A Bit of Shostakovich, Some Gershwin, and Throw in strauss for Good Measure

Date:    Wednesday, July 2, 2014 (for Sunday, June 29, 2014)
Time:    8:43 am local time/2:43 am EST
Place:   Train between Vienna and Prague

Hello all!

Sorry it’s been so long since I wrote last.  We’ve been out late the last few nights, and I didn’t want to stay up beyond that.  I’ve got a five hour train trip now, though, so I’ve got plenty of time.

When last we left our intrepid adventurers, they were getting off their night train in Vienna.  We walked to our hostel, which was named after Adolf Kolping, who lived from 1813-1865 and was an advocate for apprentices (which are called journeymen in German).  We tried to check in, but they wouldn’t let us until 2 o’clock, though they did let us leave our luggage.  We walked back to the metro station and took the train from Längenfeldstraße to the museum district where we went to the Kunsthistoriches museum (Historical art museum).

This museum had a nice exhibit of Egyptian artifacts, but I went through it, I was looking for a restroom, so I walked quickly.  There was a very nice gallery of paintings (which had chairs to sit down and enjoy them) which included a very famous painting of Marie Antoinette, her future husband Louis XVI, and empress Maria Theresa.  There was also one of St. Michael fighting demons which was especially stunning.

We left the museum at about 1:15 to get back on the metro to go back to our hostel.  We got there a few minutes early, but were able to check in.  We had one hour to shower (if desired, which it was since we hadn’t gotten to shower on the train) and be ready to go to the ballet.

The rooms weren’t anything special (at all), but they were clean and private.  Joel and I stayed with the two Chrisses and I got a bottom bunk.  By this point it had started to rain (making it nice and cool), so walking to the Volksoper was an adventure.  Dr. Wohlers only knew how to get there at night, so we got lost for a few minutes, but it wasn’t bad. 

When we went into the hall we saw the curtain, and I was immediately terrified of what the music would sound like.  The ballet is fairly recent, and is called Ein Reigen (I think.  I don’t know where my ticket is at this moment).  The curtain said Ein Reigen, but also had a few slightly garish (and definitely primitive) figures on it.  We’re still not quite sure what the ballet was about, but the music was really nice.  It was a combination of Dmitri Shostakovich and George Gershwin, with a few tunes by Johann Strauss, Jr. thrown in for good measure.

I’m ashamed to say it, but I fell asleep during both acts of the ballet, though in my defense I didn’t know what was going on, it was a comfortable temperature, and the music was exquisite.  I couldn’t help but fall asleep.

When the ballet was over we walked back to the Hostel (by this time it was between 6:30 and 7:30, and I was ready to be done for the day.  Joel and Chris went to do laundry, but I stayed in and wrote journals. 

Love to all!

Robby