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Published: March 14th 2008
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On this trip, we spent two days in Vienna, one in Salzburg and five in Prague. As I write this, I am sitting in Prague. Although we enjoyed Vienna very much, we love Prague, so I should have written this before we left Vienna since we have Prague on our minds.
I awoke one morning and walked the empty streets of Vienna around our Hotel Sacher. Kim likes to sleep an hour or two more than me in the mornings. Vienna is very clean and beautiful, but honestly it felt a bit like Disneyland. When things are this perfect, I wonder if people are focusing too much on preparing to live rather than living. Or, it could be cultural shock after living in Delhi for over a year.
My mother just had an operation today on her back. They are trying to remove pressure on a nerve so she can walk more comfortably. We won't know for a few days if it worked or not.
You may remember Cat? Kim and Cat were on the front page of "The City" section of the Delhi Newspaper many blogs ago. Well, Cat had her birthday party when we were in
Cat and Mario
We met Cat and Mario about a year ago in India. They left India for Singapore, but they are based in Vienna where Cat was born. Mario is from Italy. Vienna, so we got to meet a few of her Vienna friends. Great people.
When you first see Vienna it reminds you a bit of Paris in that much of the city was destroyed during World War II and then restored. Many buildings were reconstructed to original form in the 1950s.
Stephansdom Catholic Church -- St. Stephen's Cathedral (German: Stephansdom) is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, OP. Its current Romanesque and Gothic form seen today, situated at the heart of Vienna, Austria in the Stephansplatz, was largely initiated by Rudolf IV and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first being a parish church consecrated in 1147. As the most important religious building in Austria's capital, the cathedral has born witness to many important events in that nation's history and has become one of the city's most recognizable symbols. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Stephen's_Cathedral,_Vienna
Peterskirche Catholic Church -- The construction of the new Baroque church was begun around 1701 under Gabriele Montani, who was replaced by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt in 1703. The design was inspired by the St. Peter's Basilica of the Vatican in
Rome. By 1722, most of the building was finished, and in 1733, the Peterskirche was finally consecrated to the Holy Trinity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterskirche,_Vienna
Demel Handmade Chocolates -- The Chocolates and Pastries of the Royal Court have been purchased at Demel for centuries.
Hofburg Palace --- Hofburg Imperial Palace is a palace in Vienna, Austria, which has housed some of the most powerful people in Austrian history, including the Habsburg dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria. It was the Habsburg's principal winter residence, while Schönbrunn Palace was their preferred summer residence. The Hofburg area has been the documented seat of government since 1279 for various empires and republics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofburg_Imperial_Palace
Burg Theatre -- : (Imperial) Court Theatre), originally known as K.K. Theater an der Burg, then until 1920 as the K.K. Hofburgtheater, is the Austrian National Theatre in Vienna and one of the most important German language theatres in the world. The Burgtheater was created in 1741 and has become known as "die Burg" by the Viennese population; its theater company of more or less regular members has created a traditional style and speech typical of Burgtheater
performances. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgtheater
Rathaus City Hall -- The Rathaus is a building in Vienna which serves as the seat both of the mayor and city council of the city of Vienna which also serve, in personal union, as Governor and Assembly (Landtag) of the State of Vienna, a state with the Austrian federal system. The Rathaus was designed by Friedrich von Schmidt in the Gothic style, and built between 1872 and 1883. On the top of the tower is the Rathausmann, one of the symbols of Vienna. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathaus,_Vienna
Parlament -- The Austrian Parliament Building, (German: Parlament or Hohes Haus, formerly the Reichsratsgebäude), is where the two Houses of the Parliament of Austria conduct their sittings. The building lies at the Ringstraße in the first district Innere Stadt in Vienna, close by the Hofburg Imperial Palace and the Palace of Justice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_Parliament_Building
Staatsoper (Opera House) -- The original Opernhaus, a neo-romantic building severely criticised when it was built, was inaugurated on May 25, 1869 with Mozart's Don Giovanni. During World War II, the stage was destroyed by Allied bombs and the building gutted by fire on March 12, 1945. The foyer, with frescoes by Moritz von Schwind, the main
stairways, the vestibule and the tea room were spared. Almost the entire décor and props for more than 120 operas with around 150,000 costumes were destroyed. The State Opera was temporarily housed at the Theater an der Wien and at the Volksoper. The rebuilt theatre, the Staatsoper, seating more than 2,200, reopened on November 5, 1955 with Beethoven's Fidelio with Karl Böhm conducting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_State_Opera
Sacher Hotel -- The Hotel Sacher is a five-star hotel in the Innenstadt of Vienna, Austria, next to the Staatsoper. It is famous for the speciality of the house, the Sachertorte chocolate cake. There is also an art gallery in the hotel with works from the 19th century. The hotel is built where Antonio Vivaldi once lived. The hotel was founded in 1876 by Eduard Sacher as a maison meublée. After his death his widow Anna Sacher became manager. Under her rule, the hotel became one of the finest hotels in the world, where the aristocracy and diplomats would meet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Sacher
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