July 6, 1999
Day 1 - Plane riding, arrival in Vienna, Central Cemetary, Center City Vienna
The plane ride was long and hard but as always, the destination is welcome. It's hot here in Vienna, about 85 degrees, but it's better than 115 back home. It took us a while to get the coaches loaded and ourselves out of the airport but we finally did. Our first stop was Vienna Central Cemetery, home of Johann Strauss' family, Ludwig von Beethoven, Mozart's memorial, and Franz Schubert. After the cemetery we were dropped off in Center City Vienna. We ate dinner at the Cafe Rosenberg and enjoyed real food. Then we all explored the main streets and shops in town. Now we're back at the hotel getting some needed rest.
July 7
Tour of the City, Schonbrunn Palace, Dinner at Gosser-brau and Gardens, Concert at Reformierte Stadkirche
After an especially delightful run with Ann Springer to start the day, I had a "continental" breakfast consisting of rolls and orange juice. They were good. We kicked off the day with a city tour and I saw some great places I'd like to explore. Museums and a place called Hero's Square. We had lunch and went on a mission to find this famed ice-cream place ("Gelatinerie" here) called Zannoni and Zannoni. The stories were true. It was so creamy and good. MMmmm... then we headed back to the hotel. I started musing over how almost everything in Vienna revolves around music. Everyone loves it. It's a huge part of culture. Beepers all play classical music. Also, coffeehouses are a city-wide staple. We then left and are dinner at Gasser-brau where things were good. I just couldn't eat. The waitstaff was odd, a hispanic man was very blunt when guessing people's country of origin. Also he accosted Becca and Sam Dixon. It made for a fun evening, especially my dinner companions. All mothers save Kelly Forte and Becca. What a night. We went to our concert and sang quite well. Now, time to sleep.
July 8
The day started off dreary. Ann and I found a beautiful lake trail and ran around it even though it was raining. However, we got to the end of the trail and found ourselves nowhere near the hotel. After a couple of failed attempts at finding our own way, and many backtrackings, we asked people on the street and finally got back after almost an hour and a half of running. We were soaked and tired but had many memories.
"Guten morgen, hotel bosei??"
"this looks right, I remember the church"
"I think we're still in Vienna"
"Gutel, gutel"
I grabbed breakfast and hurried to get ready for the day ahead. We kicked off the rainy, cool day at Ludwig van Beethoven's apartment. Nothing special about it but it was cool to see his manuscripts and learn he did one opera. Then, a trek through some beautiful gardens and Hoffberg Palace Courtyards. Lots of majestic statues and gold detail. We saw the Spanish Riding School and the Lipizzaner stables but not the real horses. They're on "wacation" as Gabby, our guide, says. Then we visited St. Stephan's the landmark of Vienna. Yet another beautiful dark gothic church. Hoffburg had a small gothic chapel in it where all the Hapsburgs are married, fully restored. I was reminded of all the cathedrals I saw in London when I went last spring. Mozart's home was just like Beethoven's, nothing special because no trace of the artist was left. You couldn't feel the presence you could at Schonbrunn because there were no furnishings.
Since it was raining, we drove to a huge shopping center and ate and shopped for about 2 hours. I didn't get anything but I have decided that I'm buying chocolate for everyone. Yeah. We met up with the other choir at this ripoff restaurant and they were very nice. They were too tired though and they couldn't do much in the way of lively conversation because they had not slept in 28 hours. Been there. Now we're gearing up for a dance party in the hotel and hopefully it'll be fun. We were supposed to go to Danube Island to hang out and do the rides and such. But the rain killed our plans. We are planning on having a talent show at some point. Becca and I will be performing backstreet boys with Lauren and whoever else she can rope in. It should be fun. Tomorrow we head to Salzburg. Bye bye Vienna! I hope it stops raining. It would probably have been a more enriching experience if the opera house had been open and we had heard some concerts and gone to museums and the Danube Island. We didn't have enough time for all of it of course, but a little would have been nice and the city would have been more real. I didn't experience enough culturel to really enjoy it. The rain didn't help either.
July 9 - Day 4
Morning run was short but good. Anne and I said goodbye to Vienna. Then got on the bus. After we fixed the door problems, we were on our way to Melk Abbey/Stift Melk. It was beautiful. The church itself was gilded everywhere in complete baroque style. The library and abbey had a rich history behind it. Some side alters in the church had skeletons that gave me the chills. The frescoed ceiling perspective illusions amazed everyone. After that visit it was back on the bus. We ate, then drove straight to Salzburg. Before Melk we pass a 1000 year old fortress where Richard the Lionheart was held captive for disrespective the King of Austria. Duringratz/Straum or something. That was a sight. [Note: It's actually called Dürnstein Castle, in a tiny village on the Danube in Wachau Valley]
Upon arrival in Salzburg we met Lauren's Dad and had a nice chat. Then a good dinner and berry soup for dessert. Pretty good but too syrupy to eat too much. Then off to the Marionette Theater to see "The Magic Flute". It was funny but most all of it save three words were lost on me due to my lack of German knowledge. Looking forward to sightseeing and running in a new town tomorrow. Hope we don't get lost!
July 10 - Day 5
Vienna and Salzburg are very different cities indeed. Salzburg prised itself in actual history and age whereas Vienna prides its musical heritage and capital city status. Salzburg is small and not quiet. Everyone walks everywhere and the shops are very cute, not low rent. The Mirabell gardens (Sound of Music fame) were lovely but small and not entirely impressive. Walking around and up to the fortress by cable car was fun. E Jay and I scoped out all the cool medieval arrow towers, turrets and rooms along with some "toys" in other rooms. After that we had free time downtown during a festival and it was alive! Drum corps beating barefoot down a street. Lauren, Mr. Feliz, Emily Saunders and I all are at Thomaselli's café where Mozart ate and drank as well. We had some good pastry and fabulous coffee. We shopped around. Cultural Note: I was standing outside a shop trying to get Lauren to buy Lederhosen and these kids started mimicking me badly, making fun of my Americanism. That was my first culture shock of the trip. Then we left, changed for our concert and headed out.
We stopped at the Cathedral where the wedding in The Sound of Music was filmed. Not impressed, but it was pretty. I had more fun listening to Sugar Hill Gang on the way over. We got to our destination and watched the Alps loom in foggy majesty over a clear river. The rain had stopped and the sun was out just for our concert. We ate at Baumgaertner. [How did I now write more about the fact that this is my mother's maiden name? Oh well.] Yum. We sang pretty well for all the distractions. I was impressed. Not by any means our best concert, however. It was a fun night in a beautiful place. Observations about life over here:
- People dress very well
- Coffee is key
- cars are small
- Americans are obvious
- Baroque is the style
- Buildings are all the same
- streets are narrow
- bread is a staple (not sandwich bread), another key to life
- ice cream is treasured
- chocolate is ubiquitous
- American language is politely accepted but not respected
July 11 - Day 6
Had a great run through Salzburg today. No rain and warmer too. Breakfast included croissants which was nice for a change. We all got to Salzburg Dom and my feet were killing me. My chorus shoes are much too small. We sang beautifully, lots of people stayed after the service to listen. Going to a Catholic church service in all German was something I'll remember. It was fun though. I remember taking communion and attending Palm Sunday service at Westminster Abbey. That was fabulous. This was a little harder because of the language.
Bus ride to Innsbruck was uneventful. I fell asleep. It started to rain and that really bummed me out. We got to Innsbruck and found our concert was cancelled. We went on an hour long walking tour and saw Hofkirche, famed home of Maximillian I, with all it's bromze statues and ornate gold and silver altar. Vienna Salzburg and Innsbruck all pride themselves in having old claims in history. Innsbruck is the site of 2 Olympic games, and an old bridge. Lots of Hapsburg stuff. The rain was not pleasant. Dinner was meatloaf and mashed potatoes with nutmeg. Strange combination. I called my family. Wow do I miss them. After dinner we went to a show called "Tiroler Alpenbühne". It was a blast: Yodeling, saw-singing, dancing, yelling, accordions, a fat drummer who guzzled beer (my fave), a man who pretty much was talented in everything--guitar, xylophone, sousaphone, yodeling, languages, dancing, rhythm. He had it all. It was a fun night. To think the rain actually benefitted us for once. We would have missed it had it been nice.
July 12 - Day 7
Nice run this morning through the tiny cobblestone streets of Innsbruck, little parks alongside a rushing river, and next to the busy streets. Then we packed up and went shopping at about 8am. Emily Saunders and I went to a grocery store accross the river. I bought tons of chocolate and gummy bears. I stopped at the Svarovski crystal shop and bought the crystal ornament for my mom. I found a good gift for Matt. I got him this CD that looks like hard rock yodelling. It's really too bad I never made it to that Porsche dealer. But who knows what Switzerland and Paris hold? We'll be eating lunch in Lichtenstein around 1pm. The countryside is absolutely stunning. The green and snowspotted could topped Alps are rising straight up on either side. Everything is so green and non-developed. These unbelievable winding mountain roads right off a postcard. Speaking of postcards, I picked up a few today. I figure I'll just write them now and send them when I get to the states to relatives.
Our concert in Jesuitenkirche was not as good as Salzburger Dom but it went over well with the crowd. It was sunny and warm when we arrived in Lucerne but by the time we left the church it was raining again. It has stopped since and we are all once again praying our days might be rainless for once. I am really looking forward to tomorrow in Lucerne. We have a whole free day for like 7 hours. I am hopeful that the weather will hold and I'll find some cool stuff to buy. I need to take more pictures. I don't think I took any in Innsbruck except the saw player and I still need Alps pictures. Gotta come home with a couple of those. Our hotel is extremely Americanized but with obvious foreign bases of course. It's amusing. People are starting to get strung out and tired. Emotions are going haywire but that's to be expected. 2 weeks with the same people is never fun. Especially in such constant saturation of tour after tour, long days/crazy buses/walks/people. You can only take so much. People are still managing fun though. Seems as if Rob Webb and Katie Guccione are hooking up. I don't know what it is about these long trips. Last year it was London and Forest. Now it's Austria/Switzerland/Paris and Robb. Love is in the air. We're not even in Paris yet.
July 13 - Day 8
What a great day! By far the best of the whole trip. The run was long and lovely, over the blue green waters of Switzerland's lakes. We went into Lucerne and had a nice tour of the city. Saw marketplaces, lots of fun things and landmarks. The lovely covered bridge has 112 paintings in it and 80% of it was destroyed in a fire. Some of the paintings are original and valuable. The city itself is well over 800 years old. It has old towers and cobblestone walkways. Swans litter the river running through it. It's a busy, small town. Today was the first day it didn't rain. The sun came out and warmed everything up nicely. Directly after the guided tour we headed off to the tourist bureau, and then to Mt. Pilatus, highest mountain in the area with a 7000 ft elevation. We (Becca, Katie, Rob and I) all climbed all over it out of breath from lack of oxygen. I was in the lead and absolutely couldn't get enough of the view. We went to 2 different peaks, took bunches of pictures and I yelled at the top of my lungs. It felt SO good! I can't wait for the pictures. Shopping later, I got two shirts for 9 bucks, had some ice cream and a good salad. Shopping around was fabulous. I was still in such a good mood after the climb. The cable ride was so fun. Just what I wanted to do. I was in the Alps, I wanted to experience one. Climb one, be on top of one. I was. It made my trip. It was the turning point. Before I really wanted home, now I'll be sad when I leave. Paris/Bastille day tomorrow. Oh wow! I can't wait. That bus ride will be rough though. It will all be worth it. Swimming in the hotel pool topped off the day. Definitely the best one yet.
July 14 - Day 9
Bus ride was long. So was the run though. I miss Switzerland. The drive was pretty through sunny rolling sunflower/wildflower filled countryside. I am sore from bouncing all over that mountain all day yesterday. I can't believe it was only yesterday. Pilatus forever! We saw a little of Paris. It's beautiful in that glamorous, fashionable way. But parts of it are dirty, crowded, and not how the videos show them. A little disappointing. I hope the sun stays out. tomorrow we do the inevitable tour and then a couple hours of crucial shopping time. I have to get the girls all a matching gift and some other things between tomorrow's shopping, Friday and Saturday. Paris will be fun, but I can't be so excited about it. I would go crazy. Probably the best thing about it will be finally getting a chance to use my french a little. I hope we get to see Versailles. It's not on the itinerary but it's definitely a must-see.
Our hotel is small and not the one originally planned. I am disappointed about that as well. Maybe breakfast will make up for it. Dinner wasn't good at all. At least I didn't like it. Oh well. Maybe it was just the long trip. Tomorrow will set the tune. All day, in Paris, then at night, the Seine River cruise. Oh wow. I'll be back in it.
July 15 - Day 10
The bus tour was expected. Nothing special. The run was boring save getting whistled and beeped at a lot, and probably the funniest incident I've ever had while running: some guy was washing his car, Anne was ahead of me and he started making noises like Squints and Yeah-Yeah from the Sandlot. Then he squirted us and we laughed and kept running. It was hilarious. I got some nice pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower and some architectural ones of the Palais de Luxembourg, Pantheon, and some others. What fun. Then Rob, Emily, Lauren and I all tried to go shopping. I came back empty-handed except for finishing off gift-shopping. The Seine river cruise was too touristy to enjoy and it wasn't dark enough. Too many people. Looks like I probably won't make it to Versailles. That's okay. I'd like to have a reason to come back. Cafés are everywhere. I can't even describe how many there are. I had a chicken club for lunch today and put that hot parisian Dijon mustard on it. Boy, was that good [decades later, I still remember that sandwich perfectly. And I remember that the waiter who served it to us. He HATED having to serve American high schoolers. Openly hated it. Very memorable lunch. I will never forget the look of disdain on his face and the way he spoke to us.] Ice cream later, of course it was heavenly. I'm enjoying Paris but it's not as charming as the other cities such as Salzburg, Innsbruck and Lucerne. Vienna and Paris are just too commercialized. But it's still a joy to finally use the language I've been learning. That's my favorite part of being in France. We'll see how our concert tomorrow at Chateau de Neuf goes. I stopped in Notre Dame today and was really in awe that we would be singing there. I'm praying for it big time.
July 16 - Day 11
Run was longer and less crowded. I can't say I like doing it in Paris. If I could run around the actual city I'd like it better. We headed off to the Musée d'Orsay. That was absolutely fabulous. I've developed such appreciation for good art. I used to go to museums all the time when I was younger, but they were totally over my head. Now when I see Degas' famous dancer sculpture, Renoir's dancing peopole, Van Gogh's room and self-portrait, Monet's cathedrals, Cézanne's stark depictions of poverty; everything I saw I had just the deepest respect for. It was so beautiful. We went to the Champs Elysees and shopped. It was a blast. I got a shirt at Zara. Now I'm overlooking Paris from the steps of Montmartre. It's beautiful.
The weather is beautiful and everything should be fine, but I'm homesick and tired. This go-go lifestyle is taking it's toll on me. That and mal-nutrition. Oh well. Tomorrow's the last day "à Paris" and of the tour. We finish at notre Dame however. Some Vietnamese immigrant was selling cold drinks outside the chapel. He gave one to her and when she went to pay him he ran away and had to hide from the police. That was an episode. Montmartre is situated atop the red light district of Paris, all the sex shops and the Moulin Rouge. We're in bumper-to-bumper traffic on our way to Chateauneuf. Not fun.
Well we finally got there and had a great, fun concert. They loved us and gave us a great reception. Dinner was fabulous. We had this trifle for dessert with chocolate rum filling. Yum. The day, besides the drive, was good.
July 17 - Day 12
The Louvre was wonderful. So was the last run in Europe. But our walk through the Tuileries Garden up to the Louvre was beautiful, sunny, and hot. The museum itself is chock-full of history. It was a fortress, a castle for many kings and queens: Henry II, Charles V, and Louis XIV notably. I learned and did some review on greek and roman art and architecture. More recent --more movement. I saw the Venus de Milo and, of course, the Mona Lisa. That painting is truly amazing. It actually does change expressions from right to left, from happy to worried, respectively. Our guide said Leonardo da Vinci took three years to paint it, an incredible amount of time for such a small portrait. Frederic said it is rumored to reflect both Leonardo as a woman (he was homosexual) and maybe the beauty of all women everywhere in one. Among those two works I saw Delacroix, Titian, Ingres, and lots of David including the Coronation of Napoleon. Frederic told us about the mistakes in it. (Napoleon's nose, pink dress, title, pope). I learned so much but I felt I missed a lot too. One more excuse to come back.
After the Louvre, we walked down the Seine to Sainte Chapelle built by that most pious of monarchs, Louis II. A home for relics. Almost floor to ceiling windows and all painted gold and red vaults with the beautiful stories and wooden sculptures of the apostles supporting the vaults. Un bijoux, c'est vrai. Then I went to eat at a close greek restaurant where they served wine as a starter. I had a greek salad, chicken kebabs, and fruit for dessert. Boy was it good. Some guy smashed a plate and yelled "opa! to get us to go to his restaurant. I found he cool little corner of Paris, the part of the Latin Quarter that's really nice. Lots of ethnic foods. Some woman hut us up for money but I honestly didn't have any. Then we went to our meeting place, watched people get portraits, bought postcards, then went into Notre Dame to sing. We rehearsed, changed and then gave the concert. We were fabulous. A really nice American priest came up afterwards and thanked us.
After that we were supposed to eat but Wolfgang dropped us off in the wrong place so that delayed us an hour. Then we got to our place and dinner was not very good and service was crap. But it was funny. Ivana and Anita sang to us. What a way to end the trip. I swear Katie Guccione never stopped complaining. Phil finally just said "Just eat the damn pork!". Oh man, that was classic. The chocolate mousse was good. Mr. Ehrlich definitely was affected by our concert. He was crying and he couldn't even talk to us. How sweet. I'm glad to know it paid off, all that frickin' practice I mean. That drove me crazy, but it was all worth it. Singing at Notre Dame Saturday night mass was an experience I will not soon forget. I was looking at the organ and the rose window the whole time. I must say it was a marathon mass, however. Still, the lighting, the dissonant and at times very frightening organ music, the place, the windows, the reverence, our singing, wow. It was a great way to end the trip.
All in all, I feel I've come away from this knowing a lot more in general. I'm becoming a better traveler, just lots of new things I've experienced. It certainly was a mixture of work and play as opposed to London (all play), but there was a lot of fun and bonding involved. Our hotel here is crappy, I'm sick of bread but I can't think of a better way to have spent the last two weeks of my summer. I met some new people, got to know others better, made some enemies, and had a lot of fun. But I miss home, I want my family, my bed, real food, Matt, and rest. Tomorrow I'm home. What a trip.
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