The Most Expensive Free Trip Ever - TR Link is Up! Pg. 164

[All7OfUs]

There's those freebie bikes again in the background. The ones with yellow rims. Am I right??

 

[glennbo123]

You're pouring on the WOW factor now! Is that a cathedral with the zig-zaggy tile roof?? That's really cool!

It's the same cathedral (Stephensdom) from several chapters...the first day, the Mozart walking tour. I just had never taken a picture from far enough away that you could see the roof. I noticed that there's a painting (well, a print) of this cathedral in a conference room in my building at work -- you can definitely tell that it's this one by the zig-zaggy tile roof.

More nakers alert! I wish I had buns that hard. NOT.EVEN.CLOSE!

You want nekid? Follow that Beethoven Frieze link. I think you'll find it interesting.

Too bad you couldn't get a tour. But judging by the pictures, you sure got a lot of great touring done anyway. That was certainly SOME opera house though. Massive.

Can't complain, that's for sure.

I have actually seen the opera here! Of course I couldn't understand a word of it but it was an incredible experience. Bummer that you didn't get to tour it.

Finally found where we crossed paths. I've never seen an opera, but have thought about going up to the Met to catch one. I think they actually put up subtitles on a screen at the Met.

 

[glennbo123]

There's those freebie bikes again in the background. The ones with yellow rims. Am I right??

Oh yeah. I'm sorry, I forgot to address this when you asked this before. I think so, but I never figured out how the system worked.

 

[All7OfUs]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_sharing_system

Here's what I found on Wiki. Interesting stuff.

Did I miss something on the frieze?? That looked like some funky Picasso crap to me? I couldn't tell what was heads or feet or anything!!!

 

[glennbo123]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_sharing_system

Here's what I found on Wiki. Interesting stuff.

Now you tell me! Where were you when I was researching for this trip a few years ago?

Did I miss something on the frieze?? That looked like some funky Picasso crap to me? I couldn't tell what was heads or feet or anything!!!

Go to wikipedia and type in Beethoven Frieze. They selected a very interesting section to include with their write-up.

 

[eandesmom]

Finally found where we crossed paths. I've never seen an opera, but have thought about going up to the Met to catch one. I think they actually put up subtitles on a screen at the Met.

Oh I have a feeling we crossed paths much more than that, I just don't remember a darn thing. At 22 I just wasn't paying a ton of attention to the details, just absorbing the experience. At a certain point many of the museums and cathedrals all ran together over the 3 months, which is just really sad. The opera however, stands out as a special evening. Since this was a backpacking trip, when we did get dressed up and really go "out", it made a bigger impression.

If memory serves we went to Hotel Sacher afterwards for Sacher Torte and coffee.

 

[All7OfUs]

 

[glennbo123]

Oh I have a feeling we crossed paths much more than that, I just don't remember a darn thing. At 22 I just wasn't paying a ton of attention to the details, just absorbing the experience. At a certain point many of the museums and cathedrals all ran together over the 3 months, which is just really sad. The opera however, stands out as a special evening. Since this was a backpacking trip, when we did get dressed up and really go "out", it made a bigger impression.

If memory serves we went to Hotel Sacher afterwards for Sacher Torte and coffee.

Yes, I'm sure we've hit many of the same spots. That's awesome that your trip was for 3 months.

I imagine it would make an impression to go from backpacking garb to dressing for the opera.

That's more like the reaction I was expecting.

 

[dd50]

I wouldn't have went up on scaffolding to look at paintings for nothing. Judy sure was brave. I go up on the ladder three steps and once in a while I have to go up 4 but I really have to talk myself into it. I am terrified of heights.

Beautiful pics.

 

[glennbo123]

I wouldn't have went up on scaffolding to look at paintings for nothing. Judy sure was brave. I go up on the ladder three steps and once in a while I have to go up 4 but I really have to talk myself into it. I am terrified of heights.

Beautiful pics.

You're right -- she was very brave. It wasn't too bad about halfway up where there was a big platform, but it got tough after that. I kept her going with the whole "once in a lifetime" speech. She's glad she did it.

 

[All7OfUs]

That's more like the reaction I was expecting.

yikes. What were they thinking??!! Makes Michaelangelo look like some sort of 1750 Quaker prude.

 

[glennbo123]

yikes. What were they thinking??!! Makes Michaelangelo look like some sort of 1750 Quaker prude.

Yup. I like how he works the goldleaf into the paintings though. One of Klimt's paintings set the record a couple of years ago for the highest amount ever paid for a painting.

 

[All7OfUs]

Yup. I like how he works the goldleaf into the paintings though. One of Klimt's paintings set the record a couple of years ago for the highest amount ever paid for a painting.

Another unfortunate incidence of someone with far too much money and far too little sense, making a far too huge error in judement.

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Eine Kleine makes an interesting appearance in "Amadeus" if you've ever seen it. Towards the beginning, Salieri is giving his confession to a priest and he plays samples on the piano of some of his more famous compositions. The priest doesn't recognize any of them. Then, with one finger, he plays 9 notes of Eine Kleine and the priest goes, "Oh yes, I know that one. That's delightful. I didn't know you wrote that!" Salieri says, "I didn't. That was Mozart!" (Can you tell I love that movie?)

I remember that scene! What a great movie. Haven't seen it in years, though.

Love the new updates. You are just whipping right through this - I'm having a hard time keeping up!

Glenn, you are so knowledgeable about art and music, I'm very impressed! You are proof that just because we are all Disney-lovers, it doesn't mean we don't appreciate high culture!

 

[glennbo123]

Another unfortunate incidence of someone with far too much money and far too little sense, making a far too huge error in judement.

Can you imagine having that kind of money, that you can do something like that? I saw a thing on the Travel Channel the other night where there is now a cruise ship where people "own" their cabin, like a condo, and they live there year-round while the ship travels the world. Only the cabins aren't the size of a hotel room, they're like huge apartments, with kitchens and walk-in closets and everything. I had to turn the channel.

I remember that scene! What a great movie. Haven't seen it in years, though.

Love the new updates. You are just whipping right through this - I'm having a hard time keeping up!

Since it was already written up, I just have to copy and paste! The last installment is mere moments away!

Glenn, you are so knowledgeable about art and music, I'm very impressed! You are proof that just because we are all Disney-lovers, it doesn't mean we don't appreciate high culture!

Well I don't know about that (the "so knowledgeable" part)! I certainly don't wanna be A lot of it just comes from being on the planet for 40+ years. And a lot of what I put in the TR I learned on the trip.

Disney magic is still the best!

 

[glennbo123]

Below is the last installment of this "Flashback PChef Tr"....the one where PChef pulls out all the stops! I hope you've enjoyed following along.

Then we went back to the hotel to get dressed for our PChef “black tie optional” dinner at Hofburg Palace. We got in line with all of the other PChef people in the hotel lobby to get the bus ride over. Once there, we milled around in a large lobby area and were served champagne and hors d’oeuvres.

After a while some trumpeters played some kind of majestic “may we have your attention for an announcement” type of thing and a palace announcement guy announced that dinner would be served upstairs.

We made our way upstairs to this big, beautiful banquet hall, and found our assigned table.

We were served some Austrian white wine and bread, and then the announcer guy came out and said that they had a very Viennese welcome for us – The Boys Choir from the Vienna Woods. The whole place stood to applaud as the Vienna Boys Choir took the stage. I could not believe that the PChef had actually been able to get the Vienna Boys Choir to sing for us and began to think that maybe they were a boys choir, not the Boys Choir, but a search on the internet after I got back home confirmed that the name the announcer used is the official name, plus their uniforms were the same. At any rate, they were awesome, angelic. You just wanted to close your eyes and listen. I think they sang four songs for us and it was just so sweet. Unbelievable.

Then we were each served a plate of appetizers. There were five items: something made out of avocado, beef carpaccio (the thinly sliced raw beef that B’s ex-wife, C, had when we ate dinner with her), duck, caviar, and shrimp. I thought that the shrimp was the best of the lot. Then the president of The PChef spoke briefly. And, we were served artichoke soup.

After the Vienna Boys Choir performed I thought, “who’s next, the Pope?”! It wasn’t the Pope, but Mozart! Well, okay, he’s dead; so I suppose it was someone dressed as Mozart. But, “Mozart” played a piece on the piano “of his own creation”, in the words of the announcer. Then his sister, Nannerl, and his father, Leopold, came out and Nannerl sang to Leopold’s accompaniment. Then, Wolfgang and Leopold played a piano piece for four hands. With the banquet hall lights down, I noticed that each table was still dimly lit, even though there was no candle or anything. I looked up and noticed that each table had a small spotlight on it from the ceiling, 30-40 feet up – very cool.

After our main course we were entertained by vocalists singing selections from “The Magic Flute”, an opera by Mozart. We heard “Papageno, Papagena” (as we had on Wednesday night at the concert at Palais Auersperg), and some other arias. Very nice.

Then we were served a plate of small desserts. All chocolate! Chocolate mousse, white chocolate sorbet, a warm round brownie with chocolate syrup, and a chocolate sculpture. I liked the brownie best, followed by the mousse. They also passed around a plate of Viennese chocolate truffles. After that we took the bus back to the hotel. Another great day in Vienna was done.

The next day we got up and had our customary big buffet breakfast. Afterward I went across the street to Café Oberlaa to buy a gugelhupf cake to take home to the kids and Grandma and Grandpa W. Then we finished packing and caught a van to the airport and began our journey home. I wanted to get a gugelhupf cake because 1.) it was a Viennese dessert mentioned in our Vienna book, 2.) it looked like it might travel well, 3.) I hadn’t had any yet on the trip, 4.) I wanted to share a taste with the kids and, 5.) it looked good! When we got home everyone loved it – I’ll have to find a recipe online.

Well, with that I think it’s time to wrap this journal up. What a fantastic, unbelievable trip it was. We were calling it a trip of a lifetime before we even left home and it certainly lived up to that. We had the best time. Thank you Judy, for all of your hard work that got us there!

Link to next chapter

 

[Tribilín]

Another great day in Vienna was done.

What a spectacular night to finish such a wonderful trip... I just caught up again... absolutely marvelous updates gelnnbo123.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences with us

 

[jenbear123]

Boy, you must've felt like royalty at that dinner! Beautiful banquet hall. Why does everything seem bigger and better in Europe? Thank you for sharing this incredible trip of yours. Seems like it was the trip of a lifetime!

 

[glennbo123]

What a spectacular night to finish such a wonderful trip... I just caught up again... absolutely marvelous updates gelnnbo123.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences with us

You are very welcome! It was some night, for sure.

Boy, you must've felt like royalty at that dinner! Beautiful banquet hall. Why does everything seem bigger and better in Europe? Thank you for sharing this incredible trip of yours. Seems like it was the trip of a lifetime!

Maybe not quite royalty, but at least an honored guest! It definitely was the trip of a lifetime.

 

[winkers]

WOW!! I can't believe your dinner in the palace! It looked beautiful...those pampered chef people must be making alot of dough.

I guess I don't get the beethoven frieze......when I think of beethoven naked people isn't what springs to my mind. But then, I'm no lover of modern or impressionist art.

The church was gorgeous and the tiled roof....it makes our architecture look very bland.


I'm so glad you shared your trip with us! I love seeing new places and dreaming of one day visiting myself.