Woke up and began my 59th year! What’s in store? How will I be able to use the things I’ve learned in the past 58? Will I set my intention for more joy or continue to do so much I create stress for myself when it’s totally unnecessary? The women I know do so much, from the time they decide to marry, through children and a career that it seems so difficult to move onto another path, another way of prioritizing, a whole other way of thinking. I do not want to, no, I am going to try and choose not to continue this. When I was at the beach for a month earlier this year, I woke every morning and enjoyed breakfast, my back exercises, then a guided meditation on the beach. I want to bring that regimen into my “stateside” life. I am building The Hideout as a place where it’s so easy to prioritize my life this way, but am, at this very moment, setting the goal to bring that into my life wherever I am. So there!
Anyway, in the elegant city of Vienna, home of coffee houses, konditerei (bakeries) and kultur, we had breakfast and then headed out for the first part of the day. Hopped on the U-bahn #2 over to Schwedenplatz to catch the Ringstrasse tram that encircles the entire 1st district. Popped in our earphones and then bobbing our heads back and forth, thither and yon, we identified most historic buildings, parks and monuments. We then transferred to the #1 tram, took it partway around again, and clambered down by city hall, where a circus was encamped. Very lively scene! Snapped some photos
and walked further down to the Parliament building. More photos, although we agreed that our hearts weren’t nearly so invested in the buildings of Vienna as they had been in Budapest. Another tram ride around to the City park, and a leisurely stroll through, identifying the statues of famous composers such as Strauss (really, it’s his son playing the violin), Schubert, and a few that I’m not familiar with. As the time drew closer to 1 pm, we headed over to Steireck, a very-well written up restaurant that has the hone of having been awarded with 2 Michelin stars, a system of which Lance remains fairly skeptical.
We enter a seating area and the air is redolent of cheese. The glass in the wall allows us to look into a cheese storage area and as we go further, we see a cheese cart with about 22 varieties – hard, soft, stinky, blue, goat cow (are you listening, Valerie?) as well as a large, glass-encased room stacked with all kinds.
We tell the man we have a reservation, and he informs us that the restaurant we are looking for is on the second floor; they are a different restaurant, but they do make all the cheeses for upstairs. Hmmm…
As we ascend the stairs, the atmosphere changes to the formal, modern and sleek. There are several areas, almost like the modules of an asterisk (a tip of the hat to Jim Milstein), and we are whisked to our table. It looks out onto the front door of the restaurant, so I request a view of the park. We are accommodated immediately. As we sit, we notice there’s a smaller table that is hooked over ours, and from glancing around, I see that it is used to hold extra silverware and napkins, for keeping us appropriately outfitted. A cart is wheeled over immediately and I nod my head at the option for sparkling wine. Aaah. I enjoy sipping my bubbly, and they bring over an amuse bouche. Our waitperson announces that these are the “warm” and “cool” tastes for us to enjoy. Some kind of homemade cracker that is sitting in the slats of a warmed lava stone (?) or coal,
as well as a glass that is sat down on a large ivy leaf and contains strawberry-colored sorbet of some kind, with a wooden, flat spoon laying across the top. It’s actually a type of bitter tasting cherry, but soothing nonetheless.
A glance at the menu,
and I decide on the 6-course gustation option (schwinehund that I am) from the left side of the menu (because the had dishes not available a la carte, and, well, why not?), and Lance orders 5 from the right side of the menu. The manager backs away and our gentleman is back with lovely looking flat crisps with little leaves cooked right in. This is our “crispy” amuse bouche.
Pretty good, but mostly to soak up some champagne for me! Then the bread cart is wheeled over. There are so many kinds, I cannot remember, but my Polish genes are dancing for joy. Here’s the selection (including the 3 butters) right from the gentleman’s mouth:
I try 3 and each is better than the next. My favorite, hands down, is the rich, eggy bread with blood sausage. I always thought that blood sausage was rather disgusting in name (and therefore in taste), but oh so wrong. Mmmmm….
After the bread is served, we are presented with the “spicy” tasting, two kinds of peppers, roasted and stuffed, and one is sitting on quinoa “popcorn”, which I have to figure out how to make:
abd then our final amuse bouche arrives and it’s for the “fruity” experience.
A persimmon perfectly ripe and chilled, with a “stick” of apricot fruit leather rolled up and stuck into the top, so it looked like a big, orange lollipop. After this is placed on the table and described, our waitperson puts a card holder in front of each of us, and places in it a description of our upcoming courses; a different card for each of us.
Wow! And a new one for each course. That’s a new one for me. While we’re chatting and waiting, Lance pulls out a card (honeybees!) and gift for me. When I pull off the wrapping, I laugh. He doesn’t understand, so I explain that he purchased the gift at Jay Feder jewelry, and that’s the man who was the moil for both Michael and Matt! I open the box and there find a beautiful pair of diamond-encrusted half-hoop earrings with a big citrine hanging off the end of each. He has such good taste! Of course I put them on immediately.
The first course arrives and mine is described above.
Lance’s is a beautiful beet salad with sauteed porcini mushrooms, shallots and pecans, rose petals, french sorrel, and a few other items. But so pretty!!!
My second course is marrow with sweet potato, tomato, almonds and lavender:
I was a little deflated because I was thinking bone marrow, but evidently, it’s their word for zucchini. Kind of a bummer, but it was light and lovely. Lance had the best of the day with his “Gulash from Alpine Beef with Leek-Bread Roulade and Pickled Vegetables:
Incredibly rich and yummy.
Next is “Reinanke with Courgette, Avocado & Walnut Leaves” for me (reinanke is a kind of white fish):
and Lance just watches because I have more courses then he does!
Then is the main, and he has weinerschnitzel (sorry, no pic, just not very arty) and I have “Parsnip with Chicory, Funnel Chantarelles & Cornel Cherries). The card for this one had 9 bullet points explaining everything on the plate, plus a definition of a couple of words at the bottom:
By this time, I am so full and so liquored up that I cancel my cheese and dessert courses. But, I relent and order the warm trinitario chocolate with pineapple-pericon sorbet & coconut macarons. Lance enjoys his cheese course, but how did he pick from all the choices?
We as for the bill, and then receive a gratis dessert that is too difficult to describe; you have to see it for yourself!
Glancing at my watch, I see it is closing in on 4 o’clock. I had figured on a 2-hour lunch, so was only off by 1 hour! We pay and leave and comment (once again) on the incredible service, presentation and flavors we’ve just experienced (and do we have time to walk about 10 miles before the ballet tonight?). I have to duck into Oberlaa on the corner, a bakery I’d read about, even though I have no appetite nor intention to by anything. Lance says, and it’s so true, that that was actually the perfect time to go in. No temptation at all! We check it out, then head down the block to catch the trolley
back to Volksmuseumplatz.
We walk through the lovely museum area, snap some photos, and marvel at the wonderful space they’ve created for people to hang in cafes and on creative benches around the museums.
No time for that during our 48 hours in Vienna (and 24 spent resting up). Back to the room where I plop on the bed to check for birthday greetings, and then call down for 2 espressos and the iron, please. Oh, and could you cancel our 9:45 dinner reservations at Cafe Anna Sacher? Vielen danke. Up in the room, we are delighted to see the staff has given me a fruit plate and bottle of wine in celebration of my birthday. How sweet! Perfect for the train ride tomorrow.
We’re back out the door 45 minutes after getting back and we walk briskly through the cool fall air to the Vienna State Opera and the ticket office to pick ours up. It’s exciting to be here, in such a historic and beautiful building, at my first serious ballet. For those of you who don’t know, there was an older gentleman, Holland Phillips, who was a part of my community in Boulder for over 10 years. He was like everyone’s wise, older uncle and probably the most enlightened person I knew. A few years ago, he had an injury and when he understood the prognosis, decided he didn’t want to live like that, and so, chose to stop eating and move to whatever’s next. We all had time to say goodbye and laugh with him before he transitioned, and I even recorded a short interview with him. When asked what I could do for him to help with his transition, he requested the music from Swan Lake, his favorite ballet, which I got to him immediately. That’s the background to understand why I decided that Swan Lake would be the first ballet I saw (I do not count taking the Michael and Taylor to see a CU production of the Nutcracker). When planning this trip, I checked to see if the Bolshoi was performing, and it is their off season. I originally planned to spend my birthday partying in Prague, but due to timing constraints, conceded just two months ago that there was no reason to rush, we could spend my birthday in Vienna. And wouldn’t you know it, when I checked to see what was playing in town on my birthday, there was Swan Lake. Kismet. So, Holland, we shall enjoy this together!
Lance had bought the tickets for my birthday and we ended up in the second row on the end. Fantastic seats – could see the whole orchestra and all around the magnificent theater.
I closed my eyes and swam with Holland for a while – listened to his voice, his lessons, his lightheartedness. I appreciated one of the last things he said to all of us: that he would live on by being woven into the tapestry of our lives, and there I was, having a piece of him living in me. I opened my eyes and was ready for the curtain to rise. And so it did.
I was enthralled. I don’t know if I enjoyed the music and orchestra or the dancing more. I do know that I most enjoyed the prima ballerina and the company dancing more than the male solo. I know that the orchestra was incredible and I could lean forward and watch the solos played, the triangle tapped, the cymbals rolling, the drums being struck, and a graceful man’s hands dancing along the harp strings. I could see the sweat glistening on the faces of those graceful athletes on stage, hear their toe-shoes hitting the floor as they flew in circles, awed at their legs fluttering as they lifted themselves off the stage and flew graceful birds. I didn’t exactly know the story, and still don’t, but no matter. I felt as if I were experiencing the utmost beauty of which humankind is capable of creating through music and dance. Concurrently I thought of the baby calves that are treated so cruelly to provide veal for human consumption and how these creatures before me often tortured their bodies to be able to perform so well. How cruel and exquisite all at the same time.
The play was performed in 3 acts, with 25 minutes between each. It was lovely to get up and stretch our legs. And there was no coca-cola and raisinets at their snack bar, let me tell you! Champagne, chocolate tortes, slices of fresh baguettes topped with proscuitto, olives, smoked salmon or caviar were being consumed all around me. We tried to find a water fountain (they had a sign in our bedroom extolling the virtues of Viennese water – so pure and straight from the Alps), and the line for purchase was soooo long that we didn’t bother. Second act, just as lovely, and in it was my favorite solo by the prima. I had to either sit up really straight or bob and weave to get around the woman in front of me, but I also noticed that the person who had sat next to her, on the end, did not appear for Act 2. Hmmmm, I’m thinking I will move up one if she’s a now-show for Act 3. Next break, Lance says he’s not feeling so well, but wants to stay to the end. So I move our after-theater coffee and sachertorte sojourn at the famous Hotel Sacher to a betwixt errand and pick up two slices to go (but NOOOOO schlag, boo-hoo) and back with plenty of time to spare.
We take our seats, and as the lights go down, the front row woman is again a no show, so I quickly move up. Oh my! I can see so much better and view every person in the orchestra pit, as well as everything on the stage without moving around. It’s lovely. Some times I close my eyes and enjoy the music and some times I watch the dancing. It’s all over before I know it and we leave after 3 curtain calls
(and we hear more as we exit the building). When we get outside, there’s a loudspeaker in use with music and talking and we see Vienna is in the midst of a night race, that looks to be a walk/run around the 5ish mile Ringstrasse. So fun! Hundreds of people with bibs, orange t-shirts and a lot of walking sticks. We enjoy the energy and fun as we walk through the crowd and back to our hotel. Time to pack up for travel to Prague tomorrow. I enjoy a few birthday calls and read the late-arriving messages. An incredible and totally memorable day for the birthday girl…