Wilting in Wien

Fourth day in Vienna.  Such a beautiful city, so much music and culture.  So hot, no air conditioning, and no ice cubes!!!!  Arg!!!!

First day in Vienna we took the students to "Barber of Seville" at the Statsoper.  Good experience, good singing, beautiful opera house, but limited view seats which was depressing.  The students did their final project in May on the Staatsoper so it was cool for them to see things first hand.  On Saturday we walked to many of the sights in the city center, and went to the Kunsthistorisches Museum- an art museum that features the art collection of the hapsburgs.  Yesterday the students went on a bike ride of th wachau valley and mom and I didn't go along.  We went to schonbrunn palace, st. Stephens cathedral, johann Strauss house museum, and I went to "Die Walkure" at the Staatsoper.  It was a wonderful 5 hour performance, and I'm considering traveling to Seattle to see their Ring in August.

Met a new friend, Margaret, who is 75 and traveling the world who lives in Seattle and loves Wagner. The idea for the trip came from her.

Today we looked at some Jugendstil architecture, ate at the Naschmarkt (pasta and Fanta for me, schnitzel for mom!), visited teh Brahms memorial in Karlsplatz, and ten had a wonderful tour of the Staatsoper with a great guide, Carmen.  The students had good questions and will add their new primary sources and photos to their spring semester research.

Came home and crashed and am trying not to melt.  No circulation in the room and so much noise you can't sleep if the window is open. Oy. Doing laundry in their one machine, and I got bit by a horse fly!!!  Travel- the divine and the benign and the insane!!!

Off to fold laundry and try to find a breeze!