We Get a Little Ver-Klimt

     It's hard to keep up with blogging when we are moving so fast.

     The first day in Vienna was rainy and my camera battery died, so not many pics or activities. We did go to where Karen

     (remember Karen?)

     Told us to go for the best apple strudel: Fraunhuber.

     She was right. I had had apple strudel at all the favorites (Sacher, Demel, Central, Hawelka) back in 1995, and this was the best yet.

    

     See how happy we are! We walked up the pedestrian-only Graben

    

     Past Stephansdom

    

     and then went home to prepare for the next day.

     The next day, we started by going to Voll Pension ("full board" at a B&B), a place I had found online that hires older people to work at a café and do the cooking serving, etc. In addition, they are committed to creating a cross-generational atmosphere, noting that all ages do better when they mingle. This is in keeping with Mary's beliefs and work with older people.

     We waited a while to be seated, and I worried we would wait a while at the table, too. I was anxious to get to the museum we planned to visit that day. The restaurant was busy so we were seated at a table with two other women (common in Europe; not so much in the U.S.). We placed our order, and did indeed spend a long time waiting for the food. Eventually the man came out and apologized, saying that "the engine is broken." He said something else, and one of the women helped us understand that he wanted to give us some "egg liqueur" to make up for the wait. The ice was broken, and we spent a good long time talking with our table mates Evelyn and Martina.

     I got a candid shot of Evelyn in this pic trying to capture the décor inside and ornate window frame across the street.

     They were teacher teachers (they taught future teachers). Evelyn specialized in art, and they were on their way to see some museums that day. They were kindred souls in other ways, too. We discussed the benefits of European life (such as being offered what turned out to be alcoholic egg nog for breakfast). And the struggles of average people to live in a world run by the wealthy. By the end of the two hours, we felt we had made a connection. We then went to see the Leopold Museum.

     Klimt,

      Schiele,

      and other Vienna artists are some of our favorites.

     And the Leopold has one of the best collections, including a lot of painting by Schoenberg, best known as a composer introducing atonal music. We spent hours there soaking in the art and had to abandon our plans to go to another museum that day to prevent Stendahlismo.

     The next day, the first item on the agenda was Rothko at the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

   

     We were very lucky to be in town for this. He's one of our favorite artists, and his works have to be seen in person to sense all of the under-layers' colors. Again, we spent a long time there and limited our day to one museum.