UPDATE

Mein Essen! Sauerkraut mit Brot und Knoedeln!


I've been slacking on keeping this blog up to date with everything my class has been doing in Vienna.
We've been all over the U-Bahn, as well as the city itself. Last week we went on a three-hour-long walking tour of the Secession, visiting various architectural structures, learning about and identifying works of Jugendstil (Youthful Style).
Last night we experienced our first Viennese opera- "Silome"-in the beautiful, regal Staatsoper.
We've visited Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele exhibits, studied numerous pieces of Fin-de-Siecle Vienna art.
And we've had free time to explore the city as young adults.

Here's a photo recap of some of the highlights of my trip as of...today.


In the gardens of Schloss Schoenbrunn, prior to a terrific downpour as well as a visit to the Imperial Zoo at Schoenbrunn.

Egon Schiele, an unfinished work.
Schiele interests me because he painted humans with very distinct features.
Also, he died at the age of 28. I assumed suicide to be the cause (all great artists seem to have some sort of psychological issue present); in reality, this man contracted the Spanish Influenza and died, as did his pregnant wife.

Art above a statue of...Mozart? I believe... In the Stadtpark.

University of Vienna. Students attend University here for free...but this is apparently supposed to change. Students may, in the future, have to pay around 4oo Euros to attend. What outrage! If only I were so lucky!

A view overlooking Schoenbrunn and Vienna, from a bridge in the Imperial Zoo.



GUINEA PIGS. They have their own exhibit at the Imperial Zoo.

Gustav Klimt's "Death and Life"


Hopefully I'll be better at consistantly updating....

Donnerstag

Today marks our second full day in Vienna!

We arrived safely in London early Tuesday morning (in Eastern European time...approx. 7 AM) and transferred flights, entering Vienna after 1 PM (Vienna time).

I slept maybe one hour total throughout the entire plane ride, so I had to catch up on my sleep Tuesday night.

I have had little down time to take my computer down to the lounge in the hostel (where we have internet access) so I haven't been able to give anyone an update (sorry parents!!!)

I'll try to do a detailed entry in here tonight of the activities of the past two days. We don't have a required event this evening, so I should have time.

Bis spaeter!

Thesis-ing

I'm contemplating the topic of my upcoming thesis (based on the info. studied in our course.)
We haven't gotten to Vienna yet, but I already know where my interest lie.

The work of this man:


Gustav Klimt.

Now, last summer I only began to taste the power and abstract flavors of his paintings. I saw 'The Kiss' at Belvedere, and bought a gallery guide so as to carry his and other artists' work with me when I returned to America . Now, we're studying him as a major character during Fin-de-siecle Vienna. I think I could dig up some good information/fuse some good arguments about him. He had an interesting peprsonality, as I understand it. And I feel like I can relate to his rate of artistic growth...or something like that.

We're sitting through our final day of America-based classes in Caffe Amadeus on Philadelphia Street in Indiana. Had an espresso-based beverage; now I'm jacked. I just wanted to record a thought or two for today. I'm heading home after class to back and say hello and goodbye to friends and family.

Bis spaeter!

Sigmund

Today we're dissecting Sigmund!



And I don't mean the Sea Monster!




I mean the immortal psychoanalyst. The Vienna-dwelling clinician and scientist.

Mr. Sigmund Freud.

Klassen...

Today is Thursday, May 13th. It is Day 4 of prep class for the Fin-de-siecle Vienna trip (which departs in 4 days [!!!!!]) Currently, we are dissecting a chapter on Gustav Klimt, who happens to be one of my favorite figures (let alone artists) of Fin-de-siecle Vienna.

What is 'Fin de siecle," you ask?

'Fin de siecle,' as defined by the class's professor Dr. Baumer, is 'a rich period in Viennese history between roughly 1880 and 1914.' Carl Schorske uses this term to mean 'end-of-the-century' as well.

So basically this course is focused on the people, politics, art, arhitecture, music, science, etc. that were of significance during this time in Vienna, Austria.

We have lecture/discussion from 9 AM to noon Monday through Saturday. In the afternoon we reconvene for German lessons/ Viennese culture introduction. It's interesting- I haven't taken a real history class since high school. Now I'm focusing on a brief (but crucial) period in Viennese history, and I like it, a lot.

More updates to come. I've never been abroad with a professor of music history to lead me, and 20-some classmates to accompany me. Museums and concerts and fun to the 100000th degree.

=]



I am lucky.