LIB'S LABYRINTH: October 2007

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Maze: Vienna

VIENNA IS THE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. Most famous is the Strauss family of waltz and operetta composers and the child genius Amadeus Mozart of Salzburg. The father Johann Strauss organized an orchestra, provided dance music for the Emperor's court, turning out waltzes, quadrilles, polkas and marches. He's best remembered for Radetzky March, always performed at the end of the Lippizan horses show. The son Johann Strauss II (1825-1899) was more popular and known as "The Waltz King" with his world renowned "The Blue Danube" heard for the first time in 1867. Among the waltzes that he wrote - "Tales from the Vienna Woods," "Emperor's Waltz," "Artist's Life," "Vienna Blood," "Thousand and One Night," and "Wine, Women, and Song." Joseph Strauss was the Strauss orchestra conductor-composer of the familiar "Pizzicato Polka." Eduard Strauss was another noted conductor and led the family orchestra until 1902.

Andre Rieu The Beautiful Blue Danube http://youtu.be/IDaJ7rFg66A

http://youtu.be/poAb0MhEvmk

Geschichten aus dem Wiener Wald Walz op. 325

I love Vienna. For me, it's the only place in the world where I could walk in peace without fear of being mugged. The people are so sophisticated, friendly, highly intellectual and it has the best cakes in Europe.

St. Stephen's Church - First Martyr of the Roman Catholic Church. A 12 noon Mass is held everyday. Everytime I visit a church in every country I make three wishes. One of my wishes was to see the beautiful city of Vienna again. And I did.

Selling tickets for Mozart's Opera

Delicious cakes at Aida

Tour director Judith walking past the Opera House

Statue commemorating the plague

St. Peter's Church

Lippizaner Museum

Hofburg Square

Hofburg or Hapsburg came from the family castle built at Aargau, Switzerland by Werner, Bishop of Strasbourg, in the 1000's. Its name Habichtsburg means hawk's castle. Werner's nephew, Werner I, was the first Count of Hapsburg. The first member of the family to become ruler was Rudolf, who was elected by the Holy Roman Empire in 1273. In 1806, Napoleon abolished the Holy Roman Empire. After 1806, the Hapsburg were emperors of Austria and after 1867, kings of Hungary. The last to hold the throne was Charles I, ruler of Austria-Hungary, who gave up his title at the end of World War I. His son Archduke Otto was not successful to regain the throne during World War II. The most famous Hapsburgs were Maximilian I, Charles V, Francis II, Francis Joseph, Maria Theresa and the beautiful Princess Elizabeth "Sisi".

Silhouette of Princess Elizabeth "Sisi" - the Princess Diana of her time

The Parliament

Hopburg Theater

City Hall

OPEC Headquarter

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Monday, October 29, 2007

Maze: Gypsy Night in Budapest

Hungarian Rhapsody

Favorite goulash soup

Gypsy dancers doing the czardas, a fast and wild folk dance

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Sunday, October 28, 2007

Maze: Slovakia

Slovakia

No problem splitting with Czech Republic. And happily divorced.

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Slovakia

GLOBE SPINNER SERIES

SLOVAKIA

SLOVAKIA used to be the other half of Czechoslovakia until both sides had an amicable divorce in 1993. See http://groups.msn.com/labtechs/czechrepublic.msnw for history. Because of its picturesque mountains and hills, Slovakia is a very popular skiing destination among Europeans.

The most famous photo stop of our tour was the castle used in the Bela Lugosi movie "Dracula." It was filmed so long ago but the castle was forever captured on my mind being a lover of horror films. It's just the exact thing!