Apparently, many young men have stag nights in Bratislava. Airfare to the city is cheap and so is the alcohol. These phrases were included in the guidebook that we used:
What's your name? = Ako sa voláte?
Can I buy you a drink? = Móžem Vás pozvať na pohárik?
Two beers, please! = Dvakrát pivo, prosím!
Cheers! = Na zdravie!
You drink like a fish (literally, like a rainbow). = Piješ ako dúha.
Where do you live? = Kde bývate?
What's your phone number? = Aké máte telefónne čislo?
You are the most charming lady I have ever met. = Si najpôvabnejšia mlada žena s akou som sa kedy stretol.
Are you married? = Ste vydatá?
I love you. = Ľúbim ťa.
I really love you (literally, I love you like a horse). = Ľúbim ťa ako koňa.
Unfortunately, there was no pronounciation guide.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
The Basics
So, I haven't been updating this as often as I would like, in the detail that I would like. I'll give you all an outline of what I've seen/done and where I've been, and add details when I have a few hours to sit down and bang it all out. Here goes:
Day 1 – Wednesday, May 17
Walked the Ringstrasse with a detour in the Stadtpark
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of the History of Art)
Dinner with Tanya at the Asian restaurant down the street; Betsy and Beth joined us after we arrived
Day 2 – Thursday, May 18
Arenberg Park, which has anti-aircraft flak towers from WWII
The Belvedere Gardens
A music school courtyard; Betsy doesn't know the name of the school, but the courtyard is beautiful and you can hear lovely piano music
Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral), the Stephansdom Steffl (spire) via a spiral staircase, and a Vigil-Kapelle (chapel) in the Stephansplatz U-Bahn station
The Roman Ruins in the Hoher Markt
Hofburg, a huge palace complex
The Volksgarten (People's Garden) and the rose gardens which were not yet in bloom
Back to the Belvedere in the early evening to see the interior, but didn't make it in time
The Botanical Gardens via the Belvedere Gardens
Day 3 – Friday, May 19
Walked along the Hundertwasser Promenade, which follows the Donaukanal
The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Natural History Museum)
Stephansdom North Tower, which holds the Pummerin Bell ('Boomer'); and the Catacombs under the cathedral
Minoritenkirche (Minoriten Church)
The Stadtpark again
Fernwärm Wien, which is the local incinerator with an exterior redesigned by Friedenreich Hundertwasser
Ausgarten, which has the oldest Baroque garden in VEEEN, is on the scale of Central Park, and has a couple of anti-aircraft flak towers from WWII
Day 4 – Saturday, May 20
Day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia with Betsy, Beth, and Tanya
Watched Eurovision when we got back
Day 5 – Sunday, May 21
The Prunksaal (Austrian National Library Main Hall) in the Hofburg complex
Zentralfriedhof, (Central Cemetary) where Johann Strauss I & II, Beethoven, Brahms, and Schubert are buried; and the Dr-Karl-Lueger-Kirche
The Secession Building on the Opernring, which houses Gustav Klimt's Beethoven Frieze
Betsy's show, Mozart's Zaide, opened at the Jugenstil Theater at the Otto Wagner Spital
Opening night party!
Day 6 – Monday, May 22
The Papyrus Museum, which is part of the Austrian National Library
Walked through the vineyards at Nussdorf, from which there are super views of VEEEN; we passed the Karl Marx Hof as we rode by on the tram
Grinzing walk-thru on the way back from Nussdorf
The Hundertwasser Haus, an apartment building designed by Friedenreich Hundertwasser
The KunstHaus Wien, which houses artwork by Friedenreich Hundertwasser, and also features temporary exhibits of other artists' work; an exhibit of H.R. Gieger's work will open the day after I leave
A fly-by, or more accurately, a U-Bahn by, of the UNO-City (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) next to the Danube Park
The Prater, a massive funfair; Coney Island is far better
Snacks and drinks hosted by Gabriel Berry with Betsy, Beth, Tanya, Diane Malecki, Wolfgang, and Stina Sigl
Day 1 – Wednesday, May 17
Walked the Ringstrasse with a detour in the Stadtpark
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of the History of Art)
Dinner with Tanya at the Asian restaurant down the street; Betsy and Beth joined us after we arrived
Day 2 – Thursday, May 18
Arenberg Park, which has anti-aircraft flak towers from WWII
The Belvedere Gardens
A music school courtyard; Betsy doesn't know the name of the school, but the courtyard is beautiful and you can hear lovely piano music
Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral), the Stephansdom Steffl (spire) via a spiral staircase, and a Vigil-Kapelle (chapel) in the Stephansplatz U-Bahn station
The Roman Ruins in the Hoher Markt
Hofburg, a huge palace complex
The Volksgarten (People's Garden) and the rose gardens which were not yet in bloom
Back to the Belvedere in the early evening to see the interior, but didn't make it in time
The Botanical Gardens via the Belvedere Gardens
Day 3 – Friday, May 19
Walked along the Hundertwasser Promenade, which follows the Donaukanal
The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Natural History Museum)
Stephansdom North Tower, which holds the Pummerin Bell ('Boomer'); and the Catacombs under the cathedral
Minoritenkirche (Minoriten Church)
The Stadtpark again
Fernwärm Wien, which is the local incinerator with an exterior redesigned by Friedenreich Hundertwasser
Ausgarten, which has the oldest Baroque garden in VEEEN, is on the scale of Central Park, and has a couple of anti-aircraft flak towers from WWII
Day 4 – Saturday, May 20
Day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia with Betsy, Beth, and Tanya
Watched Eurovision when we got back
Day 5 – Sunday, May 21
The Prunksaal (Austrian National Library Main Hall) in the Hofburg complex
Zentralfriedhof, (Central Cemetary) where Johann Strauss I & II, Beethoven, Brahms, and Schubert are buried; and the Dr-Karl-Lueger-Kirche
The Secession Building on the Opernring, which houses Gustav Klimt's Beethoven Frieze
Betsy's show, Mozart's Zaide, opened at the Jugenstil Theater at the Otto Wagner Spital
Opening night party!
Day 6 – Monday, May 22
The Papyrus Museum, which is part of the Austrian National Library
Walked through the vineyards at Nussdorf, from which there are super views of VEEEN; we passed the Karl Marx Hof as we rode by on the tram
Grinzing walk-thru on the way back from Nussdorf
The Hundertwasser Haus, an apartment building designed by Friedenreich Hundertwasser
The KunstHaus Wien, which houses artwork by Friedenreich Hundertwasser, and also features temporary exhibits of other artists' work; an exhibit of H.R. Gieger's work will open the day after I leave
A fly-by, or more accurately, a U-Bahn by, of the UNO-City (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) next to the Danube Park
The Prater, a massive funfair; Coney Island is far better
Snacks and drinks hosted by Gabriel Berry with Betsy, Beth, Tanya, Diane Malecki, Wolfgang, and Stina Sigl
Saturday, May 20, 2006
LORDI
Oh. My. Goodness.
Lordi just finished their song and dance number. During the spraying fire the following exchange took place:
Me: Wow. I hope their costumes are flame-retardant.
Tanya: I don't.
Sometimes I adore TV.
Lordi just finished their song and dance number. During the spraying fire the following exchange took place:
Me: Wow. I hope their costumes are flame-retardant.
Tanya: I don't.
Sometimes I adore TV.
Eurovision Song Contest
Betsy and I are watching the Eurovision Song Contest right now. We cannot look away; it is a total train wreck. So far, our favorite moment has been the white-painted woman who emerged from a trapdoor in a grand piano. The trap was masked with a pile of red rose petals. It looked like she was crawling out of a giant placenta.
Signage
The crossing signal buttons at intersections, which I consider to be a scam in every city, are blue boxes. The old ones have the button out of sight on the bottom; the new ones have the buttons on the front. During this transitional period, a government employee with a sense of the absurd added symbols to indicate where gullible pedestrians can find the button to push:
I think it looks more like 'This guy wants to go to the moon.'
The anthropomorphic mascot for VEEEN's trash pickup / recycling program seems to be a leering slime mold with an open tin can embedded in its back:
And George Clooney is shilling a coffee product called Nespresso. He looks a little bit like he's going through heroin withdrawl and the tiny cup holds a sweet, creamy dose of methadone. Image coming soon...
There are now more photos to see on Flickr.
Friday, May 19, 2006
FAQ: How do I post pictures?
There are scales like this all around the Ringstrasse. I don't understand what the fetish is about, but the scales come in gold, silver, red, and green. Possibly other colors as well, but those were the only ones I saw. For €.20, you can weigh yourself in public. How's that for fun?
Miscellaneous
My new vocabulary includes the following:
Spargel: Asparagus
Scharf: Spicy
Used together in a sentence: The Scharf Spargel! at the Asian restaurant down the street is in no way spicy.
And here are some photos. By 'some' I mean 'three': http://www.flickr.com/photos/80228902@N00/
Spargel: Asparagus
Scharf: Spicy
Used together in a sentence: The Scharf Spargel! at the Asian restaurant down the street is in no way spicy.
And here are some photos. By 'some' I mean 'three': http://www.flickr.com/photos/80228902@N00/
Tuesday, May 16 and Wednesday, May 17
Monday, May 15 was my last night in NYC before my trip to Vienna/Wien/VEEEN. Except for some snacks with my lovely friend Liz it was not very interesting stuff, so let’s skip to my wonderful BF Mark!, who did my laundry on Tuesday morning and kept my head on straight as I scrambled to get my shit together for the trip. Mark! and I took a car from Astoria to JFK at 3:00 p.m. for a 6:00 p.m. flight. Yes, I know. But I'm really, really uptight. When we arrived at JFK, the line for Austrian Airlines was snaking around on itself. It was over an hour before I could check in and feel utterly justified in my choice to take a 3:00 p.m. car.
Mark! and I said 'bye as I got in line for the security check. I took off my shoes to be x-rayed for the sake of national security and, once approved, made my way towards my gate. My 6:00 p.m. flight did not board until 6:05 p.m., and the restless crowd turned the whole event into a total clusterfuck. Eventually, we were all on the completely full airplane, in seats, ready to go. Except for the overhead compartment one row in front of me which kept springing open. And the armrest between myself and my buddy in the next seat which was hanging on by a mere thread. As an extra bonus, Buddy smelled strongly of B.O.
I'm ok with flight in general, but I do get sick during takeoff and very sick during landing. I used to take Dramamine, but I'm unsure if that particular medication contains gluten. So, I equipped myself with a bag of candied ginger which worked out very well indeed. The ginger also masked Buddy's aroma a bit. Betsy recommended that I sleep as much as possible on the flight to prevent jetlag; I think I got about five hours of sleep on the eight-hour flight. Buddy's odors did not affect my sleep.
My flight landed in VEEEN at 9:00 a.m. WeinTime (3:00 a.m. NYC). I was through baggage claim and customs in record time and met up with Betsy at 9:30 a.m. We went back to her fabulous apartment on Salmgasse, via the City Air Terminal shuttle-subway and the U-Bahn, for breakfast and planning. Betsy recommended that I visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of the History of Art) and ride the 1- (clockwise) or 2-Tram (widdershins) around the Ringstrasse, which circles the center of VEEEN. Then, Betsy went off to work, I took a shower, and out I went to do reconnaissance.
I walked around. A lot. I walked from Betsy's place to the Ringstrasse, and along the Ringstrasse to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, passing the Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera House) on the way. By this time, it was pouring rain. It had been drizzling when I got off the plane, grey as we walked from the U-Bahn station to Betsy's apartment, bright and sunny while we ate breakfast, grey when Betsy left for work, drizzling when I left the apartment, and pouring when I reached the Ringstrasse. I didn't really mind; I had been cooped-up on that airplane for so long, I was happy to be moving around. Unfortunately, I couldn't deal with my umbrella, map, and digital camera all at once. I'll have to go back for some photos later.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum is an absolutely enormous building with a tiny collection. I thought I might have missed some of it in my stupor, but Betsy assured me that the collection is, in fact, very small. I found it pleasantly overwhelming. Most of the curatorial information was in German and I relied heavily on my English audiotour handset. There were European paintings and sculpture; Greek, Roman, and Egyptian statuary; coins and medals; and some other stuff which I remember as a blur.
Every time I sat down I fell asleep. Once on an upholstered bench in the Kunsthistorisches Museum and twice on park benches around the Ringstrasse. My goal was to stay awake as per Betsy's instructions. I knew if I sat down on a tram, it would be all over. So, I decided to walk the Ringstrasse. And I did. I checked my guidebook when I was done; the Ringstrasse is approximately 5 km; just the thing to do when you're about to fall asleep on your feet.
Mark! and I said 'bye as I got in line for the security check. I took off my shoes to be x-rayed for the sake of national security and, once approved, made my way towards my gate. My 6:00 p.m. flight did not board until 6:05 p.m., and the restless crowd turned the whole event into a total clusterfuck. Eventually, we were all on the completely full airplane, in seats, ready to go. Except for the overhead compartment one row in front of me which kept springing open. And the armrest between myself and my buddy in the next seat which was hanging on by a mere thread. As an extra bonus, Buddy smelled strongly of B.O.
I'm ok with flight in general, but I do get sick during takeoff and very sick during landing. I used to take Dramamine, but I'm unsure if that particular medication contains gluten. So, I equipped myself with a bag of candied ginger which worked out very well indeed. The ginger also masked Buddy's aroma a bit. Betsy recommended that I sleep as much as possible on the flight to prevent jetlag; I think I got about five hours of sleep on the eight-hour flight. Buddy's odors did not affect my sleep.
My flight landed in VEEEN at 9:00 a.m. WeinTime (3:00 a.m. NYC). I was through baggage claim and customs in record time and met up with Betsy at 9:30 a.m. We went back to her fabulous apartment on Salmgasse, via the City Air Terminal shuttle-subway and the U-Bahn, for breakfast and planning. Betsy recommended that I visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of the History of Art) and ride the 1- (clockwise) or 2-Tram (widdershins) around the Ringstrasse, which circles the center of VEEEN. Then, Betsy went off to work, I took a shower, and out I went to do reconnaissance.
I walked around. A lot. I walked from Betsy's place to the Ringstrasse, and along the Ringstrasse to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, passing the Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera House) on the way. By this time, it was pouring rain. It had been drizzling when I got off the plane, grey as we walked from the U-Bahn station to Betsy's apartment, bright and sunny while we ate breakfast, grey when Betsy left for work, drizzling when I left the apartment, and pouring when I reached the Ringstrasse. I didn't really mind; I had been cooped-up on that airplane for so long, I was happy to be moving around. Unfortunately, I couldn't deal with my umbrella, map, and digital camera all at once. I'll have to go back for some photos later.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum is an absolutely enormous building with a tiny collection. I thought I might have missed some of it in my stupor, but Betsy assured me that the collection is, in fact, very small. I found it pleasantly overwhelming. Most of the curatorial information was in German and I relied heavily on my English audiotour handset. There were European paintings and sculpture; Greek, Roman, and Egyptian statuary; coins and medals; and some other stuff which I remember as a blur.
Every time I sat down I fell asleep. Once on an upholstered bench in the Kunsthistorisches Museum and twice on park benches around the Ringstrasse. My goal was to stay awake as per Betsy's instructions. I knew if I sat down on a tram, it would be all over. So, I decided to walk the Ringstrasse. And I did. I checked my guidebook when I was done; the Ringstrasse is approximately 5 km; just the thing to do when you're about to fall asleep on your feet.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Exposition
This is my first attempt at blogging. I am not currently capable of thinking of a good title, so we're stuck with the above. I'll be posting about my trip to Vienna (Wein). Or VEEEN, as some might say. I'll try to get some photos up, too, but I can't seem to download them right now. The computer won't recognize my camera as anything but a nuisance. I believe this is what's called a 'technical difficulty'. I'll be working on that...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
