Carpe Diem

Here's that list I made a few weeks ago. I've been very busy and have loved experiencing as much of Vienna as possible.

Eat at Zum Schwarzen Kameel (Beethoven ate here)
Eat at the Griechenbeisl (Schubert ate here)
Go to the Schönbrunn Zoo (one of the oldest zoos in the world, 10 minutes from my apartment)
Tour Schloß Schönbrunn
Go to the Belvedere (and see Klimt and Rodin collections, including The Kiss)
Go to Mozarthaus + Haus der Musik
Eat at Cafe Sacher (and try Sacher torte)
Liechtenstein Museum
Naturalhistorisches Museum
Leopold Museum (I know there's a Schiele exhibit there now, and maybe another Picasso?)
Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury)
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Hofbibliothek (The National Library, the one that the Beauty and the Beast library is based on)
Peterskirche (nativity scenes closer to Christmas)
Eat at Cafe Central (very famous. Trotsky ate here)
Museum für Angewandte Kunst (Museum of Applied Arts)
Eat at Cafe Hawelka (another famous cafe)
Go to Beethoven's Heiligenstadt House (where he wrote the Heiligenstadt Testament)

I have reservations at the Griechenbeisl for my birthday dinner. I am very excited for my birthday. I hope I am feeling better. Today I was at the Leopold Museum and I started feeling really sick. I made it back to IES and curled up on the couch on the 2nd floor. Rochelle and Westrey came by and asked if I was okay. They were so sweet. They sat with me for a while and kept telling me I looked like death and needed to go home. They made me laugh and I felt a little bit better. I wanted to go home but I really thought the Beethoven quartet needed one more run through.



Death and Life, by Schiele. At the Leopold Museum.

Tomorrow I will try to see the National Library because I don't think that would take long. I want to go see the Naturalhistorisches Museum and Schönbrunn before I leave.

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It is now officially my birthday.

Yesterday, we had our final IES concert. The Beethoven was first on the program and I think it went fairly well. Honestly, I thought we did better in the dress rehearsal Wednesday, but I was pleased. I also really loved seeing Zu Hilfe! from Die Zauberflöte. Katy did a great job as the dragon and it was really funny (props to Jeremy for the staging). Also, right after the concert there was a reception and then the theater class acted out a few scenes from Schnitzler's Reigen. It was very funny, even though I only caught the gist of the scenes. Then I went over to Emily's place and we hung out and had a really good time.

Today, I slept in, then decided to finally go see Schloß Schönbrunn. It was beautiful. Also, I forgot to mention that before the IES concert I went to check out the Hofbibliothek. It is the national library of Austria and was the model for the library in the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast.

So here are some pictures before I go. I am excited for my birthday dinner! I might also go to the Nationalhistorisches Museum between my lesson and dinner. I've had a wonderful time in Austria and I am sad to think about leaving so soon. I will make the most of my time left here.



The Hofbibliothek



The Mirror Room at Schönbrunn. Where Mozart supposedly played for Marie Antionette and kissed her.



The Millions Room at Schönbrunn.