes.
Today Shannon and I traveled to the University of the Arts in Vienna to hear another clarinet studio recital by students our age. We had heard another recital during the second week of our program (I probably blogged about it....not sure though...), and we were really excited to attend another one. Needless to say it was great. Before that we went out to a lovely little Italian restaurant here in Vienna. Since we're so close to Northern Italy, the Italian food is simply outstanding. NOTE: Mother, I am eating food other than sweets and sugar.
Mushroom pizza at a wonderful Italian restaurant.
Crispy cannelloni with asparagus, ricotta, sun dried tomatoes served with a goat cheese cream sauce and olives.
A white chocolate panna cotta served with strawberry and rhubarb compotes and streusel crumbs.
Today we visited the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum at the Arsenal (Vienna Military History Museum) where I got to see the car Franz Ferdinand was riding in when he was shot in Sarajevo in 1914 (starting WWI) and the clothes - complete with bullet holes - that he was wearing. Pictures to come next blog post....I'm not near my camera. Up next is a weekend trip to Budapest and more pastries and gelato!
Before we go, though, I need to direct your attention to this lovely video we made in front of the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) for someone back at Dartmouth.
So I am going to begin this blog post the same way that I have began the past few.....apologizing for the lengthy delay! Tons has happened since I last posted - in fact, I have been in four countries since that last post - so let's get started!
During our travel break over the Easter weekend, Shannon and I traveled to London to visit Rachel, a friend from Dartmouth interning there this term. But unfortunately we had to fly there through the Bratislava International Airport.....simply put, my favorite thing in Bratislava was the duty free shop and the Haribo gummy candies sold there. In any case, we finally got to London. Over the next few days we wandered around the city. We toured Westminster Abbey, the British Library, and the British Museum (where we saw the Rosetta Stone). We visited Platform 9 3/4 (which was unfortunately under construction, but at least something was still there), toured a house where Charles Dickens lived, and saw the Tower of London (where we saw the Crown Jewels, the armor of King Henry VIII, and the spot where Anne Boleyn got the chop). Other than that, we walked around the city and took in all London had to offer. Food wise: Great Indian food? Check. Traditional Fish and Chips? Check. Pastries? Check. English High Tea? Check.
Sadly, there were no tickets available for Hamlet at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre....
Pure glee. Enough said.
This is on all the street crossings so tourists don't get run over.
Rosetta Stone
Mmmmmmm.....the chocolate mousse in the middle was divine.
Fish, chips, and mushy peas!
"The perfect Sunday roast served with lashings of gravy!"
221b Baker Street - Home of Sherlock Holmes
High Tea: I am now a HUGE fan of scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam :)
Westminster Abbey isn't so well equipped for the wiring needed to broadcast the Royal Wedding...
Armor of King Henry VIII
We had to......
Changing of the guard at the Tower of London
We arrived back in Vienna late last Tuesday night, and on Thursday Dad came to visit! He was in Germany on a business trip and decided stop by Vienna on his way home. It was really, really great to see him, and even though he was only here 24 hours or so, we got an opportunity to walk around a lot of the city. We had some gelato, went into Stephansdom Cathedral in the center of town, and generally had a good time. It was definitely sad to say goodbye and made me more excited for whenever I get to come back here with my whole family.
With the State Opera in the background.....I think Dad was talking....
Then, this past weekend, our whole FSP took a trip back to Prague, something that Shannon and I were really looking forward to since we so enjoyed the city the last time we were there. We made a point to find that wonderful bakery again and buy větrníky (those wonderful pillow doughnut things). The Easter Markets were still set up and we even managed to find our way back to the vegetarian restaurant, taking some of our FSP-mates there. But we also explored many news places in Prague: we walked over the Charles Bridge, toured one of the largest Jewish ghettos in Europe, cruised the Vltava, saw Mozart's Don Giovanni in the original theatre in which it was performed (the production was very tacky, but it was cool nonetheless), and heard the Czech Philharmonic. Apparently Prague is also known for its jazz scene, so we also visited two jazz clubs while there, which was a really cool experience (Bill Clinton played at one of them in 1994). All in all, I really love Prague and the Czech Republic and would love to get back there someday.
Don Giovanni in its original theatre
A clock in the Jewish ghetto
A traditional Czech meal of honey-roasted duck, dumplings, and red cabbage.
And I think there hasn't been enough sugar in the blog post, so one more picture is necessary. Until next time, cheerio!
Hugely rich hot chocolate and a "schokobombe" from Café Demel here in Vienna - this was just two hours ago, and I'm still in heaven!
That was the motto of last weekend's trip to Prague. Shannon and I got up early last Friday morning to catch our student bus from Vienna to Prague. Thank goodness we left an hour and a half early because it took us an hour to find the bus stop.....apparently in Vienna they label bus stops on the street side of the stop instead of the sidewalk side. That was really scary for a moment. In any case, though, we found the bus and were whisked five hours northwest to Prague, where the wonderful Elizabeth was waiting for us! Elizabeth is a Dartmouth '10 who is currently spending the year in Prague. She was the DSO manager last year and is also from Pittsburgh, and it was great to see her again! After dropping our stuff off at her flat, we visited....yes you guessed it....a bakery! We sat, ate wonderful cake, and caught up. Then we walked around Prague a little bit, in the center of the Old Town. The classic Easter Markets were set up, and it was great to see Prague at such a vibrant time. Then we went to a restaurant for a classic Czech dinner...which looks absolutely disgusting, I know. But I swear it was delicious! It was Svíčková - beef in this slightly sweet brown sauce served with sour cream, cranberries, and bread dumplings to soak up the sauce.
The next day, Elizabeth had a rehearsal for a Czech folk music group, and Shannon and I got to observe. It was so exciting to see and hear these folk melodies being played, something especially incredible since they use no music. It's all by ear! Then they combined the music with dancers and singers, and it became quite an interesting thing to watch. After rehearsal, we went off to a farmer's market for lunch. We had intended on getting sausages, but the person in front of us in line bought the last ones, so we took that as a sign that we were only supposed to eat baked goods. And so we did (we all had an apple though). After that, we walked around the city a bit more, and we headed to...yes....another bakery for the best větrníky in the city, and boy were they amazing. Kind of like a cream puff dough filled with two types of custard and glazed with a caramel. Absolutely delicious. We ate our pastries on top of a hill overlooking the city, and then we walked around the hill. A castle used to be built up there, and now there are lots of graves, and we got to pay our respects to dear old Dvorak and Smetana (right in front of the Moldau, no less!).
By this point, we were really craving vegetables, so we walked down the mountain and through the city and ate dinner at a great vegetarian place. Afterwards, we sat and talked some more, and then it was time to take our midnight bus back to Vienna. It was sad to say goodbye to Elizabeth, but hopefully she can come and visit us in a few weeks.
Back in Vienna, we headed to our one and only Vienna Philharmonic concert of the term - absolutely incredible. This past week has been fairly uneventful. We saw two operas (Dialogues des Carmélites by Poulenc and Gounod's Faust - the Poulenc opera was WONDERFUL. if you ever have an opportunity to see it, make sure you go.) Since it's Easter, the Vienna concerts have all been religious themed for the past week or so. It's so interesting to see all the Christian repertoire come out! And soon, we'll be back to the symphonies.
Yesterday was our first student recital. I played the second movement of Brahms' second clarinet sonata....hopefully I can link to a YouTube video of the performance.
That's been about my week! After last night's concert, we're officially on Easter Break until next Wednesday. Shannon and I are departing for London in a few hours - we're going to visit a friend from Dartmouth who is interning there all term. It should be great! And then when we get back, my Dad is coming to visit Vienna! He's tacking a visit onto the end of a business trip to Germany. It will be great to see him.
