Vienna as everyone knows is classical music (and chocolate
cake!) heaven. Two of my favorite things. After long research days in the
library, I “treated” myself to a 3 euro standing ticket to see Tosca in the
Vienna Opera House and a concert of assorted Mozart pieces at the Philharmonic.
Both were exceptional concerts in exquisite buildings. At Tosca, the stage set
changed after every act, and the entire audience let out a synchronized gasp at
the incredible stage for the final act.
The beautiful interior of the opera house:
The beautiful interior of the opera house:
And the Philharmonic:
I was fortunate enough to spend Catholic Eastertime in
Vienna. Every shop and department store window had incorporated Easter eggs or chickens into their
display which made walking around Vienna in its blistery weather much more
enjoyable. When the rain subsided I headed off to Schloss Schönbrunn for its giant Easter market
stock full of homemade Austrian souvenirs, Easter eggs, and delicious Austrian
street food.
Per my friend Kristen’s suggestion, I got a sumptuous crumbled waffle with plum filling called Zwetschgenkompott. Forgive how unfocused the photo is; I was too excited about eating it.
Per my friend Kristen’s suggestion, I got a sumptuous crumbled waffle with plum filling called Zwetschgenkompott. Forgive how unfocused the photo is; I was too excited about eating it.
On Catholic Easter, I walked out to the Lichtental Church where Schubert was
baptized in 1797 and later wrote many pieces for use in the church. The
church’s Easter mass included Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Schubert’s Regina Coeli, and
finally Handel’s “Hallelujah” chorus beautifully performed by professional
musicians and the church choir. Note: this was my first Catholic mass that
wasn’t a wedding. They also had pew seat warmers. I was thoroughly impressed.
On my way out of Vienna, I stopped at the State Hall of the
Austrian National Library for a glimpse of the beautiful library built in 1726.
The library was commissioned by Emperor Charles VI and therefore it is only
fitting that the beautiful frescos on the ceiling, right above the marble
statue of him, are meant to illustrate his deification as emperor.
My next stop in Austria was Mozart’s Birthplace- Salzburg
where I unfortunately came down with a nasty cold and wasn’t able to do much
for the first few days except sit in my hostel and feel sorry for myself.
Thankfully, on my last day I was feeling a bit better and went on a Sound of
Music tour through Salzburg and the Bavarian Lake region. I opted for a smaller
van tour than a huge bus one and spent the day with our Austrian guide and
three Filipino sisters. As we drove through the mountains, our guide told us
stories of the real Von Trapp family as well as anecdotes from the shooting of
the film, all while playing the SOM soundtrack in the background. Here are a
few sites from our SOM pilgrimage:
The gazebo wasn't actually used for the famous Ralph and Liezl scene (that was done in a studio) because it was too small but was still used on set in many scenes.
The church used for the filming of the wedding scene.
The gnome from the film in the gardens that also had the "Do-Re-Mi" steps.
After driving through the Bavarian Lake district with the Sound of Music soundtrack playing in the background, we stopped in Hallstatt, a beautiful town nestled into the mountainside, for lunch.
I ended the day by finally trying apple strudel on my last
day in Austria. I can say without reservation it is really all it’s cracked up
to be.
