9. Trams. Although there are no schedules and it is vague how to buy tickets, it is incredibly efficient. Never have to wait more than 10 minutes for the next tram. And they always have decent street food nearby. More on this in a sec.
some late night tram action. Evie has become a pro.
8. The Rat Haus food court scene. Every night a crowd shows up to watch movies on an outdoor screen and drink and feast on food vendor cuisine. Best part - they serve food on PLATES and drinks in GLASSES. No styrofoam!
the scene at the Rat Hausplatz at the Ottakringer bar.
7. Schnitzel! As big as your head!
from an episode of "Man vs. Food"
6. Döner Kebap Sandwiches. (It's a chicken gyro. There is a stand at almost every train stop.)
Waiting for a tram with what else - a Döner sandwich!
5. Nascht Markt. (the big public market. Can you say cheese stuffed peppers? Chanterelle mushrooms for $5 a pound? Pour your own balsamic vinegar?)
fancy vinegar sold by the milliliter at the Nascht
4. Bier. Not as good as German swill, but better than Coors Light, it's ever present, and it's certainly acceptable to have a cold one in the early part of the day. In public. When will the US adopt this fine habit?
nothing like having a beer on a stroll with the baby. Before NOON.Ottokringer anyone?
3. Cafes. They are everywhere. No drip coffee here folks - only the good stuff - espresso and cappuccinos.
espresso baby. But don't be in a rush. Nobody's putting this in a paper cup for you.
2. Mozart. His presence is everywhere. From chocolate balls to guys dressed like him hawking tickets to the opera. He is der Mann about town!
Who is this guy? He's everywhere!
1. Vienna is The Wurst! (aka sausage). Like the Döner stands, they are at every train stop. Get it two ways, sliced on a plate, or "takeaway" hot dog style, where they puncture a hole in a foot long roll and cram the sausage inside. No more eating sideways. Genius. I think they'd sell more Fenway Franks if they served them this way.
Well hello again, dear peeps. We are back in Wien, and happy about this. Today we visited a phenomenal convent from the 13th C and witnessed some really incredibly maintained medevil artwork from the 12-15th C. All biblical art, all the time. Made me think fondly of my art history class in Madrid in 1997 at the Prado. I've got a thing for those Pieta images...
The convent was amazing! Acoustically, structurally, historically. Left me peaceful, inspired and ready to board a 5 hour train ride back to Wien. Only thing- we didn't bring a camera to the convent. A drag sort of, but it was nice to not deal with a camera for a change. Another detail that was nice: first class cabin on the train. Now THAT is the way to travel. I kept thinking: what if the BART or any other major city transportation system had first class cabins and when you really needed to spruce up your commute for a week, you treated yourself to it?!
Tomorrow, we head to Bratislava, this time, traveling by boat.
Two former USSR block cities in four days. One by train, the other by high speed hydrofoil boat down the Danube. Evie is in a traveling groove. We're all good...and will be ready to head back to the states just as we're planning to leave.
Ajoy again. Despite the rain, it did not deter us today! We climbed up a very steep hill to arrive at the castle and cathedral this morning, Evie sleeping in her carriage the whole time. Sweet! We did a bunch of touring around the outdoor (free) spaces surrounding this mammoth complex area-- didn't quite have the interest to pay money to do the whole indoor touring thing. No matter. We shopped for the remainder of the day instead. Evie's long nap proved to be a hugely valuable asset as she was chipper the entire day. Her favorite thing to do was poke into tourist shops and look at all the homemade czech puppets. It didn't matter if they were scary dragons, witches or Michael Jackson look alike dolls. She loved them all. We didn't buy a puppet but we did buy her some wooden toys hand made in the area and some other gifts for people. (Junks, as Yia Yia would say). Tonight- pizza is on the menu! But first, we're getting thai massages at the hotel! (Who are we?!?!) They're cheap! $60 an hour. Jeffrey is there first. He's really hoping it's not a male masseuse. Oops, forgot to ask about that. I will let him comment on this when he returns. We leave in the morning- one more breakfast awaits us here at the Maximilian. Evie has become a huge fan of croissants; its like she expects them. I still want to go to visit the 15th C convent around the corner. Other than that, I'm good. We are done with KC (crowns)!
AJOY! (pronounced 'ahoy') or...hi from Prague or Praha as the locals call it. (The extra ha ha in the title is just for fun.) Wow. What a city! Everything here is older than old. We went to a jewish cemetery today, the oldest in Europe, and marveled at tombstones piled on top of each other from as early as the 1400's. A synagogue we toured was built in 1290. There is a convent by our hotel with an extensive collection of medieval art in it. The Czechs have been around for a while. Apparently there is a castle we must go to as well but it feels so far away...We have enjoyed this city and all of its unique architecture and beauty...we walked over the glorious St Charles Bridge and walked through old town and the jewish district extensively. It's a large, all- coblestoned city, and one with inviting cafes left and right. The Pilsner pours everywhere here...and those pilsner mugs you drink it in are fabulous. Traveling with one seems nearly impossible though... sorry Will and Mike, I thought about getting you one but you the thought will have to do.
A damper: Evie is all set with Prague... a new city, a new portable crib, new hotel, etc. I just think this city is just not for her. She loves the horse and carriages. She loves the big open squares. She even loved the famous clock with the dancing apostles. She is just pretty much up to "here" with goulash and chicken cutlet type dishes. (Or maybe that's me...) The one food highlight we can speak to is the brunch in the Maximilian hotel, our home away from home (away from home) here in Prague. Prague -the vacation from our vacation- is great but we're ready to get back to Vienna. The first day was overwhelmingly beautiful and every corner we turned demanded a picture. Now, it feels less wow-ish. Maybe it's the abundance of tourists. Or the crown currency. (17 to 1 is an annoying figure to calculate). Or maybe it was the performance review I had to finish this morning that kept us from getting out before 1;30 today. Not sure. Can't complain about the weather- it's not too sunny and not too hot. Can't complain about the hotel- it's boutiquey and lovely, and that brunch, mmmmmmm. I think the traveling with a one year old thing is just plain difficult. We're handling it with grace though, I assure you. And we're not the only folks here with strollers. So I'll shut up now. Ciao, xo
Well, tonight at 6pm marks my 10th and last consecutive class in five days. I'm tired! Everyday between classes we've been running around trying to see a new museum or area of town. Today we took a break from being a tourist however. Yesterday's visit to the Leopold museum was enough to sustain us for a day, though. It was amazing. Of course, Evie enjoyed the lobby most of all...lots of soccer ball throwing with one parent while the other looked at works by Klimt (like the one here), Schiele, Kokoschka, or Muehl, to name a few. Tomorrow, I think we'll attempt to hit the Schonbrunn castle. I think I remember reading there is also a zoo there, so Evie will be happy.
Yes, a week of heavy dancing after very little dancing has yielded some noticeable changes in my body. Lifting Evie hurts. My feet are banged up. I have bruises on my shoulders from rolling. My legs feel like anvils. But I'm not complaining! Being a student here is the best. Being a student PERIOD is the best. I found myself explaining to one of my new Austrian friends, Sabina, that I have felt like a big empty container and this week has slowly been filling me up with new information, ready to spill it back out to my students in some sort of transformed way. This workshop was well timed for me- I needed this more than I think I ever have. Dancing and living in Vienna for three weeks is putting gas back in the tank.
Last night I saw a beautiful performance of Jérôme Bel's work, performed by Cédric Andrieux. Stunning work. I wrote about it more at my CTS in Vienna blog...
I continue to marvel at the scene in these theatre spaces. It is THE place to be! The houses are always packed, the energy even in the coat room is tangible. I feel myself smiling like a little kid.
Evie has been at the Impulstanz headquarters with me the last two mornings; she has enjoyed childcare services by a lovely woman named Slyvia while Mommy dances and Daddy rides a bike around town. Afterwards, she and I have lunch at the Impulstanz cafe. Everyone stops in their tracks to admire her. She charms them all with a smile. Suddenly, people notice me it seems. Thanks Evie!
Tomorrow, the castle. Sunday, we hit Prague. Life is good.
Like i said. Old stuff. Everywhere.
some late night tram action. Evie has become a pro.
the scene at the Rat Hausplatz at the Ottakringer bar.
from an episode of "Man vs. Food"
Waiting for a tram with what else - a Dö
fancy vinegar sold by the milliliter at the Nascht
nothing like having a beer on a stroll with the baby. Before NOON. Ottokringer anyone?
espresso baby. But don't be in a rush. Nobody's putting this in a paper cup for you.
Who is this guy? He's everywhere!
that's what i'm talkin' about...
