Max Weiler Retrospective: Finding the Sublime through Nature and Art

Ironically, my last post about our visit to Vienna is about the first thing I did there. I think it has taken all this time to consider that first moment and what it meant to me. While Eric bustled off for his first day of the Mozart seminar, I went out for cappuccino & a chocolate croissant and then meandered over to the Albertina. It was my first museum of the trip and I arrived just at opening time and so had the place practically to myself.

I wandered in to a special exhibit on the works of Max Weiler, an Austrian artist whose work I had never seen before. It was a retrospective, and it was moving to see someone's entire life's work gathered up from start to finish. You could see the ideas he was grappling with as a young man and how they clarified and matured as he gained insight and experience.


His work is abstract, yet clearly refers to nature. It is loose, but contemplative. Some are colorful, some are simple charcoal drawings, but all employ a tangled network of lines and shadows. Many are on paper and despite the large scale, this seems to give a simplicity and temporal quality to the work.

As I looked, a phrase from "Light on Life"echoed in my mind over and over again:

"Nature wants to occupy every available space."



Obviously so inspired by the natural world, Weiler's drawings and paintings reminded me of dark caves covered in glittering crystals, dripping with stalagtites like some hidden cathedral in the bowels of the earth. Or perhaps of coves deep beneath the sea, dotted with spiky urchins or swirls of delicate crabs clicking about in elaborate shells. Perhaps even the windswept green and gold hills of his beloved Tyrolean hills. His work seemed so alive, so vibrant. And yet so full of space and calm.

In "Light on Life" Iyengar says that the ancient yogis retreated from the Indian jungles so choked with life, struggle and birth from decay to the Himalayas because they were barren and silent. A good place with space for the spirit to fill. A quiet museum is another such place.

I stood there silently looking and felt overwhelmed. I found a deep relief at being there alone, with no other person to consider or interfere with my experience. A sadness at not being able to enjoy that experience more often. Tears came to my eyes when the question I most want to answer (and most fear answering) bubbled to the surface: What is the desire of my heart? What is it I am called to do?

As I looked, I found a renewed sense that making art can be a holy life, full of contemplation and stripped of egotism and selfishness. It can be a way to consider the world and deepen your humanity at the same time. A path to God perhaps. Creativity is a powerful thing that rushes through us, like a river carving away at a gorge. It employs, energizes, enlarges what is best in us, washing away what is decayed and crumbling. When stopped up or clung to it becomes stagnant or destructive. It is one thing and yet no-thing, just as the Buddha described the self. Constant and yet defined by change.

I also felt fear- fear of being unskilled, untrained, unversed in the philosophies and traditions someone like this was using as a kind of shorthand in creating his own private vocabulary. Fear of the solitude creation like that demands. Fear of the boredom, the silence, the intellectual heavy lifting.

And yet.

What a fascinating way to spend your life- immersed in a world you are creating and re-creating, constantly purifying, simplifying, stripping away.

From Weiler's journals:

"Whenever I stand in nature, I am overcome by an enormous sense of exaltation. I look, I see and I am moved by a variety of times of day and seasons, by a variety of localities. A feeling of union with nature seizes me. Nature becomes quite transparent for me. I am drawn into the weaving of its being. A great sense of calm streams from the expansive, fulfilled plenum, the most perfect contentment – a joy of becoming one with an immense, sublime creation. Huge respect in the face of such a creative force. Boundless reverence. This would seem to be a world feeling. It becomes visible in artists from different times, almost always in the same way, in a most magnificent way by the Chinese of the 10th to the 13th centuries. (1973)"

That is the sublime. I wonder how my path to it will unfold.

Visiting Vienna: Bretzel Gwolb for Pretzels, Beer & Eierschwammerl

Just around the corner from our Vienna apartment was another Rick Steves recommendation: The Bretzel Gwolb which he describes as "Tolkeinesque". Since Eric & I are more than a little Hobbit like, (short of stature, lovers of life, books and good eating) we took this as a sign and spent a few afternoons sipping beers here.

Though they seemed oddly reluctant to bring us pretzels, when they did arrive they were wonderful. Hot, chewy and covered with nice coarse salt.

We also tried Eierschwammerl, (we call them chanterelles) which have a very short season and were featured all over town while we were there. I'm not usually a mushroom lover, but I am beginning to suspect I just haven't had many good mushrooms in my life. These were light, woody and perfectly paired with a creamy butter wine sauce, endives and sauteed potatoes.

Le menu du jour was cheerfully chalked up on their green shutters. The homey picnic tables and benches were painted a matching shade of forest green. Window boxes overflowing with herbs made the tiny cobbled courtyard feel like a secret garden. We spent a colder evening in the candle lit interior which feels like a cellar decked out with rustic wraught iron chandeliers, worn wooden tables and red velvet upholstery. Very atmospheric indeed.

What is your favorite restaurant experience abroad?

Visiting Vienna: Tresniewski's How To

Here's how to visit the famous Trzesniewski cafe in Vienna. (Their slogan translates to "unpronounceably good." It's right on the money.)

Go in for a snack around 4 or 5. Select tiny open face sandwiches from the wide variety a the cafeteria style counter. Get a teeny tiny beer to wash it down with. Eric got smoked bacon and egg, mine was sweet pickle relish, a hardboiled egg and lots of paprika.

Find a table inside or stand at the high top tables outside if you've got your dog along. Set to work.

Laugh about your day. Munch. Chit chat. People watch. Relax.

Your work here is done.

Visiting Vienna: An Afternoon at the Opera

I want to be the sort of person who loves theater in general and opera in particular, but I have to confess that both leave me cold. Theater going experiences are so variable- sometimes wonderful, but oftentimes I feel lukewarm about the performances, costumes, singing, plot or all of the above. And it's invariably an expensive proposition going to the theater, while comparatively (and in more ways than one), most movies are cheap.

I'd been to see three operas before- all in Eric's company and all in German. I slept through one, but I blame extreme jet lag and no subtitles. In Vienna, I couldn't wait to give it another go since it's The Opera Capital of the World.

Due to a minor ticketing snafu and one very kind box office agent, we ended up sitting in a box for an afternoon performance of Strauss's Die Fledermaus at The Volkstheater for around $17 USD. I felt so queenly walking into that sumptuous little box all done up in thickly padded red velvet chairs, red damask wall paper and pretty crystal light fixtures. (And glad I decided to dress up for a matinee!)

The audience was mostly school children, which surprised us given the sexual innuendo in this opera. However, the objective seemed to be exposing children to a high culture experience rather than getting them to understand the intricacies of plot and double entendres. Even though the wiggled and whispered through the performance, most of these kids will grow up to be Vienese people who can't get enough Opera. In fact, as adults, they will spend summer evenings down at the Rathaus eating Indian curries or Thai noodles on porcelain plates with a big glass of wine or beer on a folding chair, raptly watching opera on a vast outdoor screen. That's what tradition and culture mean to Vienna and it was lovely to see the adults helping to facilitate this life long love affair with culture for their students.

The subtitles and wonderful acting made it easy to follow this Opera which certainly adds enjoyment. The farce kept building to a chaotic and climactic final scene that made us laugh out loud. I may have to give theater a second chance. Have you ever been to an Opera? What did you love? What did you hate?

Visiting Vienna: An Island Picnic & Summer Fair

Vienna sits right along the Blue Danube (though it's really more a muddy grey color) and in the middle is an island formed by a canal. We decided it would be a nice spot for a picnic.

I made a little trio of pretty salami & cheese sandwhiches, piled the plate high with nectarines and cherries and brought along a little blanket. The weather here this summer has been quite unpredictable this summer and when it started drizzling we decided to pack up and stroll towards the other end. (The island is skinny, but quite long!)

We stumbled upon some sort of summer festival- there were all sorts of booths, radio stations, puppet shows, a woodworker, and of course, an Airstream selling crepes! I don't need to remind you how I've fantasized about this sort of thing. Can you imagine roaming the countryside in your crepe mobile, sharing the joys of Nutella with everyone you meet? Delightful.

This lady was selling "Lebkuchen" which Eric tells me means "Life Cakes". It's gingerbread decorated with little love notes and strung onto ribbons so you can hang them as decoration or gobble them up.

I also quite liked how this pretzel man had managed to match his tablecloth, napkins and shirt! Very dapper indeed. Gingham seems just right for the humble pretzel, wouldn't you agree?

Have you been on any picnics this summer? What about street fairs? I love the fluff of bright pink cotton candy or an icy snow cone on a hot summer day.

Visiting Vienna: Cafe Orlando di Castello

One of my favorite food stops in Vienna so far has been Orlando di Castello. This charming little cafe is just two blocks from our apartment.

Aren't their lacy cafe chairs pretty? They remind me of elaborate calligraphy on a fancy wedding invitation.
I think Eggs Benedict is one of my all time favorite dishes. I really must learn how to poach an egg so I can make it at home. This one was perfectly made with a light herb Hollandaise sauce, salty ham and a toasty roll.

I am falling madly in love with Viennese cafe culture- people bring a stack of magazines and books with them, order a coffee (which always comes perfectly made with a tiny glass of water) and while away the afternoon catching up on news and fashion. The waiter never brings the bill until you ask and you can sit for hours. (I start to feel antsy after only an hour or two, in the States I always feel like I need to buy something every few hours if I'm camping out like that.)

This article (which sports far better photographs of the uber hip cafe interior) informs me that the design was inspired by "50 Cent, Queen Victoria and a girl from Tyroll". My thoughts exactly. (Ha!)

These total experiences are what I miss most about an urban lifestyle when we are back in rural Hawaii. Here there is attention paid to food, service, and the atmosphere you are enjoying which elevates the experience and creates additional value. Sometimes these hip places can feel cold and intimidating, but the staff here was so welcoming and friendly that spending the whole morning was blissful.

Are there chic but friendly places to eat where you live? Which is your favorite?

Visiting Vienna: Setting the Scene

Vienna is strikingly beautiful. There are architectural details like arched window frames, baroque statuary, giant limestone blocks and pillars and matching topiary at entrances to cafes that create a tidy and dignified elegance. The quaint touches haven't been overlooked either- horse drawn carriages for sightseers clip clop across the uneven grey cobblestones and the rooftops are covered with rounded glazed tile or faded wooden shingles.

I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't know much about Vienna or Austrian culture beyond The Sound of Music and Mozart. I wasn't sure what there was to see or do here. Now that we've already been here almost two weeks, I'm so glad we had an entire month to spend enjoying this lovely place. There are so many treasures of history, culture, art and music here-I've enjoyed doing it slowly and savoring each moment. I will do my best to share it so that you can also linger over this wonderful place whether you are near or far.

Visiting Vienna: Our Flat!

First order of business on arrival in Vienna? Laundry. (Did I mention we each packed nothing but a carry-on for this six week adventure?)

Second order of business? Removing the terrifying artwork (The bosoms, primary colors AND cubism were a bit much for me.) for safekeeping under the Murphy bed.

We have yet to fold it up, but I think we may have some friends over for dinner, in which case we'll definitely need the room! Note the twin duvets on the queen sized bed. An interesting European phenomenon which has it's logic- no one can steal the covers and leave the other shivering in the night- but makes for a funny looking made bed.



It's a tiny place, but we have a great location with much of the landmarks in this very walkable city only a few blocks away. (Thanks as always to that talented Eric!) I've enjoyed living in such a tiny space- cleaning up is a cinch and everything is easy to find. I also like the Goldilocks sensation of just right- not too much, not too little.

However, I think this is a trade off I'd only be willing to make if I had a city at my disposal for those times when I start to feel a bit stir crazy. No doubt this is how Viennese cafe culture got it's start- they really do feel like communal living rooms but with a pastry case and those wooden library holders on the newspapers. I'd also do it in exchange for life at sea or on the open road. But in rural Hawaii? I think I need just a tad more space- if only for parties! We'll see how things shake out when we return to our island.

Have you ever lived in a tiny studio? What were the pluses in your mind? The minuses?

Eating in Vienna: Candy Parade!

Gruss Gott! (That's how Vienese say "Hello"!) Due to a series of internet snafus I've been unable to post as much as I'd like. So even though we are actually in Vienna, I haven't been able to share any of our adventures in Rome yet. I'm not sure if I should try and catch up or just jump in where we are. While I'm debating, I thought I'd show you a few more little delicacies I've been enjoying right this second.

Haribo is king here, and though I'm not usually much of a gummy fan, I couldn't resist this 1.3 Kilo box of assorted goodness. These fluffy little white marshmallow mice are my favorites hands down, thought the twin cherries also have their charm.


The pretty packaging (an octagonal box!) drew me to these Moser Roth Pralines and they were a bit of a dissapointment to be honest. The peach filling in each truffle is quite saccharine. I think I prefer liqueur filled dark chocolates, or even cordials, because the alcohol adds a bit of bite and balances the sweetness. But aren't the wrappers pretty? They remind me of pineapples and I think it would be a charming way to do a party favor in Hawaii sometime.

Hope your week is as sweet as mine so far!