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.