Hello all,
Again, as has proven to be the case, this week has been crazy! Which, partially explains the delay in another Blog post. And, I really have a lot still to cover...but its better to do this one step at a time. So, here is the first city from our break week trip to Vienna, Berlin, and Prague.
Often times, I find that the capitals and major cities of Europe feel too grandiose, to reliant on past dreams of glory, grandeur, and wealth. And yet, Wien, with its famous Hapsburg Dynasty, might be the exception to the rule. If any famous ruling family has any room to boast it would be the Hapsburgs. At one point in time, (either through marriage or conquest) the Hapsburgs controlled Austria, Hungary, most of the former Yugoslavia, had marriages into the ruling families of Spain (which controlled the Netherlands), England, Bavaria and other parts of Germany, as well as Brazil and Mexico (Maximillian). The source of this power all emanated from the city of Wien.
Upon touring both the summer (the Schönbrunn) and winter (the Hofburg) palaces in Vienna, what was striking to me about the Hapsburgs was the amount that they helped the people of Austria, especially in Wien. The Hapsburgs seemed much more in tune with their people. These palaces were some of the most enjoyable that I have seen. In addition to informative, interesting, and fairly quick tours of the palaces (typical tours of royal palaces talk about every piece of furniture in each room), the gardens of the Schönbrunn were perhaps my favorite part of the city. The landscape was manicured nicely but still maintained a "wooded" feel... which is perfect because the leaves reminded of fall in SW Ohio. In addition, the labyrinth area provided some enjoyment as there were games built into the maze--its always fun to relive childhood!
If you are looking for a cultural capital in Europe, I think that Wien might just be the place. Numerous world renown composers (like Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven) have called this city home. In addition, Vienna is known for its many opera houses and concerts halls--a phenomena that I took part in as I saw the opera "La Traviata" by Giuseppe Verdi in the Staatsoper. Around every corner of the city, it is not uncommon to hear classical music or to see signs for concerts, operas, and plays.
Vienna brings much more to the table than just its history of classical music and the Hapsburgs, it continues to remain one of Europe's most vital cities. Major branches and organizations of the United Nations (IAEA for example) are located in Wien and the city just recently hosted the Euro Cup championship. However, I would have to say that my favorite part, by far, was the food. Call me a traditionalist (or maybe a glutton) but I love Wiener Schnitzel. In fact, I think that I had it for 5 or 6 meals in a row while in Wien. I cannot explain how or why it is better than any one that I have ever tasted in the US, but it was addicting. Not only could you find schnitzel at restaurants but even the street vendor sold relatively good schnitzel. In addition, I was also able to sample some apple strudel, which could rival any that I have tasted before.
Wiener Staatsoper... the place where I watched "La Traviata." It was strange mixing in with the "who's who" of Vienna who were all wearing suits and dresses. I had on blue jeans.
The first picture is of the Gloriette, the monument overlooking the Schönbrunn Palace, the picture on the right. This palace was the summer palace of the Hapsburgs.
The picture on the left was taken on the front side of the Schönbrunn Palace. The scene right was in the palace garden. It reminded me of a lot of the fall in SW Ohio.
The large Ferris Wheel is at the Prater, and (amusement) in Vienna. The picture on the left is from the wheel overlooking the city.
The picture on the right is one of me and a fellow Miami student, Sam Jacobson. He is studying music in Vienna for a year... and I cannot think of a better place to do that. The picture on the left is of Mozart's apartment in Vienna (I thought it was appropriate).
This is St. Stephan's Cathedral. I really like the mosaic roof tiles... note the Austria Reich Eagle on the right.
This imposing, neo-classical building is the Austrian Parliament building.
The picture on the right is of the one of the museums near the Hofburg Palace on Maria Theresa-Platz. The building on the left is the Vienna Hofburg.
Schnitzel!!!! My first (of many) in Wien from a roadside vendor. And, good beer to wash it down with!
I still have so many more amazing places to share and I wish I had time to type them all down right now. Unfortunately (for you), I am headed to Rome this weekend to visit another good friend and Miami student, Amy Bednar. This will be my first exposure to Italy so I am very excited about the trip.
In other news, the US presidential election is coming up (as all of you already know) and despite the lack of coverage in most European newspapers, everyone that we meet decides to share with us their political views... good or bad. I don't think I truly realized how much our elections matter to the rest of the world until I watched them from their prospective. And maybe the old statement is true (forgive me but I forget who said this): "The rest of the world should be allowed to vote for the American President." And from just the little time that I have been in Europe, the clearly preferred candidate is Barack Obama. In fact, I would advise against telling most Europeans that you are a McCain supporter. Yet, being in Switzerland has brought me an entirely new prospective on the US, our elections, and what they mean for the world.
Hope all is well back home! Don't forget to vote!
Love & Honor,
Matt
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