Bob Corbett's note:
This is toward the end of our third awesome day in Vienna and we are both just stuffed. We just came from my (now) favorite Indian restaurant in Vienna, Rani over off Mariahilfestrasse near Neubaugasse. I’ve been eating here regularly for years, but two other Indian restaurants I loved have closed in the last several years. This one is awesome. Sally had some lamb chunks with spices for an appetizer and then a chicken with spinach for her meal. I had a marvelous large beef samosa for appetizer and the tandori chicken with rice for my meal. GIGANTIC and stunning meal.
Earlier on this rainy day we spent hours at the City of Vienna Museum (for years I’ve loved this museum and knew it as The Historical Museum of the city of Vienna, but they changed the name. We both loved it.
Yesterday we ate at another of my very favorite restaurant, Cafe Classic, a Persian restaurant. Walet, the woman who waits tables at night has become a dear friend. She is an Iraqi woman and most of her family are now with here in Vienna. However, we ate there in the day and she wasn’t on duty. The Polish woman, who has been a server there for 18 years recognized me and knew I was a friend of Walet, and begged I return to see her some evening. but, we just wear out by evening and RARELY, almost never, go out at night. We will on Monday night. We have tickets for Mozart’s The Magic Flute. We purchased the tickets on-line last August -- for real, and just picked them up yesterday at the box office.
We still have some of my favorite restaurants to eat at. Love eating in this city. Well, let’s face it, I love eating ANYWHERE.
Another great treat is the schnapps. We purchased a rather expensive bottle of Schnapps at the Graben Julius Meinle store, the premier shop in Vienna. We sampled it last night and can’t wait for that to be our dessert tonight with a bit of dark chocolate.
When we get a bit more sun (two rainy days in a row now) we plan to go walking in the famous Wienerwald (the Vienna woods of Strauss’s waltz by that title).
Two doors down from Cafe Classic is a video rental place. One of my former favorite students used to work there. I stopped in to ask if he still worked there and the guy said no, he was doing his compulsory service to the country. In Austria you must do this service and can choose the military or a non-military option. Marco chose non-military and the guy at the video shop knew where he was working in a place for needy people. We went there and found him and had a simply marvelous reunion and great conversation. He is indeed a delightful young man.
Internet is just extremely expensive here, but I do like to write down what’s going on and what’s in my head. Hope to keep it up these last 7 days we have here.
Bob
Sally's note
Hi Everybody,
Today has again been rainy and a bit chilly too. But Bob had a great idea this morning at breakfast. We would take in the Historical Museum of Vienna this morning since it was a rainy day.
I was so happy today that I had found (and bought) a nice long sleeve shirt yesterday. Its a steel blue angora wool shirt, but its light as a feather and seems to be one that will travel very well. So, off we went with our rain coats on today. Unlike yesterday when Bob had to go back to the hotel to get his rain jacket which took about an hour, leaving me to do some shopping on my own for that hour.
But both Bob and I are so happy we decided on the museum today. Its large, bright and the holdings there are very interesting and varied. The historical part gives the history of Vienna, and their holdings vary from huge paintings the size of my living room, to a large section devoted to the cafes and beer establishments, to a very interesting feature on a Viennese artist. A woman who painted mostly portraits, some self portraits, some striking portraits of her mother.
One of the displays that I loved best was a reconstruction of a Viennese poets apartment! The entire apartment was actually taken apart after the poet donated it and its contents to the city, and they built a special place for it inside the museum, all of it... including the windows and the door. It was wonderful to see what it actually looked like!
Another favorite of mine was a large area where a wooden replica of the city was built. I have no idea of the size of the tiny buildings, but the display itself was as large as my living room too, and in wonderful detail. Each one of the buildings and the courtyards carved of wood as well as Stephansdom, the church.
Bob loved the Turkish exhibit, not as extensive as when he was there last, but very impressive. The Turks were 200,000 strong but their siege ended when reinforcements came to help the Viennese and the exhibit was of the military equipment the Turks left behind.
We were tired after seeing the three floors of exhibits there, but happy that we had picked today to see it. When we left it was still raining but maybe a bit less, and a bit lighter.
Bob suggested we have a small glass of white wine at the wonderful little cafe there and we were happy to rest there too. A lovely morning.
Then after that we again went to Mariehilferstrasse where we did some shopping for the few things we needed today. Not a lot, just a few things.
Then we walked through the rain to find another restaurant that Bob especially loved. And both of us again are so very happy that we found it. Its called Rani and its an Indian restaurant. The menu did have English subtitles so I could at least read about the dishes they offered.
Wow.... what wonderful food! We had two different appetizers and then two different main dishes so we could share. And all of it was delicious! We are stuffed and again need to walk off our mid day meal. We wont today though, its still raining.
So, here we are at another internet cafe, checking on our email and writing our travel notes, hoping that the weather is a bit nicer tomorrow. I think its at least supposed to be a bit warmer.
Not sure what our plan is for tomorrow, but we picked up our Volksopera tickets yesterday for Monday night. And we do know that on Saturday we will go visit what they call the Naschmarkt, the open air market similar to Soulard in St. Louis. I’m really hoping for better weather on Saturday!
Sally Ryan Sharamitaro
Bob Corbett corbetre@webster.edu