A long weekend and the charm of Viennese café society

John was invited to speak at a conference in Vienna. We had never been there but both of us had always wanted to go, so we decided to include the weekend and explore a little.

Easy flight, mild weather. I had booked a hotel I found on the internet. I’m always anxious about choosing places to stay because John is quite particular. Silence on his part indicates discontent, then descends into gloom. Luckily, this hotel passed the test! The façade of the building was old but inside was very modern. The room was huge and the slate walled shower that would have accommodated at least two people at once, reminded me of the architecture by Peter Zumthor at Therme Vals – a Swiss spa we visited some years ago. We were on the second floor. The bedroom had lots of warm wood against white walls. I noticed each room was called the name of a different vineyard. And there were bottles of wine set out for tasting. It was overwarm but we managed to turn the heating off and open the big, ceiling to floor windows, which looked out over a quiet street.

The sparkly girl at the reception desk had suggested a few places near at hand for dinner. I went to have a quick look round while John set up his computer and on the way back asked her if she could book us in at Kristians Monastiri. Already unpacked, I was now so hungry for my dinner, I hustled John to get ready. Dusk was filtering through the sky as we strolled along, taking in Vienna’s romantic, inviting ambiance. Added to which, it turned out to be a great choice of restaurant.

I slept fitfully as I was horribly exhausted. The decorator had just finished painting before we left, the fridge of twenty plus years had broken, the loo cistern had started to leak and the iron gave up the ghost as I was packing the cases. I’d had to pay through the nose for an emergency plumber but managed to order another fridge before leaving and thumbed said nose to the iron, as there was a brand new one in the cupboard, especially for an emergency like this. Ha! At least the paint will be dry when we get home and it was a job well done as some of those walls hadn’t seen a paintbrush in twenty odd years. Now they are looking as inviting as the name of the paint – Golden Rambler.

I’m beginning to feel quite like a Golden Rambler myself. Breakfast was delicious and I was ready to explore. Amazing how a change of scene, as long as it’s a good one, fills you with energy. John was fiddling with the computer but we were soon on our way to take Tram No. 1 to Radetskyplatz, where we would find the Hundertwasser Haus.

John has loved Hundertwasser since the sixties and we have had a poster of his on the wall all this time. Hundertwasser was an eccentric artist, who turned his talent to buildings also. They very much represent the atmosphere of the new and untraditional and of sixties liberalism. And there are no square corners. Hundertwasser wanted to design whole villages in this way together with sustainable forms of energy and there is a model of this at the gallery, where many of his paintings are on show. There are other examples of his architecture throughout Austria.

When I think of it, Hundertwasser’s vision is so eccentric and so unlike anybody else’s art, that I can see why some people love him and others don’t in the least. The building he designed is lived in and used for social housing, as he would have wanted.

The art museum is wonderful. Old, wide planked mahogany, polished wooden floors which squeak and a small café, shop and rather wild garden down below.

It’s certainly very different from the traditional, fabulously grand and gracious buildings we were about to see next. The trams are so picturesque (see john’s blog) – and old- fashioned, with hard wooden seats. We liked them and they work well.

We made our way back to The Albertina art gallery, approached through pretty gardens. I had wanted to see the original of Dürer’s hare and asked whereabouts it was. BOF! The room was closed off for a private function. However, there was a huge ‘Impressionismus’ exhibition on, covering about a dozen rooms, with a wonderful collection of Caillebotte’s paintings, some of Bazille’s, along with the more celebrated Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Manet, Degas, Corot and other artists of that time. So many pictures I had never seen before.

In the shop, John bought a book of paintings by Walton Fuller. Astonishing visions of flora and fauna…… incredibly beautiful and colourful and different, with shades of Hieronymous Bosch – nature red in tooth and claw etc. John always has a heavy book to lug around!

The afternoon was nearly over and I was rather keen to sit down in the Café Mozart, opposite The Albertina. John thought we should explore a little more, so we walked towards the pedestrianised centre by the Peterskirche and the Stephansdom. The Peterskirche is over the top baroque and rococo but in its way, fantastic. The Stefansdom is much simpler inside – the outside is astonishingly lovely. It was dark and I didn’t get good photos. However, we were entranced by all the Christmas decorations and lights. And I am always overwhelmed by the seas of votive candles flickering en masse…they always make me think of how fragile life is.

It was now well past teatime – unfortunately – but we found a small restaurant for supper called Wrencks in Bauernhofstrasse, just behind the Peterskirche. It was low key but good quality food, well presented. I had stuffed squid, with hash brown potatoes and roasted vegetables. John had a delicious beetroot soup and a glass of red wine. A few raindrops threatened as we walked back to the hotel, getting lost once or twice – so lost actually, that I fell asleep almost as soon as we got back, with the feeling I’d done at least half a marathon since breakfast. But it was a satisfied sort of tiredness!

John seemed to be having problems with his email. I was thinking that the office should look for a better provider but while I was contemplating this problem, I nodded off.

I woke up feeling good and well rested but can’t help feeling aggrieved at John’s constant communication with the office – even at the weekend. His colleague Geoff sent him a note, telling him to switch off his Blackberry, which continues to buzz away…like a trapped bumble bee. I know I am not the only wife to feel like this!

However, the day was bright and sunny and we took a taxi to the hotel where John would be re the conference. From there it was about a twenty minute walk to The Belvedere. There are two palaces here, joined by a vast formal garden, which are full of famous paintings, many by Klimt and Schiele. The trees and bushes in the gardens are topiarised (if that is a word). Hundertwasser would see them as ‘tortured nature’!

There are lots of sphinx-like female statues throughout these gardens. Each one has a different face. All have large breasts, which are obviously stroked lovingly and with great satisfaction by many people passing by, as they are a slightly darker shade to the rest of the icing sugar white of the statue.

Klimt’s paintings are like sensuous jewels and ‘The Kiss’ did not disappoint. We both liked a painter called Moll. Especially a painting of a river flowing between heavy, lush green undergrowth. Egon Schiele is very talented but not my favourite. Having spent an hour or so looking at paintings, I espied a rather exquisite, domed café at the side of the main building and was able to tempt John to join me. If you look at the photograph below carefully, you may notice an unwelcome third party…

After a ‘kleiner brauner’ with cream and cake I was happy to take advantage of the sunny day and here are some of the places we got to see on our travels around the centre of the city..

I just had to have a little time to go shopping and on the way, as we were passing under some arches, there was a strong, warm aroma of stables. This is where the Lipizzaner horses live – right in the centre of the city. I was fortunate enough to glimpse one, looking out of her stall.

We were now beginning to flag. Luckily, the way home was by The Albertina and opposite lies the Café Mozart, which looked scrumptiously unmissable. And when we finally sat down and had their special Apfelstrüdel with coffee and cream, I felt much revived. Angels seemed to be popping up everywhere…

We made our way back through the gardens at the back of The Albertina to our hotel. It was quiet except for a few night birds chit chatting to one another as they made themselves comfortable in their roosts. Suddenly I realised that we were alone and that the railings were very high. The gates were about to clang shut for the night. I didn’t want to share the birds’ roosts and I ran towards the opposite side of the gardens, waving. We just made it!

Next day, it was time for John to work. Later on, I was very kindly invited to join the conference. I had a wonderful time and enjoyed meeting and chatting with many different, interesting people. I think they liked John’s contribution but I leave that to him to talk about. Just to say that the conference venue seemed to be in the grounds of the Schônbrunn Palace, where I got to sit in the new electric Tesla car – it looks like a Porsche. And later, John got to drive it round the grounds.

I very much liked the Viennese I met. We didn’t get down to the River Danube but we did pack a lot into a short time and it was worth every step of the way – including hobbling a bit! I brought home a spicy Christmas Stollen from Demel’s – another celebrated café, where the waitresses wear old-fashioned, black and white frilly aprons and most of them are – well – my age! The Stollen was excruciatingly expensive but it knocked the socks off any other Christmas cake I tasted. Just simply – scrumptious. Thank goodness I don’t live in Vienna because I would need a new wardrobe! And a treat just isn’t a treat unless it’s a rare occurrence… Vienna certainly has my vote!

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