WORLD FAMOUS MUSIKVEREIN
CONDUCTOR IN PERIOD COSTUME WITH NEW 1ST VIOLINIST
THE ORCHESTRA
AFTER THE PERFORMANCE AT THE SACHER CAFE
(Excerpted from my book OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA, Amazon.com)
One of the attractions drawing Elysee and I to stay a summer in Slovenia was the proximity of so many attractive side trips. I explain to my fans of our lifestyle the delight we have in planning these excursions at our own leisure, and to suit our tastes. We don't usually book tours for that reason, preferring to be on our own at our pace, lingering if we so desire, not having to respond to the sound of the bus horn, or spend time in places of little value or interest to us personally. When you have the entire summer, there is ample opportunity to pick your time and place. As a side note to visiting Vienna, I want to add that we could have easily gone to Salzburg, even by train, it is that close to Slovenia. But Elysee had never been to Austria so what better way to introduce that country than a visit to Vienna. How close and convenient is Vienna to Bled? Leaving shortly after 8a.m. we arrive in Vienna at 1p.m. The drive initially was through a beautiful mountainous region of tunnels, switchbacks and single lane roads, calling for a more leisurely pace than the frequent autobahn's 110mph plus driving. By 2p.m. we were settled in a very nice room on the executive floor of the Marriott on the "Ring", car parked a block away for the duration of our stay, and both of us primed for a walkabout in search of, what else, a coffee shop. We settled for the Cafe Schwarzenberg, which has all the necessary features: a strudel and pastry case, a wide assortment of newspapers in several languages, indoor/outdoor seating, old world charm with tin ceilings and tile floors, and in the evening, live piano music. We settled into the pace of many Viennese with a newspaper, coffee and strudel; being allowed without any interference, to take as much time as we wanted. The sanctity of the coffee shop is one feature of Viennese life that has not changed. Other than the Finns, Swedes and Danes, the Viennese drink more coffee per capital than any other people in the world, about 230 quarts per capita, per year. We also visited the nearby legendary Sacher Hotel but unfortunately it was closed for renovations at the time of our visit. No Sacher Torte at the Sacher for us. We did manage a beer later that evening at the Sacher Cafe, but that is not the same as the coffee shop. MUSIC. This old world capital, the center of empire, and renowned worldwide for music and arts, is never without a music venue for visitors. The stage for Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert,Strauss, Brahms and Mahler. The fall and winter months are of course the best, but even on this summer night there were many choices. Elysee made the final selection, an all Mozert concert at the Goldener Saal in the Musikverein. This is the home of Vienna's acclaimed symphony orchestra. Our concierge was able to secure excellent box seats almost on top of the percussion section. The orchestra was dressed in period costume, introducing a new female first violinist with her parents and young daughter in attendance a few boxes away. It was a totally entertaining evening, what you would want for a introduction your first night to Vienna's musical variety. Elysee later remarked over drinks at the Sacher Cafe that it would likely the highlight of our much too short visit.
