Uber Vienna

Ah, Vienna!  I haven’t posted in a while because I’ve been too darn busy.  And possibly because I have Lindsey here to share it all with!  Thus far we have viewed the collections at the Albertina and Belvedere Museums, seen the complete Handel’s Messiah, seen Verdi’s Otello at the State Opera House, watched the morning exercises of the Lipizanner Stallions of the Spanish Riding School, eaten Weiner schnitzel and cake at Demel, and climbed the south tower of St. Stephan’s Cathedral (to burn off the cake).  All told, we are excellent tourists!!

And schnitzel must be eaten with potato salad and beer.

Oh, did I mention we had prosecco with our cake?

Lindsey and the St. Stephan Cathedral Tower.

Vienna is really magical at Christmastime.  There are lights everywhere.  Markets in all the squares are selling hot spiced wine, hot cider, and a mysterious object called a “puffer”.  It seems to be some kind of potato pancake.  Get it with sour cream – delicious.

We have been to two musical performances are and are scheduled for four more before we make it out of this town.  Handel, Verdi, Mozart, Strauss, Schubert, Haydn….  It’s amazing.  That said, while the music of Otello was gorgeous, the sets, lighting, and costumes were perhaps the ugliest I’ve ever seen.  Lindsey’s awesome comment, “is this Otello: the cage match?”  Metal mesh curtains, chain link fencing sliding panels, and running video of moving clouds playing across the back.  And the costumes were basically bathrobes and babushka headscarves.  Ugh!