Vienna Times Two
Day 133 – 135 August 23rd – 24th 2018 and Days 142 – 145 August 31 to September 3rd 2018
It was the city we heard about for many years. Chris’s favourite city. Vienna saw me twice in two weeks!. Once alone on my rail trip and then together on our way to Venice.
August 23rd – 24th 2018
Alone and continuing the rail journey through Europe – the next leg from Munich to Vienna. A picturesque train journey crossing rivers winding through forest and farmland. Old towns, castles on hills, stone bridges connecting along the route. And then a night and morning in Vienna.
Feeling slightly sacrilegious – it is Chris’s favourite city and I was here roaming it alone. After a 40year absence I remembered little. Wandering the city I caught flashes every so often of a church, a streetscape, an artwork that triggered a memory.
The hostel provided a new experience as I discovered the dorm room had 6 beds – 2 of which were joined together similar to a double bed. On arrival these were taken by an older and younger woman whom I assumed were mother and daughter until the older woman left around 10pm. Questioning the young woman left behind I discovered they did not even know each other this was just the bed layout in the dorm. New bedding and in I went, saving myself a night clambering up and down to my allocated top bunk.
With the daylight left after checking in I wandered the streets of old town expanding out from the town square – new and old architecture mingling within the city. Oddities and beauties interspersed the old traditional buildings – a boat with its hull curving over the roof of a building.
The weather has been hotter than Europe normally experiences and for longer. It is almost unbearable for one who does not appreciate the heat – even after living in Australia. Walking anywhere I end up dripping sweat – over 27C most days and a different heat, more humid.
I think Warsaw is cooler which will be a relief. Compounded by a Europe that is not used to this heat – airconditioning is rare. Buildings are not designed with ambient cooling in mind. Restaurants and hostel rooms were diabolical. And the beautiful green land is almost entirely brown and Australian-like.
Huntervasser, another artist who features prominently in the Vienna-scape with his architecture. His multicoloured, multitextured multishaped buildings – a giant version of the Kawerau toilet in New Zealand- and surrounded by hundreds of people with selfie sticks. The Belvedere art museum was the same – you would be standing looking at a pic and in would pop someone posing in front of the art.
My evening tour finished off with dinner at Yori Korean Dining Hall – cool in all senses. Inside red, pale wood and black filled with pottery displayed in backlit boxes along the wall. All creating calm along with high expectations for the food which were entirely met – the aesthetic of the restaurant continued to the food.
The Belvedere palace housing an extensive art museum that included a number of Gustav Klimt . “The Kiss” was a treat – noticing aspects not seen in the myriad of prints and my completed jigsaw puzzle. The male side of the portrait is based on squares and the female – circles. Time to do the jigsaw puzzle again.
The art has been shared Digital at the Belvedere
The palace itself has a lush baroque interior – walls of frescoes, cherubs, gold columns, marble. Views of the gardens opened out from the windows
One work that kept me for some time and I don’t recall seeing his work before – The Evil Mother by Giovanni Segantini. – strangely compelling. The pictures of it don’t show its true beauty and emotion – the pale snow and her body tinged with silver.
Heading to the station I realised hunger needed feeding and stopping in at the strangely named Cafe Goldegg. It seemed I had stumbled upon a bit on an institution. Before a history lesson I had a quick lunch served by a friendly helpful waitress – Goulash seemed in order.
August 31 to September 3rd 2018
This visit came with a built in guide – or so I thought. Chris had lived and worked in Vienna for a time and loved every inch of it. This visit showed time colours vision – and distorts navigation.
As we struggled to find our apartment in a dubious looking street things looked a little bit grim. Once inside the building and up the tired stairway and into our well appointed well decorated well managed apartment things improved.
Over the next few days we visited sites old and new including;
An old favourite the Café Centrale for breakfast and reminiscence. Waiters in traditional black and white dress and equally formal – efficiently serving a huge clientele in a history laden building. What is not to love!
Globe Museum – “unique in the world” and what a treat. Globes of all ages, value, craftsmanship. So many globes including the oldest globe in Austria dating from the 1536. Even if globes were not your thing – the building itself was worthwhile – with Baroque decoration – gold leaf and delicate frescoes.
Esperanto Museum – I have long thought the world would benefit from our individual languages and one worldwide language. A vision of Esperanto quelled by politics and power. The museum lays out the history of Esperanto and other “artificial” languages along with interactive exercises to stretch your own learning and communication. Esperanto was developed in 1887 by a Polish ophthalmologist!
Huntervasser House Another man with a vision for human beings for Friedensreich Hunterwasser this was using aesthetics, harmony and nature
Kunst Haus Cafe – lunch at another favourite haunt from Chris’s days in Vienna and a wonderful eclectic and colourful space to sit and eat
The historic library in the State Hall a lush and heavily Baroque building built in 1700s. Complete with frescoes across the ceilings and extensive decoration in wood, gold, marble. Ancient large globes stand in the centre along with marble statues. Books are housed in beautiful polished wooden bookshelves and glass cabinets.
In amongst all the cerebral activity we walked the town – again reacquainting with the city and past memories. Some successful some more vague. It was fun to round a corner and here recognition enthusiastically proclaimed – “this is near the Naschmarkt” “there are the secession buildings” And find the Naschmarkt we did – in the middle of a downpour of rain than shed sheets of rain over awnings into the middle of the market paths. Antipasto for dinner and a beer to revive.
We began our walking from the city square so visited Cathedral and tour of catacombs, followed by exploration in expanding ambling.
Instead of a free walking tour in this city we decided on a boat trip for a different perspective. Discovering the Vindobona by wonderful accident. Described as Hunterwasser-like in its design it was a fun boat to travel the circumference of Vienna on. Complete with coffee, snacks and commentary.
In our research for a night of music we discovered a concert in KarlsKirche (St Charles Church) an extravagant mix of architectural and decorative styles. It seemed appropriate Mozarts Requiem Recital – in the late evening dimly lit church .
On our final night we visited Chris’s long time friend and her husband for home cooked dinner and a long night of wonderful conversation.