August 29
Art Nouveau U-bahn station...the very familiar Karlsplatz
* I enjoyed lunch at the Café Museum where we sat on the traditional Biedermeier chairs. I like the fact that everything here is done at a slower pace, that people will just sit down for hours either reading the paper or chatting with a colleague. Being leisurely is really a beautiful thing, and it is far different from being lazy, which is mostly found in America.
* Then we looked at the Art Nouveau buildings done by Otto Wagner, which are next to the Naschmarkt. I wouldn’t want to actually live in one of these buildings, I’d rather live across the street so I could stare at them and gaze upon the flowing flowers and golden palates, unless the interior is just as beautiful as the exterior. Then we did a tour of the Ringstrasse on the streetcar where we looked at all the important buildings that are at the core of Vienna. In “Fin-de-Siecle,” the Ringstrasse is described as a “great circular artery” since its function is to serve political, educational, and cultural activity. I think the description is very fitting since our whole time in Vienna was revolved around the Ringstrasse and the Innerestadt.
* While walking around the city I noticed Peterskirche, a smaller Baroque church, and I thought I’d take a peep inside. To my surprise Mass was occurring. It was a very odd experience because 1) I felt so out of place, 2) there were several tourists walking in and out and that just seems distracting, and 3) there were hardly any attendants, which made me really sad for some reason. I’m not a religious person, but for some reason seeing the old and beautiful church not being used to its full potential was strange to me.
posted by lauREN @ 9/11/2006
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