August 18th

The Kiss- Gustav Klimt- Belvedere art gallery

Judith with head of Holofernes- Gustav Klimt- Belvedere art gallery

Grand Marble Hall- belvedere

Today was our guided tour of the Belvedere Palace, courtesy of Dr. O. The summer palace of Eugene of Savoy, construction on the Belvedere Palace began in 1721 and in just two years, was fully constructed. Lucas Von Hildebrandt was the architect whom Prince Eugene fully entrusted with the grand project. Even though Hildebrandt had everything he needed to construct the palace, the fact that it only took two years to complete is simply astounding, considering they have been trying to fix the fountains out in front of the upper Belvedere for three years now. It was interesting to see how Hildebrandt incorporated Prince Eugene’s victory over the Turks in 1683. Hildenbrandt carved Turkish figures into the walls, forcing them to hold up the roof of the Belvedere much like Atlas holds the world on his shoulders in Greek mythology. In this way their defeat in 1683 will forever be immortalized. Standing in the Grand Marble Hall, the grandeur of the baroque style of the palace is clearly shown. The ceilings are done by the Italian painter Carlone, and are done in such a way to mess with your perspective. The ceilings seem to be very high until you actually go up several floors and can peer out and see that the ceilings are not as high up. In Steven Beller's Concise history of Austria, he interprets the Baroque in Austria as being defined by Italian art that was put into service of the Hapsburg dynasty. The Belvedere blends this together seamlessly to give you a definitive Baroque style. The wide mirrors and rich marble sculptures adorn the walls of this room. The elegant chandeliers hang in the room glistening with the light that emanates into the palace. This was all about making an individual feel small when they walked into this grand hall in the Belvedere because baroque architecture is meant to make you feel that way and is no surprise that Baroque has come to be associated with imperial wealth and absolutism. The works by Gustav Klimt were absolutely exquisite because of the rich detail and use of gold in the finished works. The crazy part is that Klimt was asked by the university of Vienna for samples of his works and they rejected him, thinking he didn’t possess the qualities that would make him a successful artist.  I took an art history class before I transferred to Davis at my community college and I remember seeing  Judith with the head of Holofernes and The Kiss. I never thought that I would see any of those works in person but here I am in the Belvedere art gallery, staring face to face at these famous works. It is interesting when you hear that Klimt thought that women were very mysterious and that men were putty in the arms of a beautiful woman. This is most evident in The Kiss as we looked upon the work. Some people thought the woman was enjoying the passionate kiss; others thought she didn’t want to be bothered by her male companion’s display of affection. I truly believe that If Klimt thought heavily about the feminine mystique, he wanted to portray her in such a way that the audience looking at the painting has no idea what is going through her mind. This made The Kiss one of the more fascinating pieces of art to look at because you can get an idea as to how Klimt wanted to paint it, but it is also so open to individual interpretation which makes it such an interesting piece of art to look at and discuss.

August 17th

Sacher Torte w/ Whipped Cream

Original Stained Glass from Stephansdom

Original Sculptures of Saints from Stephansdom

Martyrdom of St. Catherine

Today I decided to go to the Café Sperl and do some blogging while enjoying a Koffee Brauner, which is served black with just a splash of milk. The coffee was good but didn’t blow me away. I decided to order the Sacher Torte as well to experience this famous dessert. It was a chocolate cake with apricot jam in the middle, and dark chocolate icing on the top and sides. The Sacher torte was supposed to be the favorite desert of Franz Josef when he ruled Austria from 1848 to 1916. The cake was not very moist so the whipped cream on the side is a must.. It wasn’t too sweet and had a little tartness to the flavor. It was a nice dessert to accompany a cup of coffee though. The waitress at Café Spearl came over promptly and took my order but once she gave me the Sacher torte and the Koffee Brauner, she was then nowhere to be seen. It is nice how the servers just leave you alone but at the same time when you are ready to pay they are nowhere to be found. The waitress literally smoked three cigarettes while I looked at her to try and get her attention. Finally she came over and I could pay and be on my way. It is quite a change from getting a coffee at starbucks where you just pay and be one your way. It is a much more relaxed way of ordering a coffee. The server makes their way over and takes your order and just leaves you be to enjoy it. Most Viennese people just love to enjoy some good conversation and read the newspaper. After that I went to the Wien Museum, which Dr.O recommended a visit to. It was awesome because they had actual sculptures from Stephansdom that had been saved from the fire that brought the roof of Stephansdom down in 1945. Dr.O had discussed at length how they removed some of the stained glass that had once been in the cathedral because of the many different art styles that were incorporated into Stephansdom. Thanks to Dr. O I was able to identify the martyrdom of St. Catherine as she was shown before the wheel and then shown before her death kneeling in prayer in front of the executioner with a sword clutched in his hands over his head, about to deliver the deathly blow to Catherine. The exhibit of sculptures and artwork that were originally in Stephansdom, was the most fascinating in the Wien Museum for me. It showed me how desperate the Viennese were in saving the valuable pieces that were originally in one of the preeminent cathedrals in the city. 

August 16th

Middle Kingdom Columns

Gemma Augustea Cameo

Greek Helmet

Egyptian Sarcophagus 

Today started out real rainy so a few of us headed to the Kunsthistoriches Museum to take a look at some of the exhibits that we missed when we had our tour with Dr.O. Mariza, Misha, Josh, and myself went and checked out the ancient Egyptian artifacts as well as classical antiquity pieces from Greece and Rome. What were fascinating were the 4,000-year-old columns that were actually from the middle kingdom of ancient Egypt. The columns were actually given as a gift to Franz Josef who began ruling the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1848 amidst the revolutions that were breaking out in Europe around this time. The columns were actually given to Franz Josef as a gift and were shipped from Alexandria to Vienna by boat and train. It was just amazing to think how Franz Josef was gifted these columns that were stood in Egypt around 4,000 years ago and are still used as necessary support columns. The Kunsthistoriches Museum has the world’s largest collections of Roman cameos. These cameos were used to reflect contemporary Roman history. The most famous cameo that is on display there is the Gemma Augustea that depicts Emperor Augustus at his coronation with a goddess placing the oak leaves atop his head. Underneath, a victory over barbarian hoards is emphasized with the Romans taking prisoners. It is a beautiful piece carved by a skilled stonecutter into Arabian sardonix. The Kunsthistoriches Museum has a wide collection of items and just shows how the power of the Hapsburgs, ruling over the Holy Roman Empire. The ancient Egyptian columns standing inside the museum showed just how much respect the Hapsburgs commanded in world politics. If Egypt gave 4,000-year-old columns to Franz Josef, the ruler of the Austrian- Hungarian empire, one cannot help but imagine the clout that the Hapsburgs carried. It illustrated to me that most of the treasures can be seen today because of the influence and undeniable power that the Hapsburgs had allowed for such international recognition.

August 15th

Today a small group of us went to Café Zul because the Internet was down at our apartment complex. I ordered a mélange which is one of the classic Viennese selections at coffe houses. It is most likely comparable to the cappuccino. It is served with milk and just a little whipped cream to top it off. The cultural importance of the cafes in Vienna is apparent when you are in one of the many cafes that pop up all around the city. People were sitting out front enjoying good conversation. Most common are the people who take their dogs for a walk and then sit outside in the beautiful weather to enjoy a nice mélange or Brauner. It is a great opportunity to converse or to just enjoy reading a chapter out of your current book or get up to date on current events by flipping through the paper. The importance of coffee in Vienna dates back to 1683 when Eugene of Savoy pushed the Turks out of the city limits. When the Turks retreated, it has been said that they just left mass quantities of coffee behind to the victorious Viennese. This Turkish influence however is very noticeable as there still continues to be countless coffee houses all around Vienna. After my cup of coffee I was feeling hungry and decided to pay a visit to the SchnitzelHaus. The pork schnitzel burger is very tasty and they batter and beat the pork meat right there in front of you when you order. I thought I would be polite and order in German and ordered correctly until the employee asked me in German whether I wanted chicken or pork schnitzel. I didn’t know how to respond correctly so he became agitated and asked me in English. This is just one of my examples of encountering less than friendly Viennese. I just try to be polite and friendly but most people in Vienna I’ve noticed don’t want to be bothered with pleasantries. After this Mike, Misha, and myself went to The Duke, an English pub, to catch the Liverpool-Arsenal game. We are big soccer fans and wanted watch the game live. It was quite interesting to be in an English pub where no one was actually English. Don’t get me wrong the people working at the bar spoke very good English, but they were all 100% Austrian. But they were showing the Liverpool- Arsenal game so we were in no rush to leave. It was not the greatest atmosphere for watching a soccer match, no one was really into the game but we enjoyed it and made our own atmosphere in the bar with our enthusiasm while watching the match.

August 13th/14th

French Muskets-Captured at Battle of Leipzig

Castle Forchtenstien

Today we left the Alps and headed to Castle Forchtenstien. It lies on the Burganland which is the region that forms  the borderland between Austria and Hungary.  The main tower was constructed in the 13^th century. The Esterhazy family came to the castle and transformed into a Baroque palace complete with an Italian frescos in the chapel of the holy virgin decorating the ceiling. The murals on the entrance way had images that depicted images from ancient antiquity that had 120 pictures of all the Caesars that comprised the Holy Roman Empire. A fascinating claim made by the Esterhazy family was that they could trace the bloodline all the way back to Dracula, Attila the Hun, and even Adam and eve. This clearly illustrated how the Esterhazy family claimed to have an historical bloodline that would emphasize their power and their supreme nobility within the Burgenland of Austria- Hungary. Paul Esterhazy wrote about the harmony of the heavens, commenting on the overall beauty of the intricate fresco paintings. It was interesting to see how Castle Forckinstien was never besieged by the Turks considering how many times the Turks attacked Austria, trying to expand their empire. Castle Forckinstien also served as an armory and their were countless examples of Austrian weaponry on display ranging from battle armor used in the 30 years war, to the more modern muskets of the 17^th and 18^th century. The display that really caught my attention though was seeing muskets that were captured from Napoleon’s French forces at the Battle of Leipzig in Germany. I actually visited the monument in the city of Leipzig that was erected to honor those who were lost during the victory over Napoleon’s forces. The monument is bigger than the modern day Eiffel tower and obviously was intended to honor the brave men who lost their lives, while also sticking it to the French at the same time by making the monument dwarf the Eiffel tower.
August 14th

Neptune Fountain

French Garden at Schonbrunn

Front Entrance to Schonbrunn

Today I visited the beautiful Schloss Schonbrunn. Schonbrunn in German actually translates to “the beautiful spring”. The palace was absolutely beautiful and having seen pictures of Versailles in France, really shows how the palace at Schonbrunn was constructed to emphasize the importance of the imperial wealth. . Originally built as a pleasure palace by Ferdinand II, it was actually raided by Turks in 1683 when they tried to invade and conquer Vienna in the same year. The Schonbrunn estate belonged to Leopold I in 1686, three years after the Turks had been driven out of  Vienna. He wanted his son to have an illustrious palace that he could live in. Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was given the initial commission to build a spectacular palace for Leopold's son. One of the interesting things about the construction of the Schonbrunn palace was that Erlach abandoned his original designs in his attempts to keep to the more traditional Baroque stylings of the 17th century. According to the Schonbrunn Palace website, Erlach decided to design Schonbrunn palace around a central axis. For example, the main entrance is the parade court where the palace is the central axis, with buildings flanking it on either side to encircle the entrance court. This would allow for Schonbrunn to be the focal point of all other architecture in the vicinity. Maria Theresa, one of Austria’s most notable rulers made this palace her home along with her family in 1740. According to the lonely planet guidebook, the color of the palace was Theresa’s favorite. It is a rich yellow that really catches your eye and seemed to blend in seamlessly with the beauty of the grounds. I tried to sit and contemplate what other color could have been used, but I seriously could not think of a color that would complement the baroque palace in the same way that the rich yellow did.  The palace grounds were breathtaking. The French garden in the back was neatly kept, compared to English gardens, which are allowed to just grow naturally. The flora in these gardens was very colorful and had intricate patterns trimmed into the garden, which shows how much upkeep is actually necessary to maintain the order and balance within the French gardens. There were countless Viennese there who were utilizing the beauty and open space of the palace to go for a run. It truly was one of the most serene, and beautiful spots in the city of Vienna.

August 12th

Trip to the Alps

There are few times in someone’s life when they can say that they hiked along the Austrian Alps. It was absolutely beautiful and there were times when I couldn’t help but stop and just take in the sheer beauty of my surroundings. It was a beautiful sunny day, and considering the day before was just a torrential downpour it was awesome to be able to hike around for the majority of the day, not having to worry about the weather. Misha and myself met up with a small group at the ottohaus and then continued on the blue trail to the second chalet. It is amazing when you feel like you are only walking for 10 min and look back and see how much ground you actually covered. We had took pictures with a huge crucifix on top of a hill past the ottohaus and within minutes it was way off in the distance. We managed to get to the 2^nd chalet where we stopped in to have some beer and some gulashsuppe mit brot. I went to order the gulash in German and sure enough, the man behind the counter responds to me in English. I’ve always thought that Germans are the best at picking up accents. But I tried to be respectful and order in German rather than just go blabbing on in English. The soup was delicious though and after hiking for a good part of the day, was much needed. We headed back to our lodge by utilizing the red trail to return. It was nice because we got to see much different scenery than we previously had hiking along the blue trail. The landscape was much more dotted with trees and various forms of flora. We stopped to have a water break and these two Austrian men walked by and overheard Misha, Marielle, Amanda, Mariza, and myself conversing. They laughed and remarked how we were the only English-speaking people on the entire mountain. We replied that there was much more of us and they laughed and encouraged us to enjoy the rest of our hike. There were many people climbing along the Alps yesterday though. It ranged from elderly couples to entire families with their dogs. It really makes me wonder though if the Austrians actually appreciate the surroundings of the Alps even after they hike through the various trails. It really made me realize the unique perspective that I as a tourist have when visiting a place for the first time. Everything is just so beautiful and unique but to the people that frequent the Alps for example, it must be beautiful but since they have seen it so many times, they are not as awe struck as I was when I hiked through the beautiful majesty of the Austrian Alps.

August 11th

Joseph Haydn's remains

Schloss Esterhazy

Passion of the Christ

Today we got up bright and early at 8am and made our way to the city of Eisenstaedt before heading up to the Alps. We came to the front of the Esterhazy Palace, which marked the capital of the Burgenland state. According to our tour guide, Schloss Esterhazy was originally constructed in the 13^th century but came under the ownership of the Hungarian Esterhazy family in the year 1622. Under the direction of Paul the First, the palace became a Baroque seat of power for the Esterhazy family. We then headed to the Bergkirche in Eisenstaedt where the remains of Joseph Haydn lay entombed in a brilliant white marbled tomb. It was amazing to see how Bergkirche has one of the few remaining Haydn organs in the world and his remains. It was interesting to hear about the comparison between Mozart and Haydn. Haydn was happy to have the patronage of the Esterhazy family where as Mozart had a total falling out with his patron, the Archduke of Salzburg. It was interesting to see how a hymn that Haydn composed for the Hapsburgs of Austria was then used as the melody for unified Germany. I found that really interesting because I have long thought the German national anthem to be one of the most beautiful anthems in the world. It was quite a revelation to know that Haydn, one of the world’s great musical minds composed such a beautiful melody. I had no idea until I visited the city of Eisenstaedt as to the quality of music that Haydn could compose. Continuing into the Bergkirche I was exposed to the passion of the Christ, as this was re-enacted with models of the trials that Christ faced during his trial and subsequent crucifixion. It revealed to me once again how Catholic artwork emphasizes the absolute suffering of Christ. The Passion scenes in Bergkirche would have allowed even illiterate individuals to understand what happened to Christ without ever having to read the bible. It was very graphic but moving. One cannot help but feel moved by the distinct emotions that are carefully carved into the characters faces.  One would definitely not find that kind of artwork in any Protestant church because the ideals that Protestants believe in are much different when compared to the Catholics. Catholics believed that through good works, one would find salvation. So, with this being said, emphasizing Jesus’ death on the cross for the sins of all mankind would make Catholics aspire to live up to the model that Christ represents. For Protestants, God’s good grace is bestowed upon an individual, and through good behavior that person alone can be saved. That is what Martin Luther believed and is the central tenet of the Protestant branch of Christianity. They do not need to emphasize the suffering of Christ as the Catholics do because they believe that individuals realize what must be done to ensure salvation. After a full day in Eisenstaedt, we then loaded on the bus and drove to the base of our lodge in the Alps where we caught the gondola up to our hotel.