Bonjour, les amis! At this time I bet you're wondering how much art one one city could possible hold? The answer is a lot. Due to the Habsburg's being quite avid collectors, patrons, etc, this city's role in art history is quite lucrative, particularly in the last few centuries. Needless to say, Beci has been in artist heaven (otherwise known as Vienna). These last two days were just as impressive for us as our last post, so we hope you enjoy the ending to this Austrian advenutre! Donc, on y va! DAY THREE: Waking up past our usual time (we were in dire need of a sleep in), we decided to take today a little easier. So our first destination involved a lot less walking and reading, but still a perfect Austrian landmark: Café Central. Hidden near the outskirts of the inner city, this gem has a long history for artists and intellectuals in the city, being frequented by notables like Sigmund Freud, Vladimir Lenin Leon Trotsky, Alfred Alder, and more (so clearly my kind of place to be - minus the revolutionary vibe). Now, a tourist hot spot and a great place to enjoy a rainy day with Viennese cuisine (or in our case, apple strudel). After a pot of tea and lunch, we headed to the Wiener Rathaus (City Hall), where we found the famous Vienna Ice World, a massive skating rink constructed to take up the entire square. A winter lovers dream come true - we got to witness a few skaters take to the ice. Unfortunately for us, poor weather and outfit attire meant we couldn't test out our horrible ice skills, but we certainly enjoyed the idea. Worth a try next time, Vienna! At this point in the day, we continued in typical historian fashion and found the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum (War Museum), a massive arsenal-turned-museum that is dedicated to all of Austria's military endeavours. Most notable part in our opinion: the authentic car (with bullet holes) that carried and saw the assassination of heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand, and his wife in Sarajevo, thus beginning the domino-effect that lead to the First World War. Needless to say, we were very impressed with the exhibit. DAY FOUR: Today marked our last full day in Vienna, and we decided to stick to our routine. So to start it off, we hit the Wien Museum (Vienna Museum) where we learned once again that the Habsburg monarchy was confusing and we needed to consult a family tree to understand which Franz did what, and who married who. Once satisfied with our historical knowledge of the city, we hit another artistic hangout, otherwise known as Café Sperl. A nineteenth century hub for authors, artists, composers, and military officials. A hidden gem in a more contemporary area of the city, this was the perfect mid-day pick-me-up where we tried Sacher cake and cheese strudel. To end this perfect trip off, we hit up the Haus der Musik (House of Music), an interactive exhibit that put our music (and conducting) skills to the test. With a rich history in music, Austria is home to a number of famous composers, and probably the most important Mozart. Here, Beci and I got to listen in to a number of compositions, learn about the science behind sound, and act like children in the interactive areas. Definitely worth the visit (for all ages). And thus our time here is done! Austria, you've been perfect for us two artists and historians. Now let's see if Hungary can been all that!
- Jen Quote of the post: “All I insist on, and nothing else, is that you should show the whole world that you are not afraid. Be silent, if you choose; but when it is necessary, speak—and speak in such a way that people will remember it.” - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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