2024 Oct 2 Wednesday

Vienna

Rain! We woke up to showers but then they cleared until a downpour about 1:30 that continued until about 7 pm. We were able to have clear weather to walk to the Belvedere Castle along the Ringstrasse and through the Stadpark. We planned a museum day at Belvedere Castle to stay out of the rain, but there was nothing to do but tough it out for the opera evening.

10:20 am – 11:41 pm. 6.45 miles, 15,651 steps; elevation gain +419 feet.

Richard’s Relive video is here: https://www.relive.cc/view/vxOQLd1DPMv

Otto Wagner designed this Post Office Savings Bank in 1904-1906. It marks his moving away from Art Nouveau plant motifs to more austere and geometrical architecture. Plain white marble slabs are anchored to the walls with aluminum rivets and it is one of the first buildings in Vienna to use reinforced concrete and aluminum details. Today the building is home to the University of Applied Arts.
Sebastian Kneipp (1822-1897) was a German Catholic priest and one of the forefathers of the naturopathic movement. He was a proponent of a system of healing based on five tenets: hydrotherapy, phototherapy (botanical medicines), exercise, nutrition, balance. This was a unique statue in the Stadpark, possibly showing his emphasis on hydrotherapy.
We just arrived in the Belvedere gardens. Richard is standing outside the lower Belvedere Castle.
Heading up to the upper Belvedere Castle through the gardens.
Looking back towards lower Belvedere Castle. The fountains were practical as well as decorative. There was an elaborate plumbing system to collect and move the water.
Belvedere Palace was built (1712-1723) as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, a patron of the arts as well as a great field marshal. The 1955 State Treaty that re-established Austria’s independence was signed here. Today it is a picture gallery with a large collection of Gustav Klimt works.
An elaborate staircase in Upper Belvedere Castle where we visited.
This monumental portrait of Napoleon by Jacques Louis David is one of four versions of this work. It was a propaganda image to celebrate heroism and courage of soldiers. An emphasis on camaraderie of young men was intended to bolster fighting spirit.
Sonnenblum (sunflower) by Gustav Klimt. I like this painting better than the famous “The Kiss.” It has the same basic shape but the subtle colors do not seem so garish to me.
The grand hall in Belvedere Castle where the 1955 treaty was signed.
Off to the opera!
The Staatsoper building was constructed along the Ringstrasse as a Court Opera during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1869 in Renaissance style. The new Ringstrasse was designed to separate the city center from the suburbs, and utilized the area of the former city walls.
Although the Staatsoper suffered bombing damage in WWII, some of the areas that were not damaged have been saved in their pre-war state.
This is the view from our seats: balcony half-center right, row 3, seats 7-8.
Richard reminisced about standing along the top edge with my mother to see the “Nutcracker Suite” in 1974. I had the flu and had to miss it.
Another view with box seats on the first three levels, then our balcony level and another balcony above us. Standing room tickets are around the very top and some also in the balcony sides.
The orchestra pit.
Every two seats in our area had a monitor on which you could select a language for subtitles.
This one is for you, Wanda! I brought one dress on vacation. But check out the shoes and socks! Richard looks presentable but also has on hiking boots. There are two long intermission salons on either side of the stage area. This photo is taken in one of the salons.
There are several rooms set up to sell food and drinks. One can even order ahead and reserve tables online.
The outside balcony also had some reserved tables. It was also fairly warm inside the theatre, so the outside air felt good.
Photographs were of course prohibited during the performance, but one during the bows would certainly be permitted.
One last trip out and it was out to find a taxi back to the apartment.

8 Responses

  1. Great that you were able to see a performance at the Staatsoper. We did a tour of the opera house but unfortunately weren’t able to see a show there. You both looked very nicely dressed. Nice to finally use them after packing them along on this long journey. Jan, want to hear more about your parents life in Europe. Haven’t heard the details of this story before. Wendy and I have always enjoyed seeing places we visited previously in Europe when traveling with my parents so understand why this part of your trip has some special meaning for you.
    Dan

    1. We loved the Staatsoper opera but out of three nights in Vienna, we had only one chance, so I understand missing out. I believe we went to the Volksoper in Vienna (tickets were a bit cheaper) and I have firm memories of the holidays watching Strauss music on TV. We could look out the window from my parents’ apartment and see into a neighbors rooms and they were dancing, presumably to the same music we were watching.
      We’ll have stories to swap soon! I know you have done things with family as we all enjoy doing, and understand the value of those memories for us. As I said to Julia, the best we can hope is that our families remember fondly years later.

  2. How fun! The opera looked like a great time. What a sweet memory shared about grandma. I personally love your footwear choice! You both look great AND comfortable. 🙂

    1. We just didn’t want to spare any time looking for appropriate footwear, so the boots were the best we have. Too many other things to see and do! I’m not sure which story about Grandma struck you—the Dorotheum or the Staatsoper with Daddy. In either case, we do appreciate all they did for us. When we went to dinner in Budapest, we talked about Grandpa’s “splurging” to take us to a nice place when we were young and didn’t fully appreciate the sacrifice they made. It makes us take note to make sure we share with our families, hoping of course that you will also remember 50 years later. And you know very well how many pieces we have (and appreciate) from the Dorotheum and Grandma’s bidding.

      1. The story of Dad and Grandma going when you had the flu.

        We have lots of memories and many more to make. 50 years from now when I am 90, I will be life reviewing all the beautiful things this life has blessed me with and anticipating, with joy, our reunification. 😉

        I’ll harken back to this very comment (if I remember) 🪷🥰😀