Tuesday

Naschmarkt

Tuesday was another foggy and chilly day. The weather during my first week in Austria had been quite mild for November, but now the days were getting colder. Each day the temperature sank a little- nothing dramatic but today it was noticeable. My first destination today was the “Naschmarkt”, Vienna’s outdoor food market. I was having dinner on Wednesday evening at Martin’s house and had been deputed to bring some olives. Easy enough. The market runs along one side of a major artery for at least eight blocks. There are both food vendors and food stalls, though many of the “stalls” are actually enclosed. There are also vendors selling a few clothing items. If I found them, I was in the market for a cap and a scarf. I had thrown a pair of gloves in my bag, but no hat or scarf.

I arrived at the market around eleven o’clock. Most vendors close up at noon, though the eateries stay open longer. I strolled a good length of the market checking out the offerings. There were plenty of Mediterranean vendors – Italians, Greeks and Turks – selling olives. The market was fairly quiet, so the vendors were eagerly vying for every customer. It sometimes bordered on the comical. In the end, I stopped at a Turkish stand and bought some pitted Kalamata olives, a blend mix, and then, at the urging of the seller, some large green olives stuffed with fresh cheese. They were really yummy. I was very tempted by many other items, but showed uncharacteristic discipline.

Dirndls in the market

As I made my way along, I saw a few vendors selling child-sized dirndls. In Graz, I almost bought one for my grandniece, Maddie. But, I hesitated and when I went back, the shop was closed. I promised to look in Vienna. The ones at the market were colorful, but obviously mass-produced and not of great quality. If I found nothing better, I knew I could always come back. I took a picture to show my sisters, but never ended up sending it. I did find myself a scarf and a ski cap. I didn’t even bother to put them in the bag.

Part of the Beethoven Frieze

The Naschmarkt is right across the street from the Secession, the building that was the showcase for the group of artists of the same name. The Secession was formed by a group of renegade artists who wanted to break with the academic school of art. Their “motto” was ‘Ver Sacrum’, the Sacred Spring, to indicate that theirs was a new beginning. One of the members, Josef Maria Olbrich, designed the building to hold the group’s first international exhibition in 1897. The building was as controversial as much of the artwork, which it housed. The building today serves as a space for temporary exhibition. It also houses one permanent piece, the so-called “Beethoven Frieze” by Gustav Klimt. That is what I wanted to see. Curiously, in my many visits to Vienna, I had never been inside the Secession. The actual room where the frieze is found is relatively small. I was lucky to be there without a mob of other gawkers. As with the Klimt works that I had seen yesterday, this one just reminded me again that Klimt was an absolute visionary.

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Maybe it was the dreary day or the cold, but I didn’t feel like doing anything else. Fortunately, I had a nice, cozy apartment to return to. I stopped once I got off the subway and bought some soup and a sandwich. I went back to the apartment and was grateful for the efficient heating system. I called to Servitenwirt to make a reservation for dinner. While I was eating my lunch, I did some research on line about where to look for a dirndl. One shop that came highly recommended was right near St. Stephen’s cathedral. I hadn’t been to that area yet; so, after a little nap, I bundled up and headed out again. I located the shop and went inside. A nice young sales clerk greeted me and asked if he could help. I told him what I was looking for and he led me to what they had. They only had two styles, but one of them in blue, white and red was very charming. The other style was pink, purple and green. It was not quite as classic as the other. Surprisingly, this young man knew his children’s sizes and I found one for Maddie. There was not one quite small enough for her newborn little sister, Abigail. The clerk took the dirndl while I went to browse in the men’s department. He was a very good salesman; I went home with a sweater-vest that I hadn’t intended to buy. Proud of my accomplishments, I was ready for a nice dinner.

Servitenwirt

I returned to Servitenwirt, perhaps my favorite restaurant in Vienna.  I had poked my head in the night before, Monday, and knew I would not get a seat. Tonight, Tuesday, the place was very quiet. I had mussels Provençal to begin. I hadn’t had much seafood of late. They were excellent. For my main course, I ordered pork cordon bleu. I had seen this on almost every menu but had never ordered it. I was surprised when it arrived, because it was not rolled the way we think of it. Instead, it was a pork schnitzel with ham and cheese on top, then breaded and fried. It also was excellent- and very filling. Today had been a good day. Contented, I walked back to my apartment, watched CNN for a bit and then turned in.

A Visit with Some Old Friends and Moving Day

Me in Vienna, 1981

When I arrived I Vienna for the first time in the fall of 1981, the wider English-speaking world was just beginning to become aware of the significance of Vienna in the development of modern culture. The book I mentioned earlier, Wittgensteins’s Vienna”, was published in 1973. However, it was the publication of “Fin-De-Siecle Vienna: Politics and Culture” by Carl Schorske that brought to prominence the role of Vienna. In 1986, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City mounted a major exhibit called: Vienna 1900: Art, Architecture and Design. The exhibit was a huge success and introduced many Americans for the first time to the wonders of Viennese art and design. I was fortunate enough to have been among those who had made my acquaintance with them a few years earlier.

The Upper Belvedere Palace

When I was studying German in Vienna, I had two afternoons each week when I did not usually go back to have lunch with my host family. On those afternoons, I would take in the rich offerings of the cultural scene in the city. On one such afternoon, I must have made my way to the Oberes Belvedere, the baroque palace that houses one of the major collections of Austrian art, especially from the late 19^th and early 20^th century. There it was that I was introduced to Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka and several others. They, in turn, introduced me to Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffman. These artists, architects, designers and craftsmen would become my life-long companions. Their visionary aesthetic principles and sense of purpose would continue to inspire and animate me. I always try to visit with them when I am in Vienna. Today was the day.

The portrait of Fritza Riedler

It was a damp and foggy morning when I boarded the tram for the ride to the Belvedere. Just the right weather to create the appropriate amount of “Schwermut”, which the dictionary translates as ‘melancholy’. I reached the museum and spent some time in the garden before going inside. In the fog, the garden had a special quality. Once inside, I did not go immediately to see my “friends” but dawdled a little among their 19^th century predecessors. I wanted to see if I could detect any hint of what was coming, but I couldn’t. Then it was time. I was lucky; the gallery was not very crowded today. When I reached the room with most of the Klimt paintings, I did not go immediately to look at “The Kiss”. Today I studied the portrait of Fritza Riedler first. The cool detachment with which she stares from the canvas in her hieratic pose is just so strikingly different from its antecedents. And, having just done some painting, I was interested in seeing how Klimt achieved his effects with paint. I’m not sure I did, but moving on to “The Kiss”, I went away more convinced than ever of Klimt’s genius. I left the museum feeling both exhilarated and exhausted.

"The Kiss"

I was not done here yet, though. In the Lower Belvedere, there was an exhibit dedicated to the museum’s collection of Egon Schiele’s work marking the centenary of his death in 1918. (Quite a few of these artists died as a result of the Spanish flu epidemic.) The exhibit focused on how the museum came to have the collection that it does. There was a plethora of supporting materials – letters, notes and cards relating to the sale of his works. It was fascinating to see Schiele, not just as an artist, but also as a self-promoter. As much as I enjoyed it, I was approaching my museum saturation point. Additionally, it was after 1:00 and I had an appointment at 3:00.

My Vienna digs

I went back to the hotel to collect my bag and grab a bite to eat. I needed to meet the person who would be letting me into the apartment where I would be living for the next week. I arrived right on schedule and introduced myself to Anita, the agency representative. We went inside and up a short flight of stairs to a door, which was my apartment. I was happy that it was on the first floor. When we went inside, the apartment was much more spacious than I had expected. A large room to the right served as the living/dining / kitchen space. The bedroom was a good size and off that was the shower room with a sink and the washing machine. Anita could see my concern and led us back towards the entrance, where she showed me the toilet, which was opposite the door to the main room. On the website, the apartment is listed as having 1 ½ baths. I guess that means something different in Vienna. Anyway, I was delighted. Anita handed me the keys – just two, thankfully. I am paranoid about locks and not being able to work them. Fortunately, this was straightforward. She said goodbye and I started to settle in.

The first task was to check the Wi-Fi. Bingo! It worked perfectly. Then, after checking the place out, it was time to get provisions. I found a nearby supermarket and set about buying what I thought I would need, but not too much. I was mostly concerned to have something to eat in the morning and maybe some snacks and drinks. I did not imagine myself actually cooking, which turned out to be the case. For dinner, I returned to D’Landesknecht where I had eaten on my first night. I got back to my new home, got comfy and watched the news on CNN from the couch. I was liking this already.

A Sightseeing Day in Graz

When I checked into the hotel, the woman at the desk gave me a tourist brochure for Graz. In it, there

Farmers' Market, Graz

were several suggested walking tours with the principal landmarks. My plan was to follow the historical one, but I had another destination to visit first – the farmers’ market. Whenever I visit a new place, I always check to see whether there is a market or food hall. I find them to be exceedingly interesting, not just because I like to see what kind of fruits and vegetables are available, but also because they tend to show one what the local community is like. From what I had learned, the farmers’ market in Graz sounded like a great one, especially today, which was Saturday.

Some non-food items

The market is held in a square just outside the historical center of the city. At 10:00 A.M., the market was in full swing. There were what appeared to be semi-permanent structures along the perimeter of the square, while the center was lined with temporary booths and tables. All the usual products were on display: fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese and baked goods. In addition, since it was close to Advent, there were quite a few vendors selling decorative items. The wreaths in particular were beautiful. Unlike markets in the US, growers here were also selling wine and schnapps. I bought a bottle of pear schnapps to give to Martin for his namesday. I was intrigued by the many different varieties of apples. I had a nice chat with one vendor about that. I had stopped to ask her about a variety called “Delbar”, which caught my attention for obvious reasons. As is often the case with people in these markets, she had a wealth of information about her produce. As much as I was enjoying the market, I knew I had to get moving if I wanted to see the city.

In the courtyard

Fortunately, the market was not far from one end of the main street where many of the buildings were located. The first stop was the “Landeshaus”, the seat of the provincial government. The inner courtyard was said to be very beautiful. I turned off the street and into the passageway that opened onto the courtyard. To my great delight, something was going on, which involved people in costumes and a band. This could only be a good thing in my book. I joined the other spectators and began snapping pictures. Try as I might, I could not understand what was being said (The Styrian accent is fairly strong). 

On the Hauptplatz

At some point, the whole assembly picked up and marched out onto the main street. I stayed behind to admire the architecture. I caught up with the costumed folks in the main square, where they were deployed facing the town hall. There was an exchange going on between the people on the ground and others who were deployed on a balcony over the main entrance. Then it dawned on me what was probably happening. In the German-speaking world, the season of Karneval or Fasching begins on November 11 at precisely 11:11 a.m. That would be tomorrow, Sunday. Perhaps because it was Sunday, they were anticipating the start with these festivities. At this point, people began dancing on the square encouraged by the man who was acting as MC. This ended with couples waltzing on the square. Very Austrian. My suspicion about what was happening was confirmed, when, at 11:11 a.m., a cannon shot reverberated around the square, only to be answered by a volley of musket fire. There was great applause and the mayor said a few words. Then it was all over.

Graz Cathedral

I continued my self-guided tour. The route took me back to the street where I had first walked yesterday afternoon. There were a few interesting things along the way, but the major site was the cathedral. It sits at the top of a hill. From the outside, the cathedral does not seem that impressive. A late Gothic building, it would have been heavily painted when it was new. The interior, though, is a fine blending of Gothic architecture with Baroque overlay. During my visit, a choir and small orchestra were rehearsing a modern choral work. I sat for a few minutes to listen to the music in this imposing space. These are moments that cannot be scheduled. Adjacent to the cathedral is the mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II. It is a beautiful Baroque building, which seemed to me out of place in this context. I decided not to pay the entry fee. From there I walked through one of the old city gates into one of the city’s major parks, the Stadtpark. It was a gray autumnal day and there was not much activity. I strolled for a bit and then made my way back for a few more sights. One of them was the city parish church. This building, too, has seen a lot of modifications over the century. One of the more interesting additions is a stained glass window behind the main altar. The original windows were destroyed by a bomb blast near the end of WWII. In a window that depicts the torture of Christ, you can make out two familiar faces among the crowd jeering Jesus – Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

The Murinsel

I headed back to the hotel now. After my close call the night before, I wanted to make sure I had a reservation for tonight. I had two places in mind. I asked the desk clerk to call for me, but both said they had no availability. Oh well. I went to my room to drop off the bottle of schnapps I had been carrying around. While I was there, there were a few breaks in the clouds and the sun came out. I was going across the river to explore the “newer” part of Graz. I walked across the river on a foot bridge that crosses the river via the “Murinsel” a modern glass and steel structure in the middle of the river.  I walked through the quarter near the Lendlplatz, the site of another farmers’ market. It was over by now, but the various food stalls were doing a brisk business. The sun was now out and shining brightly, so I sat outside and had a quick sandwich and a beer. 

The view from the Schlossberg

On my way back to the hotel, I stopped in a cheese shop to buy some Styrian cheese to bring to Martin as a namesday gift.  Since the sun was finally out, I had to take the “Bergbahn” (funicular) up to the top of the Schlossberg to get the famous view “over the roofs of Graz.” The glass-roofed cars make a 60º climb up the side of the mountain. It is an impressive ride. Once on top, the views are indeed spectacular. After taking in the view, I started the descent on foot, stopping at the clock tower, the unofficial symbol of the city of Graz. When I reached the bottom, I stopped in a little Sicilian restaurant near my hotel and made a reservation for dinner. At least I knew that I would have somewhere to eat.

The Clock Tower

I went back to the hotel and put my feet up for a while. I had covered a lot of territory today. I took a quick shower and changed before heading out again. I was going to Mass at 6:15 and then on to dinner. The evening passed quickly. I turned on the TV when I returned to my room and watched the end of a documentary about Germany at the end of WWI.  It focused on the end of the monarchy and the foundation of the Weimar Republic. November 11 was the 100^th anniversary of the end of hostilities and there were lots of programs to mark the event. I barely managed to stay awake until the end.

 Sunday was a quiet day. I had breakfast in the hotel and then walked along the river a bit. I returned to Vienna in mid-afternoon. That evening I met Martin, Barbara and Valentina for dinner in one of their favorite little Italian places. It was fun and the pizza was quite good.

On to Graz

Apartment is in the middle building

When the wine course fell through, I had to make a decision. I had hotel reservations for the first three nights in Vienna and the rental apartment for the second week.  I had nothing for the first weekend. Initially I thought about going to Munich, but I had been there before. I thought about Prague, but I didn’t want to spend too much time traveling. In the end, I settled on Graz, Austria’s second largest city and the capital of the province of Styria. I had never been there and it was only two and a half hours from Vienna. When I told Martin that I was going there, he was very enthusiastic. “You are going to like it”, he said. However, he did advise that three nights was probably too much, so I had arranged to return to my hotel on Sunday. I booked a train ticket for late morning. I would arrive in early afternoon. Conveniently, the tram that stopped near my hotel went directly to the main train station. While the Iron Curtain was still up, Vienna’s main train station was the “Westbahnhof”, with most trains heading west. After the fall of communism, Vienna regained its position as a hub for activity coming from Eastern Europe and the Balkans. As a result, they built a completely new station that could service the east and south more easily. That’s where I was leaving from.

My train

The station is a bustling place. I toyed with buying a sandwich before boarding, but then decided to take my chances with the dining car. The train was punctual (of course!) and very modern. I found my seat and stowed my bags. The morning fog had burned off at this point, so I imagined it would be a beautiful trip. I was not wrong. To reach points south of Vienna, you have to cross a ridge of mountains, which are not particularly high by Austrian standards. Still, the scenery as you climb up and then down again is beautiful. During the second half of the journey, the train follows the river Mur, so you are down in a valley. You pass through many picturesque towns and villages along the way. One of the features of the train was the ability order food on your phone from your seat. I had to try this, so I ordered a sandwich and a beer. Ten minutes later, the attendant was at my seat with my lunch. The sandwich was excellent, too! It was ham with pickles and horseradish on this whole-grain roll. It tasted completely fresh. Amtrak could learn a few things! Soon we were pulling into Graz.

My "hotel" in Graz

I caught a cab to my hotel, the Schlossberg Kunsthotel. I found it on Booking.com, which I use a lot. It looked like a very old world hotel filled with modern art, very cool combo. I went into the hotel and checked in. When we finished, the young woman who had checked me in said, “I will take you to your room across the street.” What? We crossed the street to this modern building, went up a floor in the elevator and she opened the door to this ultra-modern apartment. We stepped inside and she began showing me the different features. It was lovely and huge, but not quaint. Then she opened the curtains on one side (the apartment was triangular and was mostly glass on two sides) and there was this amazing view across the river to the other half of Graz. Wow! Not what I bargained for, but pretty spectacular. I would have preferred cozy to super-cool, but hey. For two nights, it would be fine .Perhaps I should

have said something, but I have found that I can make myself “at home” in almost any environment.

Some traditional clothing perhaps?

I literally just dropped my bags and went off to begin exploring. I had asked the woman at the desk for a dinner reservation. She gave me the name of two places, but was very strong on one of them for traditional local food. She showed me on a map where the restaurant was, explaining that you had to enter a passageway between two stores. Hmmm, sounds a little tricky, so I thought I should find it while it was still daylight. I took a detour, though, up a busy pedestrian shopping street. There were lots of interesting little shops as well as some well-known names. There were tons of people out and about and I already had a positive feeling about Graz. It was starting to get dark now, so I found my way to the street where the restaurant was. I was beginning to have my doubts when I spotted one of the stores, Salamander. Indeed, there was a passageway, which I followed into an inner courtyard. There I made an important discovery about Graz. There is a whole other world behind the facades of the buildings on the main streets. Graz consists of this network of interconnected courtyards where much of the city’s activity happens. One of the tourist pieces said something about Graz being a place where you can just “lose yourself”. That was certainly going to be true for me. I went back to the hotel to put my feet up for a while.

On the 'Hauptplatz'

It was a straight shot from my hotel to the main square, the “Hauptplatz”. At 7:00 on a Friday night, this place was hopping! Between people getting on trams to go home after work, the food stands in the center of the square, and all the cafes surrounding it, this was clearly the ‘hub’. Every café seemed to be filled with people drinking and socializing. I turned off the main street and down the passageway to “Die Herzl”, as the restaurant is called. When I stepped inside, I had my doubts that this is where I would be eating. It was packed and the staff were working frenetically. I finally caught the eye of a young waiter and asked what the chances were. He was very friendly and said “If you wait 10 or 15 minutes, I have one table that is getting ready to leave.” “That’s fine”, I replied, “I don’t mind waiting”. In Vienna, if you get to a restaurant before 7:30 usually you are fine. Clearly, people in Graz eat earlier. Soon enough, though, I was seated and enjoying a real Styrian meal.

Winter squash for sale

Styria is one of the warmest parts of Austria. As a result, it is a flourishing wine and vegetable region. Perhaps its most characteristic vegetable is the winter squash. Among the many products they make from it, two stand out. One is an oil that is extracted from the seeds. It is ubiquitous and is alleged to be very healthy, almost like a tonic. It is used much like olive oil, both as a condiment for salad and as an additive to soup and vegetables. The other is a soup made from squash. To North Americans, butternut squash soup is common. In Western Europe it is quite a novelty. Of course, I ordered it. By November, game begins appearing regularly on menus, and tonight they were offering a venison ragout. “I’ll have that, please.” The food was very good and very substantial. I was absolutely intrigued by the young fellow who appeared to be the only waiter for at least sixty people. He never seemed to get flustered or miss a beat. What can I say; I enjoy observing how restaurants work. I waddled home and got into bed. I had a full day planned for tomorrow.

Vienna – Day 3

The tour group that functions as my alarm clock was back under my window bright and early today. Unlike yesterday, however, I decided to get up.  I wanted an earlier start than yesterday. First on the agenda today was the “Haus der Musik”, the House of Music. This is an interactive museum completely dedicated to music of all kinds.  It hasn’t been around all that long and I never had the chance to visit before. I had some trouble finding it, but while looking, I made two exciting discoveries. One was a restaurant that an alumnus had recommended to me; the other was a small notice posted on a door publicizing a free “conversation” with Prof. Allan Janik, author of “Wittgenstein’s Vienna”. we had used his book during my NEH Seminar at the University of Oregon. It seemed too much of a coincidence to overlook, so I put my visit to the Haus der Musik on hold. The lecture was sponsored by IES, the Institute for European Studies. It was also a chance to get inside one of these grand old Viennese palaces. I think I was the only outsider there in an already small group. Still, it was very interesting to hear about the early days in the study of Viennese Modernism from one of the people who made it happen.

Inside 'Der Kuckuck'

Since I happened to be right near the restaurant that was recommended by an alum, I decided to try it. It looked a bit like a tourist trap; and even at a little past one, there was no one eating. I wasn’t going to have supper tonight, so I had to eat my main meal now. What the heck, I thought, and pushed open the door. The young waiter seemed genuinely surprised to see me. The place is called “Der Kuckuck”, the cuckoo. There are multiple cuckoo clocks hanging on the walls. The place is very old-school Viennese, down to the music coming of the sound system. I ordered some soup and a cutlet. The food was just OK; but at least I can tell our alum that I took his suggestion. At this point, I headed back to the hotel. I was going to the theater tonight!

Theater in der Josefstadt

One of the things I love most about Vienna is the array of cultural offerings. The city has numerous theaters and concert venues. Most nights there is something for every taste. I had given a quick look before leaving NJ and there were a few things I was interested in seeing. One of them was a play that I had taught in my AP German class called “The Visit” by the Swiss author, Friederich Dürrenmatt. Curiously, the same play was being staged at two of Vienna’s major venues. I had bought a ticket on-line for one of them, because the show was almost sold out there. I was excited to see the paly and the venue was new to me too. I left with plenty of time to spare. I arrived at the theater, picked up my ticket from the box office and went into the café for a glass of wine. The “Theater in der Josefstadt” is one of the oldest in the city. It is a beautiful 18^th century theater, very grand. My seat was very high up, but had a great view of the stage. The production itself had some interesting adaptions. At first, I thought they were contrived, but, as the evening went on, they made more sense. It is a good thing that I knew the play almost by heart, because I struggled to hear what the actors were saying. I’m not sure whether that was more because of where I was sitting or because my hearing is getting worse. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I am glad that I took the chance.

Vienna – Day 2

The Volksgarten

I had a rather late start today. I was awakened by a tour group under my widow at around 7:30. I did manage to go back to sleep; and, when I did wake up it was after 9:00. I went upstairs to the hotel breakfast room so that I could have some coffee. I love the Strudlhof Hotel, but I wish they would put coffee makers in the room. I hate having to become” presentable” just to get a cup of coffee. Today I was going to the Imperial Treasure Chamber. I had made it an objective of this trip to try to see as many things that I had “missed” in coming to Vienna over the years. This was a major one. I took the tram from the hotel to the general area of the Hofburg.  I allowed myself to be sidetracked in the Volksgarten by the roses still in bloom. I enjoyed seeing all the various colors and hues. After a few more detours, I finally made it to the Schatzkammer. I regret that I have waited so long to see this. I probably have a better understanding of the Hapsburg dynasty now that I have been there. There are some truly remarkable objects in that collection.

Oh, those little sandwiches

I had plans to visit one of my favorite restaurants tonight, so I only wanted “a little something” for lunch. Fortunately, Vienna has just the place to do that, Trzesniewski.  Trzesniewski is something of an institution in Vienna. They serve what we would call “tea sandwiches”. Open faced sandwiches with a wide variety of toppings. One orders how many of each variety one wants, gets them, goes to the cashier and pays while ordering a drink. My drink of choice is a “Pfiff”, a little 2 oz. mug of beer.  I am always overwhelmed by having to decide, but somehow I manage. Today it was two egg and tuna and two tomato. There are counters inside and high-tops outside. I was lucky enough to get a high-top. So, I stood on the street, ate my sandwiches and drank my Pfiff, all while watching the world go by. 

Topfenstrudel

I wandered around the city some more and eventually ended up near Karlsplatz. I am not quite sure how. The Café Museum was right ahead of me and it seemed like a good time for cake and coffee. I have not done this much in Vienna, perhaps because of the admonition my host mother had given me when I was studying German in Vienna. “If you want sweets”, she would say, “you come home and eat them here. Don’t go into Konditorei (bakeries) or cafes. They pump their stuff full of air.” I could still hear her saying that as I tucked into my “Topfenstrudel”, a kind of cheese strudel with vanilla sauce. Heaven.

One thing about visiting Vienna at this time of year is the days are quite short. The sun comes up around 7:30 a.m. and sets around 4:30 p.m. It gets dark early! I returned to the hotel and rested for a bit. I caught up o some email and worked on the blog. Soon enough it was time for dinner. I was going to Servitenwirt, a gastropub a few blocks from my hotel. I had discovered this place during my last visit and was looking forward to it. While still being a true “Gasthaus” or, pub, the food is much more refined than what you find elsewhere. I was happy to see that there was plenty of room and settled in to study the menu. There is a tradition in Austria of serving goose around the feast of St. Martin, November 11.

Martinigansl

Servitenwirt was offering a “goose” dinner – goose soup, venison ravioli and roast goose. If I were going to eat goose, this is place I would want to do it.  I ordered the three-course menu with the wine pairing. The soup was light and frothy. I’m not quite sure how they do that, but it was great. The ravioli were good, but not exceptional. The goose, on the other hand, was perfectly cooked. The skin was crispy and the meat was still very juicy. I truly enjoyed that meal. I walked back to the hotel a very contented customer.

Vienna

Without much enthusiasm, I packed my bag for Vienna. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go, I think I was just tired of traveling. More than that, without an organized program, I realized that I would have to plan each day’s activities. I know that sounds like an exaggeration, but it really requires more effort than one thinks. My spirits were a little better as I went to meet my driver. I had managed to secure a business class seat during the check-in process. That took some of the dread out of an overnight flight. I also had booked a hotel in Graz for the three nights when I would have been at the course, so I was going to see something new. In addition, there was no prediction of rain in the 10-day forecast! Amazing for November.

Palais Liechtenstein near my hotel

The flight was uneventful. I may have managed to get about three hours sleep. I will say one thing, Business Class on Aer Lingus was much better. As the sun rose, we were coming in over Austria. Below I could see the green forests and the valleys wreathed in their morning fog. Then we were following the Danube into the airport in Vienna. We landed right on schedule and arrival went smoothly. I took the airport train into the city and from there I caught a cab to my hotel. I had sent a request for an early check-in, but had not heard back. It would be great, if I could take a shower. When I reached the hotel, I mentioned the early check-in request. The young woman seemed bothered that I hadn’t heard back. She said she thought my room was ready. A quick telephone call confirmed that I could have the room in about 15 minutes. That was fine. I sat in the reception area and she asked me if I wanted something to drink. “That was nice” I thought, and asked for water. Soon I was I my room and having a nice hot shower.

Autumn in Vienna

 It was still only 11:00 when I left the hotel, so I had most of the day ahead of me. I was going to meet my friend, Martin, at 3:00. There was a major Monet retrospective at the Albertina gallery. That seemed like a good way to spend an hour or two. Vienna has an amazing public transportation system; and with a pass, you can get on and off as much as you like. I took the tram from my hotel. It is a great way to get from one point to the next and still see things at the same time. The subway is faster, but there is no view! I enjoyed the leisurely pace of the tram and seeing the familiar sights of the city. It was a sunny, late fall day and the many parks were full of people. My mood was beginning to lift. This trip was going to be just fine.

At the Albertina Monet exhibit

The Monet exhibit was spectacular. There had to be at least 100 paintings in the show. Though I could feel my energy waning towards the end, the exhibit was very well organized and gave great insight into his development as a painter. After visiting the exhibit, I sat outside in the sun for a while to recharge my batteries. I had to keep going, because I needed to keep my appointment with Martin. I wandered a bit through the parks and then started to head for the café where we were to meet. I knew that Martin ate very little, if anything, at lunchtime. I was hungry, so I figured I could eat before he arrived. I ate something light just to tide me over. Martin arrived and we had coffee – he, cake with his. We talked about the week ahead. His was quite busy, but the following week had many more options. We discussed some of them and came up with something of a plan. He went back to work; I went back to my hotel to rest for a bit before going out for dinner. I used some of the time to do some online research into various options, including the theater. I had an early dinner at a place, D'Landesknecht, I visited the last time I was in Vienna - Wiener schnitzel, of course. I walked back to the hotel and actually felt remarkably good after such a long day.

A long-winded explanation

There are no pictures in this posting. You will understand once you start reading. This rather long wind-up is required to understand how and why I am spending two weeks in Austria. If you’d rather just wait for the pictures, it won’t be long. Thanks for staying with me!

When I first started planning my sabbatical a year ago, I knew that I wanted to spend a certain amount of time in a German –speaking country to refresh my German skills. Ideally, I was looking for some sort of structured program that was conducted in the German language. As I did my research, I discovered that most ‘academic’ programs required me to commit to a semester, or the better part of one. That was more time than I wished to devote to this effort. I then began researching programs related to wine in Austria, another one of my interests. To my delight, I discovered that there was such a thing as the Austrian Wine Academy, which did indeed offer a wide variety of courses on wine in general, but also specifically Austrian wines. You can read about it here: https://www.weinakademie.at/english.php  Most courses were offered in two basic formats: evening courses that met once a week for several weeks running; or, concentrated weekend programs. I began communicating with them by e-mail. In the end, we agreed that most suitable program for me was the “Österrichisches Weintutorium”, or Austrian Wine Tutorial. That was a full three-day program giving one both an overview of the Austrian wine industry and a certain amount of guided tastings. There was even a test at the end. If one passed, one received a certificate to that effect. This sounded like the course for me.

It took a while before they published their fall 2018 calendar, but, when they did, I was happy to see that the program was going to be offered twice in November. That would be ideal, since I could simply stay in Europe following my time in Italy. I settled on the course being offered from Nov.9-11. It was my nephew, Sean, however, who pointed out to me the 90-day rule in effect in the countries of the Schengen accord. (If you are interested or are having trouble falling asleep, you can read about the Schengen accord here: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-agreement/ The rule states that citizens of non-member states may only remain within the borders of the union without a visa for 90 days before they have to leave. OK, I thought, I’ll just get a visa. Not as simple as I thought; and, ultimately not a viable option for someone without a bank account. By this time, I had already purchased my ticket to Europe, so I sat down and did the math (actually, I had my assistant do it. She is much more adept than I am). When she handed me the results, my heart sank. My 90^th day would be Nov.10! Right in the middle of the wine course. Of all the bum luck! All was not lost, though. If I left the Schengen zone for a few days, the clock would stop. It would then re-start when I re-entered. The most likely candidate for this was Great Britain, since they are not part of the Schengen agreement. I toyed with that idea for a while, but there were other things to consider. The most crucial was voting in the mid-term election and secondly getting my prescriptions re-filled. So, in the end, that’s what I decided to do. I would return to the US for a week and fly back to Europe for the course. Hence, my departure from Dublin to Newark on October 28.

Two things happened that turned these well thought-out plans on their head. As the tour I was with in Scandinavia was about to head to Norway, our tour guide pointed out the importance of having our passports ready. She pointed out that Norway, was not a member of the EU, but was a signatory of the Schengen agreement. She went on to explain that not all the parties to the Schengen agreement were members of the EU, e.g. Switzerland; and, that not all the members of the EU were part of it either, e.g. Ireland. “Wait, what? Did she just say that Ireland was not part of the Schengen agreement? If that’s true, then my time in Ireland (3 weeks+) does not count towards the 90 days.” When I verified that fact, I realized that I could have stayed in Europe through the time of the course. “Oh, well” I thought, “too late now.” While I did not have concrete travel plans, I had not applied for an absentee ballot and I was not about to forfeit my right to vote. Anyway, there were other good reasons to go home for that week. The other shoe dropped while I was in Italy. I received an e-mail from the staffer at the Austrian Wine Academy saying that they were not getting the kind of registrations they needed to run the course the weekend of Nov. 9 and it might get cancelled. Could I come the weekend of Nov. 2? “No” I answered,” I already have my flights back to the US booked.” A week later, I received the definitive word that the course had been cancelled. Now what to do? I had flights, I had hotel reservations and I had even rented an apartment in Vienna for the week following the course, whose cancellation date was October 29! Ugh!

After considering my options before I left Italy, I e-mailed my travel agent to see whether the airlines might play nice and cut me some slack. That got me nowhere. I really didn't want to travel again right away. So, I considered paring down my stay to one week, but, even changing my flight would cost me $350 in penalties. In the end, I decided to just make the best of it and go to Austria for the two weeks. What will follow in the next few days is about that.

Arrivederci, Roma!

Cappuccino e cornetto

I woke up to the sound of doors slamming and shutters banging. Overnight the weather had changed. The weather forecast had predicted deteriorating conditions. While it was still partly sunny, the wind was gusting rather fiercely at times. I was fairly well packed, so I had the morning at my disposal. I had not been to the Vatican, so that seemed like the logical destination. I hopped on the bus and followed the Tiber towards St. Peter’s. I decided not to go the usual route, up the Via della Conciliazione, but rather through the Borgo, the area just outside of the Vatican. I got off the bus and started making my way, but felt the need for another cup of coffee. I stepped into a bar to have one last “cappuccino e cornetto”, the typical Roman breakfast. Cappuccino and a croissant-like pastry known as a “cornetto”. This is generally consumed standing right at the counter. Thus fortified, I headed for St. Peter’s Square.

Sometimes, you just have to.

When I arrived, I saw that the entire piazza was now blocked off and to enter you needed to pass through a screening area, just to get inside the piazza. When I looked at the line waiting to get inside the basilica, I decided against it. I would have to satisfy myself with admiring the basilica from the outside. Gone were the days when you could just go into St. Peter’s to say a prayer if you were passing by. I also noticed that a new industry had sprung up. Milling all around the perimeter of St. Peter’s were young South Asian men with lanyards around their necks with what I am sure are “official” ID’s. These “guides” were accosting unsuspecting tourists and offering to help them skip the line and get them inside the basilica. I’m not completely sure how this scam plays out. There’s always a new way to make a euro. It seemed appropriate, so I took a selfie.

Who's dog is that?

I walked back through the Borgo admiring all the lovely things in the religious goods shops. I left the Vatican area and headed back towards Sant’Anselmo, where I was expected for lunch. When I reached Testaccio, it was still early, so went to the Mercato for one last visit. Saturday was always the best day to visit the market, because it was the day that it was the liveliest. I was not disappointed. Late morning on Saturday is the busiest time as people try to finish shopping before the market closes. I just love the atmosphere, the noise, the commotion and sense of life being lived. At one point, I saw a little white and black dog on a leash but without a human attached to the other end. Where was the owner? Did he or she not realize the dog was missing? Or, was the owner within the dog’s view? Who knew? It is these little dramas that I find so endearing. I left the market and started back to Sant’ Anselmo. As I walked along the familiar streets, taking in the sights and sounds, I was sorry to be leaving, even though I was going home after 2 ½ months on the road.

Italian airport food

Around 4:30 that afternoon, I zipped up my bags and walked to the front door. I said goodbye to the porter, Fabio, and Fr. Samuel. Since there was a wedding going on, I walked outside the gate to meet the taxi that would take me to the airport. We made good time getting there, so I had plenty of time for dinner. I was flying to Dublin and would not be getting to the hotel until about 11:00 p.m. I was not confident that I would find food on the other end, so I decided to make the most of the time remaining in Italy. I was in a Terminal that was entirely new to me. The food court was upstairs and, after surveying the offerings, I went with pizza napoletana. I sat down, ordered and, before long, I was enjoying one delicious pizza.

I boarded the plane and took my seat. There was a very elegantly dressed woman to my left and a young Italian woman to my right. Once we were up in the air the woman to my left asked whether I had been in Italy on business or pleasure. So, I began to tell her about my travels. Soon we were deep in conversation. She was Irish, but had been in Italy taking Italian lessons. When I mentioned that I been at Glenstal, she said “Oh I am great friends with many of the monks there.” And, indeed, she was. We continued talking for most of the flight. She was a very interesting person; and, it certainly made the flight seem shorter.

Before long, we were landing in Dublin. I collected my bags and walked out to the hotel shuttle. It was freezing! I was only wearing a light sweater. Fortunately, the shuttle arrived quickly, just as it began to rain. Welcome to Ireland. I was looking forward to a quiet nightcap in the hotel bar before going to sleep. This was the night when Europe was going off daylight saving time, so I would get another hour of sleep. When we reached the hotel, I could tell there was going to be no quiet anything. There had to be at least two weddings going on and the all the public areas were full of rowdy revelers. I just prayed that it would be quiet upstairs. All things considered, it was.

I had a decent night’s sleep, enjoyed breakfast in the hotel, showered and then headed back to the airport for my flight home to Newark. I managed all the different levels of security and made my way to the gate. I looked out the window at the waiting aircraft. Then it really struck me. In nine hours, I would be back in New Jersey. This great and marvelous journey was over.

My penultimate day in Rome

During my stay in Rome, I began most days with a stop in the kitchen of Sant’Anselmo where I knew that I would find a cup of coffee. This is also where I still knew the most people, so alongside of my coffee, I had the daily interrogation about what I had eaten on the previous day. “When are you going to eat here?” they asked. We’d already been over this territory, but I said “Tomorrow, it’s my last day in Rome.” There was an audible gasp. I had used the Italian word ultimo for ‘last’. Apparently, I had just committed a linguistic faux pas. I was promptly informed that you never use the word “ultimo” as a living person. Its use is reserved to the dead, as in “those were his last words”. Well, no one ever told me that. Curiously, though, this visit had taken on something of a “final tour” aspect. I found myself wanting to revisit places that had been important to me in my early years in Rome.

Alleyway in old Rome

There was a general strike today, so there was no public transportation. Anything I did would have to be within walking distance of Sant’Anselmo. So I set my sights were set on the area in and around the old Jewish ghetto. Just a few days earlier the last Jewish survivor of the deportation of Rome’s Jews had died. I had just seen him interviewed in a documentary about this. I thought there might be something going on. When I was a student, this was my favorite neighborhood to just get lost in. It seemed to have so many secret doors and passageways where old trades were still being plied. As I approached, I could see that it was now possible to visit the ruins around the Theater of Marcellus. This had never been possible on any of my previous visits, so I jumped at the chance. There were excellent historical panels that talked about both the ancient and medieval structures in this area. From there, it was a just a hundred yards into the ghetto.

The mattress shop

The street behind the central synagogue is lined with eateries that feature Roman Jewish cuisine. There had always been a few restaurants here specializing in that, but Roman Jewish cuisine has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. Needless to say, many restaurateurs have been willing to respond to the demand. I was happy to see that an old standby was still going strong. On a corner, there’s a little storefront bakery (if it has a name, I’m sure I don’t know it). It’s famous for its pizza ebraica, a dough covered with dried fruit- raisins, citron, etc. and then baked in the oven. There was quite a line, so I passed. For the next hour, I just wandered in and out of these dark streets. In one I saw an old mattress shop where everything was still made “su misura”, or, to measurement, i.e. custom made. An elderly woman was sitting at a table with a pair of scissors in her hand. This kind of scene was quite common, at one time. Like so many things in Rome though, the old ways are dying out.

The Turtle Fountain

I had one more ‘must see’ stop in this area, the turtle fountain, or La Fontana delle Tartarughe. This fountain is in the Piazza Mattei and I think it is the most beautiful fountain in all of Rome. It has four, smiling young men holding up the bowl that catches the water first before it gets spurted out into the basin below. The four figures are each lifting a very realistic looking turtle into the basin above them. Not only is the fountain gracious and well proportioned, but also the sense of whimsy added by the turtles just makes it seem like a happy place. While I was admiring the fountain, I noticed that the doors to a palazzo on the square were open and I saw people walk in. Rome enthusiasts know that, when you see a door open, you need to seize the opportunity. I walked over and stepped inside. The inner courtyard was lined with classical sculptures and one wall was embellished with friezes and other sculptural elements. The other walls had beautiful arcades. It was a magical space and I was glad I had a chance to see it.

The courtyard of Palazzo Mattei

The Shrine of Our Savior

I continued on my way back in the general direction of Sant’Anselmo. As I was just about to leave the warren of streets for the major roads, I noticed a little shrine on a wall. These shrines are very common and are usually dedicated to the Virgin Mary, but this one was unusual. The figure in the shrine was that of Christ. The inscription on the shrine reads, ”Savior of the World, Save Us.” There is a serenity about this little shrine that I find very appealing. It invited me to spend a little more time there, before heading back into the chaos of modern Rome. It was time, however, to move from the sacred to the secular on this penultimate day of pilgrimage. I was making another stop, this time at Trapizzino.

There it is!

For those of you who don’t know, the trapizzino is another Roman food innovation. The name comes from the word for a traditional Italian sandwich called a ‘tramezzino’ and ‘pizza’ the generic name for a flatbread cooked in the oven, hence ‘trapizzino’. This was the brainchild of Roman pizzaiolo, Stefano Callegari. He wanted to take some traditional Roman dishes and figure out how to turn them into street food, food you could eat without necessarily sitting down to a meal. His invention was a cone shaped piece of pizza dough that you could then stuff with a variety of fillings. The fillings have to have a certain moisture content for them to make sense. The result is that many of the fillings are dishes that are typically braises. The original storefront was in Testaccio, the neighborhood below Sant’Anselmo. That’s where I headed. I ordered ‘pollo alla cacciatore’ (chicken hunter style) and ‘pollo e peperoni’ (chicken and peppers). These are two of my favorite Roman dishes. Both were great, but I really loved the pollo e peperoni. Now, it was time to face the inevitable. I had to begin packing for my return to the USA.

I spent the afternoon deciding what things I could abandon in Italy and what things I needed to take with me. I had been pretty good about not accumulating too much ‘stuff’, so the task was relatively easy. I had made reservations for that night at one of my former ‘go to’ restaurants, Taverna Cestia. Back in the day, a rather solid and stolid Roman place, which specialized in seafood at a reasonable price. I hate to say it, but it was a place frequented by many senior citizens. It had passed into the hands of the next generation, but was still very much a neighborhood place. I hadn’t eaten that much seafood, so I wanted my last dinner out to center around that . . . and it was Friday. 

Linguine with tuna, tomatoes & capers

Even at 7:45 (early by Roman standards) the place was crowded. I am glad I made a reservation, even if I did have to share a table with the servers’ supplies. I may someday write something about all the crappy tables you get stuck in if you are a solo diner, but not right now. I ordered pasta with fresh tuna, cherry tomatoes and capers and a mixed fry of shrimp and calamari. The pasta was perfect with chunks of tuna that had barely cooked and a luscious quick sauce. The fry needs no explanation, just straightforward home cooking. I washed it down with a jug of the house white. A very nice meal to end my Roman holiday.