…and art in an expected place!

I unfortunately don’t have any photos of the Belvedere Palace because photographs are prohibited; the guards are pretty good at enforcing that rule too. Right now the main attraction is the Klimt exhibit, which is something I’ve been eager to check out since we arrived. The Kiss was phenomenal of course; though, I did expect it to be bigger. It was an unexpected visit in other ways, too, because Dr. O started a debate among our group today that escalated and left a few members of class hurt and confused. The debate was over the couple in The Kiss – the question, a seemingly simple question: is the woman enjoying herself? One member of class in particular was heartbroken because most people in the class decided that the woman was, in fact, not enjoying herself. She was, and continues to be, convinced that the woman digs the man. I’m still not sure… but her feet look strange regardless.

Art in Unexpected Places

On our way to the Belvedere today, Jenna and I encountered this weird sculpture. And it grew weirder and weirder as we walked closer because it plays music! It was a fun piece of artwork; however, I liked the artwork at the Belvedere much more.

Mozart’s Greatest Hits

Last night we went to a Mozart concert at the State Opera/Konzerthaus. The Golden Hall was magnificent, though I wouldn’t say the acoustics were perfect. Overall a great concert – but, once again, I think a lot of families dragged unwilling relatives to the concert… there were quite a few sleepers about 5 minutes into the program.

Also, look at the photo — aww, what a fun group!

Spa City

My cousin casually told me that Budapest is known for its mineral baths… and, when doing my research about the city, I discovered that its known as “Spa City.” We decided to go to Hotel Gellert, a famous hotel and spa in Budapest, to check out their baths. It took a while to get used to the smell of the mineral water, as well as the swimming caps that they made us wear, but it was fun and relaxing overall.

Hungry for Hungary!

We’re in Budapest today! I’ve always wanted to go, and since it is only 3 hours away from Vienna, it seemed like a worthy weekend excursion! However, as seen in the picture, it seems like we’ve been on the move all week – bags and all! I’ll be happy to stay in Vienna next weekend, especially since it’s our last one during the program.

Well, that well was awesome!

I loved that well at the Esterhazy Castle today – especially when our semi-stern tour guide started making sound effects! [Note my reaction.]

Happy (day after the) Assumption of Mary Day, all!

The best excursion of the trip so far was, hands down, the Alps. I hadn’t been hiking for a few months, so it was a treat in that regard. It was unlike any other hike I had been on in the past; the trails I’ve hiked haven’t been as pebbly/rocky. But, who cares — it’s the Alps!

Wow, it was a fantastic day! I hiked with a great group—Lili, Pilar, Juliet, Jenna, and Maria—and we continually challenged ourselves to keep walking to the next peak. We eventually turned around because we knew that we had to trek close to 10 miles back, but, if we had waiting to stop at the most interesting peak, we would have never stopped because each tip had another wonderful sight to see!

Related to exercise: there’s an ethos about wellness in Austria—and perhaps in all of Europe—that is noticeably different than that of the United States. Austrians seem to integrate exercise and healthy habits into their everyday lives; for instance, many take public transit and walk the rest of the way to work. Additionally, when we were in the Alps, the age of hikers ranged from about 6 years old to late sixties. It was amazing!

Here’s to the guide at Bergkirche today!

I just wanted to add a post about this guy — he was so kind and patient with us — and upbeat to boost. I’d say he’s the best tour guide we’ve had all trip, hands down!

Bergkirche

We visited this interesting church in Eisenstadt today: it had an ambulatory that wrapped around inside and outside of the church. Each station marked another step in the martyrdom of Jesus.

Schubert

I can’t forget Franz Schubert, another great Austrian. This is my favorite rendition of Ave Maria.