Then it was off to the museum district and our first destination, the Kunsthistorisches Museum. After a few hours there (see pics below) we walked to the Albertina, where the more contemporary art is; they had a special exhibit on Albrecht Dürer.
Final destination was Prater, the amusement park. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be what we envisaged (a somewhat creepy but still cool place in a state of shabby chic) but was, in fact, a more dubious place of tourist traps franchises (there's a Madam Tussaud's; I've never been inside one and wasn't planning on starting now) and copious smokers. I remarked that it felt to me like a place you'd take your children in the hope they might get kidnapped. But we had a free ticket to go on the famous wheel (its earlier incarnation appears in the movie 'The Third Man') so we did that - and the view was pretty good.
After taking the opportunity to ride the sightseeing bus around the city for a while, we went back to our part of town (Leopoldstadt) and found a traditional food cafe near our apartment, Cafe 3/4 Takt. Only we didn't have quite enough cash so I went ATM hunting (thanks again, Google, you asshole) and struggled to find my way back. Worked it out eventually, paid and went back to the apartment to pack.
Side note: the place we were staying offered laundry for 8€ a decent-sized bag; a bargain for an in-house service at a hotel. It's not especially plot-relevant, but I wanted to mention it 'cause laundry can be one of the more interesting things to manage while travelling (as I will talk about when I catch up and detail our Prague adventures) since thinking about it makes me happy.
Germany and Austria have a clothing chain store called 'Marc O'Polo'. I don't know whether it's meant to be funny or not.
Kind of impressed there's a statue of Napoleon up, under the circumstances.
There were two guys with horseheads, playing piano accordions.
A creepy satyr.
Ancient dude is done with your shit.
Ivory. As much as it bugs me, it's kind of amazing to look at.
At some point the nobility decided to make things by adding gold and gems to animal by-products, like eggs or - in this case - a bezoar. Yes, a bezoar. As any good Harry Potter fan will tell you, that's a gross solid hairball from inside a goat.
The Kunsthistoriches has an Egyptology section. It did make me wonder if Egypt is happy for other countries to have their stuff since it means it's kept safe and they've still got plenty around to display in their own museums (and perhaps the other governments pay/have paid for it in some way) or they're quietly annoyed an will eventually ask for it all back.
I should have include something for scale. Apparently the statue was massive - the fragment of foot alone was huge.
"Laughing at my dick - that's a paddlin'."
That's not a very big leaf you have there, Adam.
Bruegel (the elder): The Peasant Wedding.
Bruegel Sr. again, 'The Hunters in the Snow'. I'm a sucker for snow paintings.
"Are you looking at my butt?"
Snow again. Can't recall who it's by.
"I appear to have got my head stuck in a window. You don't happen to have any butter on you, do you?"
Reminds me of the time that shiba inu got its head stuck in a bush.
Rembrandt. I'm looking forward to seeing more in Amsterdam.
It always impresses me the amount of detail in these crowd scenes of Jesus with the cross. Some of the faces are fascinating.
Some huge Rubens pieces.
A unicorn.
One from Cannaletto. I like his stuff.
Dürer's rhino, and a bunch more of his works from the Albertina.
A horse by Toulouse-Lautrec. As I explained to Rochelle, that was who John Leguizamo portrayed (well, sort of) in 'Moulin Rouge'. I doubt he ever played a magical sitar in a stage musical.
Three Klee.
This is 'Ghosts in the Tree' by Franz Sedlacek. Never heard of him before today, but I really like this.
State library of Vienna. It's stunning.
I saw those horse headed accordionists.
ReplyDeleteI think Egypt does want all its plundered relics back.
Bezoar - gross.
I also took lots of photos of that church from the bus. 😊