Vienna Day Two
Warning. Long post.
Today’s menu started out with a visit to the Belvedere Museum.
Google history:
“The Belvedere in Vienna is one of the leading museums worldwide. Its famous art collection includes works ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day. Austrian art in an international context is presented in three locations. Highlights include the world’s largest collection of Gustav Klimt paintings as well as prominent works from the periods of Viennese Biedermeier, Austrian Baroque, Vienna around 1900, and French Impressionism. The institution’s central tasks focus on exhibiting, researching, collecting, communicating, and preserving. Ongoing advancements and digitalization in all areas ensures the Belvedere’s significance as an outstanding museum of the future.
In the 18th century, the Austrian general Prince Eugene of Savoy commissioned the renowned Baroque architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt to build a summer residence. After the death of Prince Eugene, Empress Maria Theresa acquired the entire complex and transformed the Upper Belvedere into an exhibition venue for the imperial collections – making it one of the first public museums in the world. The Marble Hall was the venue for important historical events and now offers an unparalleled view of Vienna. The Lower Belvedere, formerly the residence of Prince Eugene, is home to illustrious exhibitions. The modern pavilion of the Belvedere 21, by architect Karl Schwanzer, sets the stage for contemporary art.”
I first learned about this museum from a friend that I made on a plane (Darlene) flying from LAX back to Wilmington last thanksgiving. We flew through Philly. Darlene was also visiting her two California transplanted adult kids. Darlene is from Philly.
We were talking about traveling, and when I told her about this trip, she said I had to go to the Belvedere to see the Klimt collection, mainly the famous painting called THE KISS. The same artist also painted THE LADY IN GOLD. Darlene encouraged us to watch the true story movie called The Woman in Gold, which is about this painting. If you have not watched it, please do because it is fantastic.
We learned a lot about the artist with our audio guide. There was also an exhibition that was about him that showed his unfinished last painting, called The Bride.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Adele_Bloch-Bauer_I
After we spent over two hours at the museum, we decided it was time to try some of this talked about Apple strudel. We found one of the Google recommended places to go called Kaffee Alt Wien and it did not disappoint.
I found this description about the restaurant that was dead on.
“The place is a relic of days gone by in Vienna before Apple and Google took over the world, and it seems to live on within its walls. The lighting is low, the walls are plastered with posters of art exhibitions and concerts, it’s red velvet benches that line its walls embrace its visitors and it’s the kind of place where you could sit, read, converse all day and nobody would even notice. As for the Apfelstrudel, it’s delicious and said to be made by a secret family recipe that is still made by a mysterious unknown Oma. It’s as perfectly sugared and spiced as a good Apfelstrudel should be, and is served warm with a side of whipped cream.”
Then we had to get a pretzel or two. It’s a good thing we are leaving tomorrow!
Of course we stopped into a church, the Cathedral of St Elisabeth. It’s attached to a Catholic School. Another beautiful one. We decided to forego going into the Karlskirche (Church of St. Charles) in Karlsplatz. It has a reflecting pool and is pure beauty. They describe it as the center cathedral of Vienna and the square is a famous Christmas market place.
How can you go to Vienna and not go to the Vienna state Opera House?
Here is a brief history from ChatGPT
The Vienna State Opera House was built between 1861 and 1869 as the first major structure on Vienna’s Ringstrasse, designed in the Neo-Renaissance style by architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll. It opened on May 25, 1869, with Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Initially criticized for its appearance, the building’s reception contributed to the tragic suicides of its architects. Over time, it grew into a prestigious cultural institution, with Gustav Mahler serving as a prominent director from 1897 to 1907. Renamed from the Vienna Court Opera to the Vienna State Opera in 1920, it continued its rise until World War II, when it was badly damaged in a 1945 air raid. Rebuilt and modernized, it reopened in 1955 with Beethoven’s Fidelio, symbolizing Austria’s postwar cultural revival. Today, it remains one of the world’s leading opera houses, hosting hundreds of performances annually and serving as a cornerstone of Viennese musical tradition.”
We saw Carmen.
Here is ChatGPT’s brief history:
Here’s a brief historical summary of Carmen:
Carmen is a French opera in four acts composed by Georges Bizet, with a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella by Prosper Mérimée. It premiered on March 3, 1875 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Initially, the opera shocked audiences with its realistic portrayal of working-class life, lawlessness, and the strong, independent title character—a cigarette factory worker and femme fatale. Critics found its themes immoral, and Bizet tragically died three months later, unaware that Carmen would become one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the world. Known for its vibrant Spanish setting, dramatic story, and memorable music—especially the “Habanera” and “Toreador Song”—Carmen is now celebrated as a masterpiece of 19th-century opera.”
How many people do you think have to evacuate an opera house? Do you think that we are bad luck? After two acts, there was an intermission and the third act started, about two scenes and I smelled something burning and Paige did too. All the sudden, all the Performers in the orchestra put their instruments down and the actress ran off the stage and someone made and announcement that they were evacuating, well we think that’s what they said. We decided to leave the Opera House and go outside, however, a lot of people kind of just mosied down to the second floor and took pictures and went out to a terrace on the second floor, which was outside. We were in the peanut section again and we were afraid to go back in because we asked the usher what happened and he did not know. We did not want to chance it.
We were told by the woman next to us that the new Carmen, that is rewritten, does not get great reviews and they change the ending. Now we will never know lol.
We stopped and got a Caesar salad with grilled turkey which was delicious and then called it a night.
We are heading to Prague tomorrow on a 910 train.
