Vienna: Aug. 31 - Sept. 3

In the late morning, we took the Super City Train from Prague to Vienna. After a 4-hour ride, we arrived at Vienna Südbahnhof. From there, we made our way to the U1 metro station and got out at Karlsplatz. As we approached one of the exits, we were amused by the "Toilette mit Musik," what looked to be a plushly-decorated WC blasting The Blue Danube Waltz. Only in Vienna! (People have actually uploaded youtube videos of this bathroom!) We took the escalator out of the subway station and were greeted with the impressive vision of the Vienna State Opera. As we crossed the pedestrian area next to the opera house, a man dressed in 18th century garb approached us with open arms and said, "Free hugs!" He asked where we were from and was about to attempt to sell us music tickets, but we cut the exchange short, fixed as we were on finding our lodgings, Pension Suzanne. (Though this first ticket-pusher was amusing, the throng of them constantly milling around the opera house can be a bit of a nuisance.) After getting settled in our pension, we headed out to Prater Park to ride the giant Ferris wheel. It was cool to experience the historical landmark, and the ride provided very nice views (though Vienna's cityscape isn't as charming as Prague's). Evening fell as we walked through the amusement park in search of dinner. We ate at a beer garden overflowing with lively patrons. Our dinner of pork stew and spinach dumplings in cream sauce was flavorful and filling. All in all, it was a great way to begin our stay in Vienna.

The next day, we took the U4 to Schönbrunn Palace. I remember well the distinctive buttery yellow and mocha façade from my first trip here a decade ago, but I was glad for a second visit to better appreciate its history and opulence. This summer palace, a sort of Austrian Versailles, showcased some amazing rooms and beautiful portraits. It was here that a 6-year-old Mozart performed for Empress Maria Theresa. Kennedy's meeting with Khrushchev also took place at Schönbrunn. The palace reflected many personal touches, as the royal family took a strong hand in its décor. There's no doubting the splendor of the richly appointed rooms we saw, but my favorite part of the visit was touring the grounds. Our Classic Pass included admission to the palace (with audio guide), the Privy Garden and Garden Above the Cellar, the Maze and Labyrinth, the Gloriette Viewing Terrace, and the apple strudel show in the Court Bakery. All were enjoyable, though the maze thoroughly stumped us, and we were only able to get to the center platform with help. Walking to the Gloriette required some effort, as it was uphill and the sun was strong, but the amazing view from the terrace was well worth the trek. We ate lunch (pancake with mincemeat accompanied by a side salad) at the Gloriette Café. Our last stop at Schönbrunn was the strudel show. The small sample of apple strudel was just okay, but the presentation was entertaining and I liked the cute room in which it was held.

We then headed back to the city center and took a tram to Belvedere Palace. After the splendor of Schönbrunn, the palace and gardens of the Belvedere didn't seem quite so impressive. However, our main reason for visiting was the art collection housed in the Upper Belvedere. I very much enjoyed the 19th century paintings, including a couple of Monets and Renoirs. However, the highlight was Gustav Klimt's The Kiss. It was amazing to see this iconic work in person. The richness and details are so striking, and the entire painting is emotive and utterly romantic. Many other works by Klimt were also on display, and it was interesting to see the wide range of styles he produced.
That night, we had dinner at a heurigen located on a small cobblestone lane a few turns off the main pedestrian drag of Kärntner Strasse. The meal was enormous! Appetizers included spinach strudel, onion quiche, and vegetable strudel. Then came a big salad and the main course: several kinds of schnitzels and a heaping plate of meats, potatoes, and cabbage. Needless to say, I was stuffed before we were anywhere near finishing the dishes spread across our table. I felt a bit guilty about wasting so much food. After dinner, we went to the Haus der Musik, an interactive museum about sound and music. My favorite part was probably the dice game that resulted in a waltz composition.

The next morning, we walked to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which contained many works by the Masters: Titian, Raphael, Correggio, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Bruegel, among others. There were many impressive, beautiful works displayed in the museum's gorgeous, sumptuous settings, but the most awe-inspiring part of the visit was seeing Vermeer's The Art of Painting. All of Vermeer's works are so atmospheric and lovely, and this one was painted on an uncharacteristically large canvas. I lingered over its rich details, particularly the hanging fabric and the beautiful blue of the model's dress. I've come to think of this lovely shade as "Vermeer Blue."
Afterward, we walked to the Hofburg Palace to see the Imperial Treasury, a display of wealth and intricate craftsmanship. We then had a quick lunch of vegetable strudel and traditional beef broth with dumpling at Oberlaa. We bought a couple of pastries to go and hurried to get in line for the 2:30 tour of the State Opera. Lots of people were already waiting, and it got more chaotic when we entered the crowded foyer. Luckily, things got better once our group gathered and we were assigned our guide. The opera house is truly magnificent and our guide knowledgeable and charming. Oddly enough, the stage set for the State Opera's current production of Manon Lescaut contrasted sharply with the plush surroundings. The modern interpretation of the opera apparently includes walls of gray concrete and a Lexus. (Not coincidentally, Lexus is one of the State Opera's sponsors.) During the tour, we saw some elaborate halls and galleries, got a glimpse of the imperial box, sat in orchestra-level seats, and even visited the huge, chaotic backstage area. It is astounding the number of different productions the State Opera presents in a year; the opera rotation is such that the same production is never shown back to back. There were so many cool things about this opera house... from the standing room areas (costing only €3-4 per place) to the personal subtitle screens to the annual opera ball, where the stage, orchestra, and seating area is converted into a ballroom. For any lover of the performing arts, a tour of the State Opera is a must when visiting Vienna!

Since the State Opera was dark that night, we decided to catch a show at the Volksoper. When I saw Die Fledermaus advertised, I knew that was the show I wanted to see. It is the quintessential Viennese operetta, after all. Not to mention, I love the overture. We grabbed a box of open-face finger sandwiches from Buffet Trzesniewski and took the metro to the Volksoper. It was wonderful to see this Strauss operetta in Vienna. The music is absolutely wonderful, but I must admit I couldn't help thinking of the Tom and Jerry Hollywood Bowl episode, where Tom conducts selections from the Die Fledermaus overture! But, I digress. I really enjoyed the night's performance, from the lovely set design to the beautiful costumes to the engaging cast and the talented orchestra. Die Fledermaus is fun and frothy, with wonderful dancing and great arias. I can see why it is tradition to stage the operetta on New Year's Eve in Vienna. Click here to see a great video promo of the Volksoper's Fledermaus.

We started the next morning with a visit to St. Stephen's Cathedral. Then we toured the Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg. The combo ticket also included admission to the imperial silver collection and the Sisi Museum. ("Sisi" is the affectionate nickname for the beautiful Empress Elisabeth, wife of Franz Joseph. She was a sort of Princess Diana of the 19th Century.) After touring Hofburg, we bought some finger sandwiches and pastries from the famous Café Demel and walked to Stadt Park. There, we ate our lunch on a bench near the famous golden statue of Strauss. After lunch, we hurried back to Pension Suzanne to collect our bags and head for the metro. A transfer and several mad dashes later, we got on the 1:50 p.m. train to Budapest with barely a minute to spare! The train literally started moving seconds after we climbed aboard. Thus ended our adventures in Vienna. Onward to Budapest!

P.S. Some additional random notes. One: J. and I puzzled over why the Vienna metro did not include a U5 line. All the metro maps showed lines U1 through U6, but always sans U5. Turns out that all the plans to build the U5 line never came to fruition due to reasons such as insufficient expected traffic. Two: If there were a Czech-inspired Tom and Jerry episode, I could've dubbed this trip the "Tom and Jerry Trip." In addition to the episode showcasing the overture from Die Fledermaus, there is an episode where the cartoon cat and mouse actually live in the house of Johann Strauss! Tom teaches himself to play piano waltzes to lure Jerry, who can't resist dancing when he hears Strauss's music, out of his hole. Another episode presents Tom as a concert pianist performing Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody! Anyway, I think it's cool that old cartoons incorporate classical music. ;)