Previously promised post that until now got forgotten about.

Back here I alluded to some further comment I had to make from our brief visit to Vienna at Easter. While it is in my nature to promise to post things (or do things, or say things, or clean things or tidy things) and then show no sign of actually following through on my big talk, I thought I could take the time (on my way out the door to a youth cafe launch event thing I’m a bit hazy on the details of) to note where my thoughts had been going on those things I mentioned.

High-quality street performers.

I mean it. For example, the lady playing the harp just off Michaelerplatz at about 10 o’clock on our last evening in town. Or the group of Eastern European (sounded like it, anyway) breakdancers who not only were impressive performers, but knew how to work the crowd so well that I would have given them a couple of euro just for that alone! Less technically brilliant but just as arresting was the little (really, small) old (makes my grandmother look like she’s just reaching her prime) lady saxophonist sitting on Graben, coaxing a frighteningly mournful sound from her instrument. (The cynic in me wonders if she was playing on her vulnerable appearance just a little, but the rest of me says, so what if she was?)

Some of the entertainment we caught really shames the stuff I’ve been known known to buy a ticket for.

Minimalist art at the Albertina.

I just don’t get it. I’m sorry. Why is a big black parallelogram (how many l’s should there be in there?) in any way interesting or impressive?

The Spanish Riding School

We weren’t around for a show, so we went to a training session. That has got to be the biggest con going.

To re-iterate, we loved Vienna and will be back.