things of royalty

I think I forgot to mention that we're staying in an apartment in Vienna (with free internet - thus, more frequent blogging/significantly more communication). I like being able to travel this way - being able to stay somewhere locals live is a great way to get a stronger sense of the city (not to mention that tiptoeing around as an imposing tourist wears on one's soul after a couple weeks). Our apartment is a delightful little unit, with wonderfully comfortable beds, in comparison to the reminiscent-of-floor beds in Greece. And CNN/BBC! How strange it feels to be touring the world, yet feel disconnected from the happenings of the world. But, I've now learned that a video of Alan Johnston was released, the guy who exposed two international flights full of people to TB didn't realize he was contagious, that Saudi Arabia is planning a new city called King Abdula City - to be 3x the size of Manhattan, and that the first sex therapist in Egypt is experiencing raging success all throughout the Arab world. The thing we were missing out on...

In travel news, today was the day we finally hit the wall. I've done really well this trip, energy wise (which I think has to do with the lack of museums) but today we both crashed. Walking around felt like dragging lead posts behind us and we got lost - without being able to recover our location with the aid of a map - approximately 120 times. Our feet hurt, and our packing efficiency hasn't led to enough alternative footwear options. Anyways, I think it was a one day we've-been-on-the-road-for-a-while-now realization, and I think we'll snap back tomorrow. Despite the zapped energy, our zeal for travel and experience remained in tact and we did see some very cool things. Namely...

The Schonbrunn (sp?) Palace. This is the summer place of the Hapsburgs - the Viennese royal family, which dissolved its royal reign around WWI (I believe). Vienna boasts two palaces - the other, the Hofsburg, is in the center of the city. Schonbrunn is just a quick 15-minute, 4-mile trip, via the underground. Now, I realize summer places now and then, and royal vs. non-royal, are a bit different, but who summers four miles from their permanant residence?! Anyways.

The palace is huge. And ornate. It feels like one of those places that should just strike me with awe, being so lucky as to enter, but being so far from my reality, in some ways it just feels like going through a museum. It's near impossible to imagine people actually living there, or even a country that would operate under a government of a royal emporer. Nevertheless, the place is quite fascinating, albeit a never-ending source of total mystification (not spiritual mystification - a place that mystifies, rather).

The gardens are also quite lovely. We went in the Palm House, which Mom described to me as being similar to an Orangary, an establishment she later admitted she'd never entered. There was an enormous assortment of beautiful tropical flowers I'd never seen. Easily our favorite part of the gardens, however, were the Roman ruins. Now, after being IN Rome, we've seen our fair share of Roman ruins. However, what made these Roman ruins so fabulous was that they were created in the late 1800s. You know, as opposed to the Roman ruins in Rome, which were established well before the days of Christ... they were ruined quite artistically - just the right heads missing and chunks of columns placed just perfectly precariously so.

Dinner was Weiner Schnitzel - a German/Austrian/Swiss favorite of mine. Last night, I had a similar dish, stuffed with cheese and ham (it was breaded turkey cutlet last night, pork tonight). Delicious food, that schnitzel is. We killed a little time over dessert at a local pastery joint. I finally sipped a cup of Viennese coffee - no Stumptown, but thankfully no NesCafe.

After dessert we hit an organ concert at St. Michaels' - a big traditional (and ancient) cathedral just outside the Hofsburg Palace. It was also lovely. Just thirty minutes of organ, filling this otherwise hollow church. After the concert, the organist invited the audience up to see the organ, which was certainly a treat. He told us about the music and the manufacturing of an organ. We were surprised to find out that organs differ culturally, just like wine, music and language. Organs in Austria and Southern Germany are divided in the center. In this cathedral, the division allows the sunlight to stream in and shine on the alter.


The organ concert reaffirmed suspicions that Austrians do love their classical music. It's strange, being from a family who's instilled in me an appreciation for fine classical music, in a place where such is not the norm, being displaced into a culture where it IS the norm. It seemed bizarre that a couple my age was sitting next to us in the concert, apparently there on their own accord. Again, reiterating the Austrian appreciation for the finer cultural constructions of our world.

That's what I've got for tonight... as mentioned, exhaustion has set in. Time to put our tired bodies to sleep in our lovely beds (complete with especially soft duvets and pillows). So long, friends. Check back in tomorrow night for last words on Vienna (including the opera!).