Visiting Vienna: Lipizanner Stallions at The Spanish Riding School

Thank goodness I made it to June's very last Lipizzaner Stallion performance at Vienna's Spanish Riding School because this venerable institution closes down for all of July and August.

Image from DQFlix

The art of classical dressage is an old one, originally based on military maneuvers but perfected into something more like dance over centuries of breeding and careful training. I didn't know much about this sport or the school, though I'd heard it described as "ballet for horses". I bought a standing room ticket for 25 Euros and found a spot on the steps against the wall of the arena.

It was the fanciest horse ring I've ever seen in my life. It was commissioned by Emperor Charles IV in 1773 and is certainly fit for a king! The ring is rather narrow, but the hall reaches upward in a graceful arch with elaborate statuary & friezes all along the perimeter. Two massive glittering crystal chandeliers light the arena. After an enlightening introduction in both German and English, the horses and riders pranced out.

The Lipizzaner Stallions themselves are a special breed with Arabian and Spanish blood lines and undergo almost eight years of gentle training before they perform for the crowds in Vienna. They are white, but some still retained the grey mottling of adolescence. You could see that this is a proud and special breed, and the announcer noted they are prized for intelligence, memory and obedience. As they marched along they kept their noses close to their bodies creating a beautiful arch in their necks. Their riders wore brown jackets with gold buttons, white breeches, black boots and old fashioned wool hats that reminded me of Thomas Jefferson. The rows of gold trim on their saddle blankets indicates their position in the school. Three rows is the highest, reserved for the master of the school.

Image from Your Horse

The performance lasted about 90 minutes set entirely to music of Strauss and Mozart. (Fan favorites in their hometown of Vienna!) The highlight of the performance for me was a sort of duet where two horses and riders mirrored each other in a complicated series of pirouettes, circles, leaps and marches in perfect time to the music.

Were you obsessed with horses when you were little? I certainly was! My parents even gave me riding lessons for a few years. I also had a giant collection of Breyer horses. Have you ever seen dressage in person? What did you think?

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: 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?

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!

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: 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?

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?

The Journey Continues: Summer in Austria!

Hello My Dears-

We have news! Eric has won a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to study Mozart in Vienna, Austria this summer! We are busy making preparations and trying to decide how this trip will fit into our plans. We are hoping to make stops in Italy and England as well.

He applied for two grants but this one is feeling more and more like a match made in heaven. Eric spent a year living in Frieburg Germany in college, and has some (rusty!) German language skills. This program ends just before the Hawaiian school year starts up again (in late July, quite soon really!) And he is constantly tinkering around on various instruments around the house- over the years he's learned to play songs on the accordion, guitar, ukulele and piano.

And for the perfect cherry on top, our local Kona Music Society is celebrating Mozart with a special screening of the excellent film Amadeus this weekend and a performance of Requiem in May. Is that a sign or what?

I am so proud of my husband's ability to seek out and capture opportunities for growth. I have to confess, at times I feel anxious about what will happen next and can't see how it will all come together. I am learning to worry less by staying present in the moment, but I still feel doubt sometimes. He is steadfast in his faith in himself and continues to teach me what it means to have confidence in the journey. Congratulations my love and thank you for sharing this crazy adventure with me.

Packing up!

Source: notetosarah.tumblr.com via Devon on Pinterest

School has ended at last, I've just tapped in a spring recital for the Dancing Tree, today I'm baking a cake for a going away and engagement party for some dear friends and I've been slowly but steadily taking down the tent poles around here while also packing for my summer adventures in Oregon, New York and Minnesota. Whew! I will get back into my blogging routine in earnest as I travel. (We did have fun together last summer in Vienna, didn't we?)

Do you have any summer vacation plans?

Ballet Flats with a Mousy Twist

As I was unpacking our earthly possessions during this last move, I discovered that I am drawn to objects that have a function, but are shaped like something else. Particularly animals. I own a teapot shaped like an elephant, a cream and sugar set shaped like cows, a salt and pepper shaker shaped like a pair of mushrooms, a measuring tape shaped like Pinocchio, and of course, a lollipop holder shaped like a peacock. You know, truly practical, every day items. Giggle.

So obviously these Marc Jacobs Ballet Flats that look like a Mouse are right up my alley. I saw an adorable Japanese girl wearing a pair in Vienna this summer and felt a pang of jealousy stab right through my stomach and shoot out my spine. So cute. And yet, so cool.

Hers were a soft looking suede, but this studded version reminds me of a very tough biker rat. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to mouse hunt on ebay.

Auf Wiedersehen B.I.G!

And we're off! I hope you'll follow along on our adventures this summer. We'll be making stops in Boson, Copenhagen, Naples, Rome and Vienna and anywhere else that strikes our fancy. I'll do my best to be a dutiful blogger so you can enjoy our trip right from your computer! See you soon.

xo-

Madame B

A Quest for Gorgeous Opal Jewelery

My birthstone is an Opal. This stunning gem comes in an incredible assortment of colors (from the bottom of the ocean blue to the palest seashell pink) and has an ethereal shimmer, but I have rarely seen it featured in a piece of jewelry that I like. They are often made from cobbled together inlays and embellished with dark woods or silly flourishes. Usually one sees white opals set in sterling silver which look washed out and cheap, like bubblegum machine mood rings. Internet searches were futile since I didn't have any descriptors to clarify what I was looking for. I would know it when I saw it.

While in Vienna, I saw some extraordinary examples of Art Nouveau jewelery, including several breathtaking pieces showcasing opals. Now I knew which search terms to enter: antique and Art Nouveau. That search turned up this beauty.

I love everything about this piece (except the $10,000 price tag.) I love the scale of it first and foremost- dainty jewelery is not my thing. I like over-sized, exceptional statement pieces. I love how the stone itself is the showpiece- one giant, unbroken hunk which can catch the light and dazzle. The teardrop shape is artistic and sophisticated- it reminds me of something Georgia O'Keefe would have worn in turquoise. The square cut sapphires and emeralds on either side enhance the design and accent the colors shining from inside the opal itself.


Then while catching up on my pile of summer magazines, I clapped eyes on these showstoppers in Martha Stewart Weddings. There is no price tag featured on either the website or the magazine- price upon request is never a good sign for people on a teacher's budget. Nevertheless, what I love about these earrings is how the opals are the star- not upstaged by other elements. And of course, it doesn't hurt that they are my two favorite colors on earth- blue and green.

What is your birthstone? Do you have a piece of birthstone jewelery you are in love with? From the looks of these picks I'd better start saving immediately if I want an incredible piece of opal jewelery for my 30th birthday the October after next. (Actually, it may have to wait till 50!)

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.

Strawberry, Lace and Cream Delight (A Riff on the Sundae)

Since we had our exciting news about Summer in Vienna, I've been determined to use up the contents of our pantry, freezer & fridge. (Is it just me, or is throwing away food the worst part of moving?)

This riff on a Sundae was one of the happy results. It's a simple oatmeal lace cookie ( a cinch to make, it only took me ten minutes! I left out the corn syrup because I didn't have any and they were just lovely.) a little cloud of whipped cream and some local strawberries from the farmer's market. I liked the lace cookies sitting atop my vinyl lace place mats from Urban Outfitters. I guess I have lace on the brain lately. What's cooking at your house lately?

P.S) Any tips for using up lentils? I have boatloads of them and only a month to go.

LAST CALL for Summer Brides!

Hello Baby Bride & Groom Vintage Wedding Cake Topper

Last day to place orders from the shop before I close up and head to Vienna for the summer! (Never fear, I'll reopen in August.) Happy Wedding Season darlings!

P.S I've packed up almost every room in the house, save my studio and bedroom. It's looking quite bare in here!