Vienna (Day 2)

No dear reader, I haven't abandoned song titles as the heading for each post, it's just that we're still in Vienna and Ultra Vox recorded a song of that title in 1980. It has a truly haunting, melancholic sound to it. In case you have forgotten, here it is.

This morning, we wound our way through the Saturday morning traffic to the Ringstrasse and then out of town to Schönbrunn Palace. It was much more quiet than our Friday afternoon journey; this part of Europe seems to prefer the night life and then a slow start to the day. The Palace is not far out of Vienna and, in keeping with many of the landmark buildings we have seen so far, it was clearly in competition with Versailles. Hmmm. Competition? Maybe not. The Aldi version? Getting close. The Best and Less version, that's it. 

Apparently the money evaporated before the building was completed and then many items of value were stripped from the Palace during the Second World War. Although since then restoration and replacement has returned parts of the Palace to its former glory. Apparently, despite knowing the whereabouts of many "misappropriated items" (that is, stolen during the war and secreted into private collections), they cannot be retrieved until the current possessor dies. Schönbrunn still doesn't hold a candle (real or electric) to Versailles. Sorry but we can't actually prove Versailles' superiority because Schönbrunn will not let you take photos in any of the palace galleries so you will have to take our word for it. When our guide was asked about the 'no photography' rule, he suggested it was so we buy the postcard photos in the gift shop. Points for honesty.

Looking from the back of the palace.

Not all of the rooms are open to the public and you can actually rent rooms in the top floor. Everything from 1 bedroom to a 5 bedroom family residence. While prices were quite reasonable, it is out of town and you would be constantly surrounded by tourists. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Arty shot from near the fountain looking at the back of the palace.

The gardens are quite expansive with many avenues, punctuated by statues and fountains. Like much of the Palace, the grounds need a little more love and attention. We had less than three hours here and our tour of the Palace itself was at a fast pace. Had we been on our own and plugged in to the audio guide in the Palace and then walked the gardens, we would have spent an entire day there.

One of the many fountains.

We were back on board mid-afternoon for lunch with enough time for some blogging and a quick shower before the concert at the Liechtenstein Family Palace in the evening.

This recital is a signature APT experience which apparently is not available to other ship lines. The celebration of music and Austrian composers, musicians and singers is part of the lifeblood and fabric of Vienna. We have not had time to go into the Opera House but we have driven past it on a number of occasions and have heard many stories about this being part of the Viennese lifestyle. The New Year's concert each year is only able to be subscribed through a lottery because demand outweighs seating - 160,000 applications for 1400 seats!

Tonight was dress up night to attend the exclusive recital at the palace and the timing required us to bolt down the first part of dinner beforehand and then to consume the dessert upon our return to the ship post-recital. It was a bit of a shock to the system to have to put on proper clothes but we poured ourselves into our finery and headed off to the event.

The Palace recital hall is at the top of an ornately classically decorated and carpeted staircase. It was impressive but nothing prepared us for the opulence of the reception room where we were invited to have pre-recital drinks. The decoration, chandeliers, gold and mirrors have to be seen. Keep in mind, this is a private residence. 

An accidental shot of the boys' choir in the hallway.

We gathered around high tables, drinks in hand and then hurt our necks by continuously looking above us. After the merch purchase op (cash only please), we were ushered into the recital hall, which was similarly gobsmacking in its excess and grandeur. The ensemble then entered and began the first piece in a set of polkas, waltzes and some excerpts from operas such as the Marriage of Figaro. There were 2 principal singers and the ensemble included violins, viola, cello, double base, clarinet, flute, French horn, trombone and percussion. After the soloists, a choir (from a town outside Vienna), ranging from young men to tiny boys performed a vocal piece, accompanied by the ensemble.

No words.

It was a celebration of Mozart and the Strauss family particularly and justifiably received a standing ovation at the conclusion of the programme. Beautiful harmonies and intricate melodies all for our fellow voyagers, all 70 of us. It was very intimate.

The chandelier from below.

After an hour, it was back down the stairs, onto the coach for a night time spin around Vienna and then back to the ship for apple strudel and ice cream before an early night. All in all, a very Viennese evening - fine music, opulent surrounds and gourmet food ...

And sorry Luke, although the Webster University has a campus in Vienna we were unable to get a photo.

À demain!

(that's from Jayne)