We stopped into a better cafe this morning for our usual sustenance, and an old lady said something to us in German as we sat down. We of course did not understand, so a nice young woman sitting next to us heard us speaking English and explained that to the woman, in her broken German...we laughed about that. She is Edna Gee from Pretoria, South Africa, a struggling artiste doing graduate studies in Milano (speaks Italian...clue/link to yesterday's visit to the Secession Museum). We asked her what brought her to Vienna, and she told us that at her school in Milano she heard about a project called Hypotopia being developed by an Austrian graduate student group in Vienna, and decided to join some Italian students going there to volunteer with this project for three months. She explained that the Austrian group was invited by the Secession Museum to install themselves in the basement studios of the Museum, quite an honor to actually work there on Hypotopia, and that we should come there this afternoon at 4 to hear the students give a presentation about the project and what they hope to accomplish. We told her we were there yesterday, saw these work studios downstairs in the Museum, but could not figure out what they were doing, heard some people speaking Italian (she was one of them), but never talked to them. We told Edna we would try to go back at 4. What a serendipitous meeting at the cafe this morning!
Here's Edna at the cafe chatting with us about the project.. More on Hypotopia below.
Then we're off for the day. We take the U Bahn one stop to the beginning of the Naschmarkt where on Saturdays there is a huge Flea Market, just what we love!
What do we absolutely need?!!! What will we find?
Beautiful doorknobs?
Ancient body armour?
A violin?
Jewelry?
Someone made a deal.
Furs and such.
That's a real man, dressed to the nines.
Someone has a watch fetish...it fits but no sale.
Wait, who's that dapper guy from Tyrolia?
He must be from Oklahoma and made a wrong turn!
Look what Marty found, for the hearth......or to ride?
Silverware everywhere.
Wooden hat molds in the latest styles?
Upper crust come here to look for bargains too.
He found something he liked!
Now this guy, we didn't get his name but he's Armenian, and what a character! Check out his lunettes and cigar. He speaks perfect English and with a sense of humor, so we immediately started joking with him. He just finished his industrial design degree in Vienna and will go back to Armenia to design passports and electronics. Smart and worldly man.
He had quite a sophisticated period outfit on, right down to his shoes...Dont know from what period though, but he definitely was making a fashion statement and wanted to be noticed...a unique character...a little Charlie Chaplin and a little, je ne sais quoi (I don't know what)!
Fox boa, anyone?
Straight from the countryside, getting a taste of the big city.
TIme to go, after several hours of browsing the wares and the people.
Auf Wiedersehen to the fabulous Naschmarkt Saturday Flea Market!
Buildings surrounding the market were quite beautiful and ornate.
After all that browsing we were hungry, so the obvious thing to do was walk a little further into the Naschmarkt and get a nosh for lunch. We came upon Il Buon Gusto which had all things Italian. As the place was packed, the owner set up another little table for us and asked if we wanted a mixed plate of antipasto. We were hungry and tired and so just said yes, and didn't ask the price.
The Mamma waitress brought a nice plate for two, which we enjoyed.
But when the bill came, it was €40 for that little platter, that's about $52! We had no idea it would be that expensive and said that couldn't be right, but owner insisted it was correct and then showed us the menu with the price. We were annoyed at ourselves for not asking the price and upset for having to pay it. We settled the bill at €35 and left. We'll be smarter in the future and ask prices first.
Maybe we should have just had some wursts and called it a day.
Cooked...but oh so bad for you.
Cured and curly...
But we did go to a very nice cafe after that lunch and relaxed and used their free WiFi to finish yesterday's Blog entry, so it wasn't a total loss.
It was now about 4pm, so we decided to go back to the Secession Museum and catch the presentation, at Edna's invitation.
Here's a clever and cute ad we saw along the way for a top seafood restaurant also in the Naschmarkt.
Edna told us to just come in the side entrance to the studios below, so that we wouldn't have to pay again. No problem.
The Hypotopia project was born out of a decision by the Austrian government to bail out Hypo Bank to the tune of €19 Billion ($25B). The outrage of that decision spawned this project to show how better to use the money, ergo Hypo and Utopia to coin the project name. The project goal was to show how to better use the €19B by building something that would improve the lives and well being of all Austrians.
Here's a rendering of what the model will look like when erected in the middle of Karlzplatz Square, a main hub smack in the middle of town! What an honor for these kids!
Through grants and donations the group plans to build a model all-green Hypotopia city just outside the Secession Museum, in Karlzplatz. By being able to use this major plaza in the city center, this will enhance their ability to publicize and highlight the project.
Here is the beautiful and charming spokesperson for the group. We figure she is in her early 20s, and so poised and sophisticated for her age.
And here she is chatting with Edna and me.
Then it was off to dinner at a very famous Austrian schnitzel restaurant (Figlmuller), right near the main square of the St.Stephen's Cathedral.
Figlmuller Restaurant, a landmark establishment.
Even the rathskeller downstairs where we ate was quite elegant.
In the foreground is Weiner Schnitzl, with veal, and the one in the back is the famous Figlmuller Schnitzel, with pork. Both great but so filling.b
As we were leaving, the line to get into the restaurant was down the street!
Then it was off to St.Stephens Cathedral for a Vivaldi Chamber Concert of his Four Seasons.
Waiting at a clandestine door of the Cathedral to get in.
A typical attendee! No not really...this guy was scary!
The concert was magical!
The church is spectacular, no matter what angel you look from or what time of day or night.
More city sights by night...old and new...
The inevitable stop for ice cream...we didn't really have this one.
Apful Struddle by the foot!
On the way home we saw this sign indicating a U Bahn stop with my maiden name, although I spell it "Keppler" with two p's.
The next morning, sadly our last morning in lovely Vienna, Alexander Langer, the apartment owner came by to check everything out and say Goodbye.
At seven months pregnant, his wife, Aleksandra, couldn't make it. It was a great visit and a great apartment, so centrally located and nicely appointed... we highly recommend Vienna and A&A's apartment.
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