Vienna Interlude, Day 9: Kunstkammer

Mittwoch, 10 April

We visited Vienna's Kunstkammer (art treasury) heute (today):

That's one fancy salt and pepper shaker.

Then I got ready for the big trip to Barcelona.

Vienna Interlude, Day 8: Banana-buscuit and Choco bunny

Dienstag, 9 April

Didn't do much besides catch up on homework, make  this itty-bitty banana-Hungarian biscuit sandwich, buy some groceries on sale, and go to an Irish session:

Watch out, that choco bunny's eying the carrots!

Vienna Interlude, Day 7: Zotter and Brussels Sprouts

Montag, 8 April

Took it easy today, listening to some soothing Tallest Man on Earth, when my co-worker Eva surprised me with this:

That's pumpkin seed oil-wine Zotter chocolate. Delectable.

Then, this for dinner. 100% day made deliciously:

Vienna Interlude, Day 6: Ride all the U-Bahn lines

Sonntag, 7 April

This awesome day all started with an awesome omelet:

 Time for some French dancing, and a delicious French apple tart:

Vienna's beautiful incinerator

Beethoven's house

Hey, Fidelio, and Symphony No. 7

Beethoven's death mask.

View from Beet's window

Otto Wagner Museum. In an Otto Wagner building. Perfect.

More dancing!

Rode almost all the U-Bahn lines today. Phew!

Vienna Interlude, Day 5: Fidelio

Samstag, 6 April

Fidelio, Beethoven's only opera:

It was pretty hopping. Way out the door for standing room.

The prisoners see the light of day

Vienna Interlude, Day 4: Stuffed peppers

Freitag, 5 April

Today, I took it easy and just made risotto stuffed peppers (gettin' rid of those leftovas!):

Vienna Interlude, Day 3: Early Music Concert, Potluck, and Irish Jam

Donnerstag, 4 April

Heard a truly wonderful early music concert at IES. They had me jammin' along! The acoustics were perfect for that era of music:

Look at that viol da gamba on the left! These guys were lots o' fun.

 Then, I got ready for the potluck:

First potato latkas. They came out a bit green because I forgot to wring them :(

Yummily!

So many mouth watering desserts. Especially those oreo-encrusted brownies front and center.

Then I jammed on fiddle, wearin' my new Hungarian dress. Wohoo!:

Vienna Interlude, Day 2: Joshua Bell

Mittwoch, 3 April

Today I saw Joshua Bell live (standing room) at the Musikverein. He played the Bruck Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, which is apparently his trademark:

There he is!

Also met some pretty fun people, including a short cranky Austrian lady who was very particular about her standing room spot, a girl my age teaching English in Germany, and a Canadian lady who knows so much about who's who in music "because she's old."

Vienna Interlude, Day 1: Wozzeck

Dienstag, 2 April


Back home! Time for a Kaeserkrainer and Berg's Wozzeck!

My first Kaeserkrainer! It's a cheese filled sausage in a bun. Mmmmmmm.

Wozzeck: total chaos in the best possible way.

Renting the opera goggles was totally worth it!

Budapest bis Willkommen zu Haus!

Montag, 1 April

Said goodbye to my fairy tale hostel and trekked around Budapest with all of my things:

Mmm, mmm! Freshly made, and jam filled. Only the best in Budapest.

Chain Bridge.

Trekked all the way up to Fisher's Bastion (so many stairs!!) and was totally worth it.

The bells tolled as I descended back towards town... incredible.

Opera House. Look familiar? Similar to Vienna's, ja?

Then, back to Vienna with me!

Finally home, I celebrated Easter a tiny bit:

First risotto, mmm mmm!

Hungarian Dance Festival

Sonntag, 31 März

Happy Easter! Time for a Hungarian Folk Festival.

But first! To St. Istvan's Basilica!

This isn't a hostel, it's a fairy tale house! Not bad for about 10 Euro a night.

Train system like Austria's only more Ghetto.

...with really, really long escalators to reach daylight.

Nothing like a choir of angelic voices for an Easter Mass

Stunning stained glass.

Then, time for the festival. And lots and lots of dirt cheap bread for eating. Bread and bread alone day!

Not bad for 50 HUF (less than 30 Euro cents).

 . 

Just look at that little boy in blue in front go!!

Handmade sitars.

Hurdy gurdy!!!

I weaved a soap dish.

Bought a hand made Hungarian dress for 20 Euros! Yeah!