Art, music and dancing horses

 One of the greatest things about Europe is surrounding yourself with beauty. The architecture, the languages, the cuisine. Vienna has it all in spades, and we added three wonderful experiences to the mix.

On Friday morning we caught the tram to the Kunsthistoriches museum to view the art collections; the building is a work of art all on its own.




 I took in the special exhibit on Arcimboldo, Bassanno and Bruegel which was a fascinating look at the intersection of art and the sciences during the Renaissance.




That last sketch was immediately recognized as a Da Vinci. And As I wandered through the old masters works with my mom, some other favourites jumped out.

A Carravaggio, with his unmistakable use of light and darkness:

A Raphael with his typical fine-boned beauty of a Madonna:


And a single Vermeer that demanded attention among the Rembrandts.


Satisfied by the indulgence, we decided to add the Karlsplatz to our agenda and visited the Naschmarkt to pick up some lunch/dinner treats. 





And wandered over to check out St. Charles church.


Then we caught a tram back to our apartment to rest for a few hours - and prepare for the next day's departure - before heading to the Schonbrunn Palace for a stroll in the gardens and a classical concert at the Orangerie.




After an hour and a half of Mozart, Haydn and Strauss performed by a small orchestra, including some opera from strong tenor and soprano voices, we joined the crowd in the subway back into the heart of the city.

The next morning, we stashed our luggage and headed to the Spanish Riding School. Another highlight of this trip, we were glad to have splurged on front row seats in the Royal Box. The horses were so close we could almost touch them, and we delighted in dance-like movements they performed. 

A wonderful end to our travels through Austria!


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