Austria | The Travel Lady In Her Shoes

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Melk is in Makeover, Again

Looking up at Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria

Using our Combi-Ticket, from Vienna to Melk, we get off the train in Melk and look up. The glory of Melk is the baroque Benedictine Abbey, established in the 11th century, later destroyed by fire, and after selling the Gutenberg Bible to Yale in 1929, a restoration was started. The church is under a makeover on the grandest terms today. Even the village of Melk is sprucing up. Has the church sold something else? Or did Melk receive a windfall? There are workers everywhere! The easiest way to reach the Abbey is to go all the way to the right of the train platform and make a beeline straight up the hill through the newer section of town. At the top follow the cobblestones to the left, the rest of the way up to the Abbey. After visiting the Abbey we will go down to the village by another path that will take us into the heart of the historic village.

Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria

The Gold of Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria

Melk Abbey Makeover, Melk , Austria

The Gold of Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria

Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria

The Dining Room, Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria

The Rose Colored Marble of Melk Chapel, Melk Abbey, Austria

The Rose Colored Marble of Melk Chapel Melk Abbey, Austria

The Chapel of Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria

View from Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria

The Grounds of Melk Abbey, Entering the Gardens, Melk, Austria

Entering the Garden of Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria

The Pink Pavillion in the Gardens of Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria

The Blackbirds of the Melk Abbey Gardens, Melk , Austria

The Restaurant in the Garden, Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria

It is starting to rain! I can’t look at the entire garden! Darn!!!!

The Village of Melk, Melk, Austria (Look at the new street paving)

The Village of Melk, Austria

Re-do of Hauptstrasse, Melk, Austria

The Village of Melk, Austria

Yum, Yum! At Restaurant zur Post, Melk, Austria

When leaving the grounds of the Abbey walk down the cobblestone path to the village and turn right. Hauptstrasse is getting a new look. They are re-doing the street so follow the planks. Walking to the Hauptplatz we stop at the Hotel/Restaurant zur Post for the tastiest Austrian cuisine we’ve experienced in Austria to date. Yum! Melk is beautiful even during a makeover! Next we are off to find the boat dock to take us to Krems! It is part 2 of the Combi-ticket! Enjoy!

Adventures in the Village; from Vienna to Melk

The Lane off Mariahilfer Strasse, Vienna, Austria

If adventures do not befall a young lady in her village she must seek them abroad.

Jane Austen

Or simply in another spot, I say! I enjoyed walking to the metro/train station on Mariahilfer Strasse, in Vienna, because I always discovered something new along the way. One day it was LUSH, a shop of freshly made cosmetics. Soaps, lotions, face creams, and more, oh my! The fragrance from that shop permeated out to the sidewalk and literally pulled me in. Once inside, lovely women tried to explain to me in German/English what all the goodies were and what they could do. I bought round shampoo cakes, for different hair types (all in the loveliest of colors and fragrances) and tins to store them in.

One of Several Lush Shampoos

I would have bought more of their products, but because they are freshly made, some had to be kept refrigerated. The cake shampoos were one of the best purchases I made on my vacation. Every time I opened my suitcase I would get that clean, fresh, fragrance wafting up from the shampoo paper sacks. Take a deep breath, can you smell them? When I returned home I placed the shampoos in the tins, for gifts, and the sacks went into my dresser drawers! Then I looked LUSH up online to see if I could buy the products in the U.S. Yep, there they were! Maybe I should always travel with one!

Mariahilfer Strasse, Vienna, Austria

Continuing on our walk to the train station I came to a small portico opening in the storefronts that looked like it was wide enough for a horse and carriage in days gone by. My curiosity got the best of me and I had to turn in and see where this little lane took me.

The Lane off Mariahilfer Strasse, Vienna, Austria

The lane went on and on. Here was a collection of small shops and restaurants that looked like they had been inter-connected houses in a different generation. I wondered if this was the way the streets looked before the addition of the modern high-rise buildings. The lane was so charming! I am glad I took the time to turn in. These un-expected finds always interest me the most!

The Shops at the Train Station, Vienna, Austria

Planning a day trip to Melk was fun too. Taking the elevator on the street to the multi-layered train station (there were local trains and metro trains all converging into one area) we found the trains conveniently stopped in a large, beautiful, shopping mall and market, they called the train station. You could just skip the train and spend a lovely day eating and shopping here! The Austrian Railway Office sold a convenient Combi-ticket, which included the train trip from Vienna to Melk, entry to the Melk Abbey, a boat cruise to Krems and the return train trip to Vienna for 47 euros. What a deal! So early one morning off we went to Melk!

The train adventure for me is the scenery and the allotments stretched along the railroad track. Miniature houses (I call them doll houses) are tucked into gardens as far as the eye can see; doll houses with tiny windows showing off small boxes filled with abundant, draping, riotous colored flowers. Leaning near the door frames were clutters of ladders and old rakes. There were neatly ordered flower beds and well tended fruit and vegetable gardens behind picture perfect picket fences. Sometimes there were happy-looking, waving folks, enjoying the sunshine, while plumped in white plastic chairs and cooling their feet in a small child’s wading pool. Others were grilling, while some were bent over their plots in peaceful, nature retreats. These areas, outside the cities, in Austria and Germany, especially along railways, are the spots for garden obsessed people to rent out a small plot and plunge into the soil. They are called Schrebergartens. There are strict rules that regulate the exact dimensions, color, and style of the doll house and how the gardens are to be maintained. The gardens were very neat, and tidy, just like Austria!

In the early 19th century, it was the idea of Dr. Daniel Gottlieb Moritz Schreber, to create athletic fields for children to escape the crowded, larger cities. Before he realized his dream, he died, and his son decided to use the plots for gardening and to teach children the basics of gardening. The idea quickly caught on. In WWI and WWII the gardens rapidly rose in importance as sources of hard-to-get fresh fruit and vegetables. After WWII a lack of housing across the country resulted in the common practice of erecting small structures on the plots so families could have shelter. The result is what we see today; miniature housing developments of nature retreats! Families can enjoy the sunshine, relax, party, and tend their gardens. A village of adventure, to be sure! And now on to Melk! Enjoy!

PS, since the train zipped along the rail over 100 mph I couldn’t take decent pictures! So please……..

Check out Allotment images HERE!

Schönbrunn; the Big Yellow Palace in Vienna

Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria, Viewed from the Orangery

Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

The Entrance to Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

Not everyone can live in a big yellow palace. The Schönbrunn Palace has 1441 rooms once used for the summer residence of the Habsburgs. One can tour 22 rooms on the Imperial Tour or 40 rooms on the Grand Palace Tour, or you can ~~look~~ stare at the grandeur of the palace from afar and take the horse and buggy tour or the train tour of acres of grounds. Or you can sit and people watch in the indoor/outdoor cafe with a cuppa/beer/wine and piece of apfelstrudel or chololate torte cake. The choices are endless and the grounds of the Schönbrunn are very busy.

Acres and Acres of Grounds at Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

In 1569, the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian II, purchased grounds from the Klosterneuburg monastery, where a former owner had erected a mansion called Katterburg. The emperor ordered the area fenced and put pheasants, ducks, deer, and boar there in order to serve as the court’s recreational hunting grounds. In a smaller separate area he added the exotic birds such as turkeys and peacocks.

A Fountain at Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

One of Many Fountains at Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

From 1638 to 1643, Eleonora Gonzaga, the widow of Ferdinand II, made the grounds her residence after her husband’s death. She added a palace to the Katterburg mansion and started the orangery calling the grounds, Schönbrunn, or beautiful spring.

The Orangery, Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

The Vine Enclosed Walkway Around the Orangery, Schönbrunn Palace

A View From the Orangery, Schönbrunn Palace

The Gardens at Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

The Gardens of Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

The Gloriette, Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

The Obelisk, Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

“The Roman Ruins,” Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

“The Roman Ruins,” Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

Neptune Fountain, Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

During the 18th century, Schönbrunn represented the splendor of the Habsburg Empire with the ample baroque gardens and their buildings. The original palace building had been expanded and modified, since it was built, to suit the tastes and the requirements of the successive rulers. In 1740, Maria Theresa chose Schönbrunn as her permanent residence and a new phase began in the palace. Urgent repairs were made to the dilapidated buildings. In the third phase, work began on the embellishment of the gardens. Maria Theresa’s passion was the orangery, the longest in the world, where she cultivated exotic plants and also held festive events and performances. The zoo, built by Maria Theresa’s husband, in 1752, for the entertainment and the education of the court, is the oldest in the world. Also, included in the gardens were the Gloriette, the Neptune Fountain, the “Roman Ruins,” and the Obelisk. The Schönbrunn Park was opened to the public in 1779, part of Maria Theresa’s reform policy, making the garden a celebration from autocracy into a real democracy.

The Palm House, Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

The Sculptured Trees, Schönbrunn, Palace, Vienna, Austria

The Sculptured Trees and Bushes, Schönbrunn, Palace, Vienna, Austria

No significant changes have been made to the structures themselves since the work on the facade commissioned by Franz I at the beginning of the 19th century. The park layout is original and original techniques are still used to trim the trees and bushes. The Great Palm House, erected in 1880, is an iron framed structure divided into three sections, using technology developed in England. Enjoy!

PS, To get there take the U-4 train on a 15 minute ride out to Schönbrunn Palace. From the train follow the Schloss Schönbrunn signs, a 15 minute walk.

KunstHaus Wein

Hundertwasser Haus, Vienna, Austria

On our travels there is always one place that intrigues me, that I don’t expect. It’s usually off the beaten path and something I stumble upon. It’s what makes traveling such an adventure. On one of our days in Vienna, we decided to take the Red Bus City Tour to another part of the city that we had not ventured to. Mainly, I wanted to rest my feet. I didn’t realize, until later, that there were different tours available, so it was just fate that this bus was there and we climbed aboard, not really knowing where it would be taking us. These are NOT HOP ON – HOP OFF buses. Imagine our surprise as we are moving right along, looking this way and that, when about 20 minutes into the tour, the bus stops and we are told to get off to see something. We are told we will be here for 1/2 hour and the bus will be back. I am not even sure what we were supposed to be looking at, I didn’t get that part, I was too focused on getting off the bus. We follow the crowd into a small lane filled with shops and cafes. The bus leaves. We walk a long block and come to a square where everyone is looking up and taking pictures of the building. What in the world? There are big trees growing sideways out of an erratic, mosaic-tiled, colorfully and spritely painted, apartment building with flower covered windows of various sizes. No two windows are alike.

The Hundertwasser Lane, Vienna, Austria

Quirky Restaurant in Hundertwasser Neighborhood, Vienna, Austria

Friedensreich Hundertwasser, (affectionatly called 100 H₂O) was a painter/environmentalist vehemently against concrete block buildings and lifeless streets. He became focused on architecture in the early 1950’s, writing a “Mouldiness Manifesto” and submitted models to a TV show to demonstrate his ideas of forested roofs, “tree tenants” and the “window right” of every tenant to embellish his own window. He also revealed a “high-rise” meadow house. He wanted housing in harmony with nature and man and appealed to the city of Vienna in 1977 to build a housing project based on his ideas. The search for a suitable building took several years and because Hundertwasser was not an architect he asked the city for a professional architect to develop his artistic concepts. Hundertwasser designed a forested tree house and the architect, Joseph Krawina, was found to transpose his architectural drawings into concepts. Krawina soon believed there was no way this was going to work. Krawina was replaced by Peter Pelikan. Eventually the house was built between 1983 and 1985 in the old Thonet Furniture Factory. Michael Thonet created the #14 chair, the famous bistro chair, in 1859, in response to a request for a cafe-style chair.

Chair #14

The seat was made of woven cane or palm, allowing the holes to drain spilt liquid from the chair! This chair, now called #214, is still produced today by the Thonet Company. Who knew?

The Hundertwasser Haus, Vienna, Austria

The Hundertwasser Haus, Vienna, Austria

The Hundertwasser Haus Neighborhood, Vienna, Austria

The Ceiling in the Tunnel of the Hundertwasser, Vienna, Austria

Anyway, back to Hundertwasser’s design, the house was created with wavy floors and lack of straight lines. Bright glaring colors were used. In some areas the painting is shredded, revealing the original facade and foliage is present everywhere. In addition, uneven enameled checkerboard mosaic stones were used on the facade, all carefully arranged on the non-load bearing parts, creating an overall picture that concealed the boundaries between the floors. Floors and sidewalks were irregular “to stimulate the brain.” A winter garden and fountain were created in a nearby outdoor space through a tunnel-roof portico with the same enameled checkerboards and carpeted with wavy bricks and stones. The complex of 50 apartments, subsidized by the government to provide affordable housing, was built to bring a breath of fresh air to a city of boring, grey, blocky apartment complexes. Eventually all the original residents moved out citing “wobbly furniture and sprained ankles” and “no practical comfort,” but it was a hit with the general public and soon attracted visitors to this quiet neighborhood area. Now the building with no government aid, hosts 52 private apartments, 4 offices, 16 private terraces and three communal terraces, with a total of 250 trees and bushes. It’s one of the most visited spots and has become part of Austria’s cultural heritage in Vienna and was just soooooooo cool! Now back to the bus! Enjoy!

PS, I later found this advertisement for the KunstHaus. Must be the way to clean the floors! The Red Bus City Tour we were on was Tour #1 , Vienna Short and Juicy! Love it!

KunstHaus Advertisement, Vienna, Austria

Vienna; the Good, the Sad, and the Beautiful

Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria

The Good. It is Sunday and we are going to one of the many concerts in Vienna. The choir and full orchestra are presenting a program at 11am High Mass at the Augustinian Church (Augustinerkirche), located on Josefsplatz. The church was founded in 1327 by Duke Frederick, the Handsome, with a cloister of Augustinian friars. In 1634, it became the parish church of the imperial church and is now part of the vast Hofburg Palace complex. Here the Habsburg’s wedding of the Archduchess Maria Theresa in 1736 to Duke Francis of Lorraine, the wedding of Archduchess Marie Louise in 1810 to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France, and the wedding of Emperor Franz Josef in 1854 to Duchess Elisabeth (Sisi) of Bavaria, took place. The church looks unremarkable from the outside, but the Gothic interior is exquisite. We get there early to get a good seat in one of the pews up front. Soon it is standing room only. Let the music and Mass begin!

Augustinian Church, Vienna, Austria

The Best. Coming out of Mass we walk over to St Peters Church. (Peterskirche) This church site dates back to the Middle Ages and was built on the site of the Roman encampment in the Graben. In 1661 the church burned down and a new church was built when Leopold I took a vow to rebuild this church when Vienna was ravaged by the plague in 1679. This church was the first domed structure in baroque Vienna and fashioned after St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Situated in a very compact space, closed in between the modern Vienna, once inside, the interior is rich with gold stucco. Today we are there as a wedding couple are exiting the church and we observe the church decorated beautifully for the wedding!

St Peter’s Church, Vienna, Austria

The Wedding Couple, St Peter’s Church, Vienna, Austria

St Peter’s Church, Vienna, Austria

The Sad. Next, let’s see how Emperor Franz Josef and Sisi lived in the Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg Palace. Going up a large marble staircase, turning and going up another set of steps we reach the royal floor and the Sisi Museum. Now, this is my short rendition of Sisi’s life. Franz Josef at twenty three, was engaged to Sisi’s sister, Helene, in a diplomatic marriage. However, once he saw Sisi, age sixteen, all bets were off and he defied his domineering mother and married Duchess Elisabeth (Sisi). Within ten months, Sisi gave birth to their first child, Sophie. Franz Josef’s demanding mother didn’t think Sisi was old enough or smart enough to handle royal life, so she took over everything that concerned Sisi; the children, and the royal household affairs. That included naming the couple’s first born after herself, Sophie, and taking the child away from Sisi, a decision that continued for all the children to follow. Sisi, bored with her non-existent life, except that of brooder, became obsessed about her weight and followed a rigorous workout regime, putting a workout room in her private apartments. Fixated on her appearance, after her ritual cold bath in the morning, she spent three hours daily having her ankle length hair washed, combed and braided. Every evening there was an oil bath and a slab of veal was placed on her face to prevent wrinkles. At five foot eight and 100 pounds she wore a leather fitted corset to keep her waist at sixteen inches and after four children her waist never exceeded nineteen and one half inches. Her weight at times would drop to 95 pounds after fasting for days. Truly her looks must have been the only thing she felt she had control of. After ten years of marriage and four children, Sisi chose to spend very little time in Vienna, frequently visiting Hungary. After the age of thirty she refused to sit for her portrait and have any pictures taken of her. She never smiled because she hated her teeth.

Tragedy struck 1889, with the death of Sisi’s only son, Rudolf, the Crown Prince of Austria, and his mistress, in a murder-suicide pact at a hunting lodge at Mayerling. Sisi withdrew further from court duties and traveled widely, unaccompanied by her family. While traveling in 1898 she was stabbed to death by an Italian anarchist, who had missed his chance to assassinate another royal family member, Prince Phillippe, Duke of Orleans. Sisi had served as the longest princess-consort of Austria, at 44 years. Next in line of succession after Rudolf was Archduke Karl Ludwig, Franz Josef’s younger brother. However, a few days after Rudolf’s death Karl Ludwig renounced his succession rights to his oldest son, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who became heir presumptive. Franz Ferdinand’s assassination in 1914 sparked WWI. What a mess of lives all that turned out to be!

Imperial Apartments, Hofsburg Palace, Vienna, Austria

Imperial Apartments, Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria

The Horse and Buggies, Vienna, Austria

The Horse and Buggies, Vienna, Austria

Taking a break from all the sadness at the Hofburg Castle we pass the horse and carriage stands and decide to take a ride around the city and see what else is inside the Ringstrasse. I love the look of Volksgarten Park and make my way to the benches and find the BEAUTIFUL!

SEATS! Volksgarten, Vienna, Austria

Volksgarten, Vienna, Austria

Sisi Monument, Volksgarten, Vienna, Austria

Volksgarten, Vienna, Austria

Here the children chase the pigeons, the women talk and try to keep up with the children, and the men read their newspapers while enjoying a fine summer day. The flowers are in bloom and the fountains are overflowing. What contrast, what beauty! Enjoy!

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