The Events of Sunday, July 3, 2011

                Usually we try to get up at 7:30 to leave by 9:30, but today we needed an earlier start. I woke Lindsey at 6:30 (to do some last minute internet research) and the others at 7:00, and we were out the door by 8:45. We purchased single-use subway tickets and rode to the Hofburg Imperial Apartments. We walked right up to the ticket counter, bought our tickets, and had begun to tour by 9:30. (We passed the ticket counter as we left at 11:30, and there was a long line to enter.)

                The tour has three parts: Imperial Silver Collection and the Sisi Museum, followed by the rooms of the Imperial Apartments. The tour tickets included an audio guide, which made a huge difference in our ability to appreciate what we see, especially looking at thousands of pieces of silver, gold, and porcelain dinnerware. The labyrinthine Silver Museum took a good 40 minutes, and spending that much time, we began to notice the details and appreciate the artistry of these pieces. The next chunk is called the Sisi Museum because it focuses on the legendary figure of Empress Elizabeth. Her story includes romance, intrigue, tragedy, pathos, suicide and assassination. The third and briefest part of the tour was the royal apartments. Mostly bare of furniture, there were fewer stories, less information, and louder crowds.

                Walking through the drizzling rain, we found our way to the Vienna Community Church. We arrived with time to spare before their noon service, so I struck up conversation with an elderly gentleman who was born in South Carolina, studied music (piano) in Illinois, and now teaches in Vienna. The organ postlude began, and as I took my seat I noticed there were about 60 people present now. The church service was fast-paced, especially the music. They sang familiar hymns, but at about twice the normal tempo! Even under normal circumstances it is challenging to keep a group of singers together. When you double the speed and throw in a five-second reverb, the results becomes unmusical. A large woman with a large voice did an excellent job reading Matthew 14:13-21, the incident where Jesus multiples the five loaves and two fish. Then Pastor Vladimir Strejček exhorted us to have faith and nurture a positive attitude. The real action happened during our fellowship time after the service. We moved to an adjacent room where we enjoyed hot drinks and homemade tea biscuits while trying to avert our eyes from the walls. You see, this fellowship hall is used during the week as a body art studio. All four walls are lined with semi-pornographic images of nude females painted with glossy colors.

                I initiated a conversation with Sergei, an architecture intern from Russia. He said he attended the Russian Orthodox Church at home – sometimes – and he was heading to a museum today when he spied the Vienna Community Church, so he decided to drop in and check it out. Later, a church member introduced Sergei (and me) to a young lady (and mother) from Tanzania. Also an architecture student, she had just completed a term in Sweden and was taking some time to travel with her mother. After that, I chatted briefly with the organist and I met Georgie, an elderly man who had entertained the kids with snack food and unfunny jokes.

                It was only a short walk to Figlmüller Restaurant. Though we arrived at 1:45 for our 2:00 reservations, we were able to go directly to our table. Like our church service, the pacing here was brisk. We ordered two servings of the house specialty, the bigger-than-your-plate Figlmüller Schnitzel. We added two other main dishes: Glazed calf’s liver with fried onion-rings, baked apple and browned potatoes; and Hungarian Beef Goulash with Potato Gnocchi. For our vegetables, we ordered a large Cucumber salad and a large Potato-field salad with Styria pumpkin-seed oil. Using the eat-and-pass method, we could enjoy all of the options. Well, not all of us enjoyed the liver, but Lindsey and I surprised ourselves with how much we liked it. The others gave this dish a try then let it pass by.

                Through steady rain, we walked to Haus der Musik (House of Music), a multi-story, multi-media exposition on music. We spent over four hours there, so instead of describing all the exhibits, I’ll share some highlights. Near the start of our tour, we found a small, dark theatre room with a very good sound system. Here we viewed performances of the Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert 2011 and the Summer Night 2010 Concert Schönbrunn on DVD (both conducted by Franz Welser-Möst). Other exhibits introduced us to human hearing and the science of sound; timbre and pitch; human speech sounds; and the history of famous Viennese musicians. Near the end of our visit, all of us except our videographer Caitlin took a turn conducting the Vienna Philharmonic with the Virtual Conductor. The musicians on a large screen follow the tempo and rhythm of the glass baton. (As an armchair conductor, I especially enjoyed this exhibit.) Solid conducting attempts earn hearty applause; but the musicians refuse to follow silly or inept conductors. There were six possible music selections, so we were able to each try a different one.

                The rain had stopped now, so we enjoyed a dry and quick trip home. Since we had enjoyed such a lavish lunch, we had a quick lunch for dinner. Then we turned to our various after-dinner tasks: putting away dinner supplies, washing dishes, editing blogs, folding laundry, brushing teeth, and going to bed. By 10:00, even Pam had put herself to bed, so I get the laptop all to myself to write this blog.