Paroissien’s in Paris

Such an old old city, with so much drama over the years, including being bombed by the Allies during the 2^nd world war.   It is so hard to imagine for us, living in Australia and of a different generation, but it must have been so horrific for everyone.

Why Vienna – it was on Ian’s ‘to do’ list, so we flew over last week for a few days.  And we now know why Europe doesn’t seem too concerned about water - it rained and rained and rained for 2 days - but that’s why the gardens and parks are so beautiful and green.  However  you are not allowed to walk on the grass in Vienna - even 40 years ago when I was camping through Europe, my girlfriends and I were having our salad roll sitting on the grass - as one does in Australia.   Along came the policeman and asked for our passports - you can imagine our reaction.  We very hastily gathered up our picnic and headed for the seats. - so nothing has changed.

Of course Vienna is so associated with the Spanish Riding School – nothing to do with Spain apparently, just that originally the horses came from there, back about 500 years ago!!!.  Because  it is summer  the horses are on holiday at Piber, east of Vienna .    However we did tour the great riding hall and the stables. (and they were also the same as 40 years ago!)

Vienna is also Graham Greene’s stamping ground - and in the cinema next to our hotel they were showing The Third Man - set in vienna at the end of the war, so you saw all the bombing rubble etc. And of course a great story.
 

Other highlights included:

-         the Opera House – renovated and restored and very popular - they sell out their entire Opera Season;  and we even went on the stage;  they have 4 stages which can be dropped or lowered for each set - a huge area and quite amazing;

-         the Sisi museum – named for the Empress Elisabeth of the Habsburg Monarchy.  This was a tour through the royal apartments and the silver and porcelain collections - so beautiful and well presented;

-         a walking tour through the Habsburg Palace area

-         the National Biblioteque – stunning – certainly a highlight and on a par with the library at Trinity college in Dublin – its paintings and sculptures are superb.

-         Churches – an organ recital at St Peters – the most decorated church we have ever been in – and totally over the top! – but the acoustics were terrific – the organ was very loud. (see photo above)

-         St Stephens – the centre of Vienna – it lost its roof during the war and was retiled with green and white tiles in the pattern of an Asian carpet – quite unusual really and certainly a talking point.

-         St Augustins – the private chapel of the Habsburg royal Family.

-         The Hundetwasser – a village along the lines of Gaudi’s work in Barcelona – very different (see photo above)

-         Schonbrunn Palace – we caught the local train – a dry day at last.   Toured the royal apartments, very sumptious..  But the gardens were the highlight – including a zoo, an orangery and a glass house with, among other things, Australian palms.The glass house was the most amazing structure (see photo)

-         The tour de France – each afternoon we would race back to our hotel to watch the last 30 minutes, especially Cadel Evans.  Amazing how being in the same time zone develops ones interest in an event which we know nothing about – except it seems pretty tough!!

-         A special evening – with a dinner beforehand, a ride in a fiacre (horse and carriage) to the Koncerthaus for an evening of Mozart –popular songs from  Mozart’s operas.  And at interval we met the singers and the conductor and talked about singing in Europe .     The fun part of this was the horse and carriage ride – with Ian vowing and declaring that he would never do this. And certainly won’t again!!

-         But the big  highlight was listening to Mozart’s Requiem at the Karlskirche (St Charles church) one evening – quite magical.

So a wonderful 5 days – completed with seeing Mama Mia at the cinema next door - great music to liven up one’s spirit, notwithstanding it had nothing to do with Vienna or Mozart and Strauss.  But then again, we had done that bit too.

Back to Paris :  and a day in the country.
A colleague of Ian’s and his wife Corinne invited us to spend a day at their country home - first time on the RER (suburban train network in Paris) and then a car ride from Etampe. 

So lovely to be in the countryside.  Like many Parisians, Stephen and Corinne have an apartment in Paris and then a house inthe country which is easy to get to for weekends.   They have lots of garden with fruit trees, pines and deciduous plane and elm trees - and it must look very pretty during the winter with snow on the ground.   They also have a swimming pool with a glass roof over the top - quite ingenuous.   
We enjoyed a lovely bbq lunch of special saussicon - local specialty sausage - and lamb, and a great ratatouille.  And a chance to practice my very basic French - or at least get a few pronunciations corrected - it’s a challenge.

Au revoir again - we leave for London shortly.

Barb