Lots to report

Can't believe it has been several days since my last post. The days seem to fly by, even when I have nothing to show for them. So now there is a lot to catch up on and I may not do it all at once.

Saturday was cold and rainy and Rich decided to stay in and nurse his cold so I met Carl and Michele at the MAK, or museum of applied art. What a wonderful place! (It was so miserable out that I did not bring my camera so pictures of this building will come later) It is housed in a 19th century renaissance-inspired palace with a fantastic 3-story interior courtyard with each floor and ceiling fully decorated with renaissance motifs. The collection is all the stuff that fascinates me! Furniture, textiles, lace-work, ceramics and porcelain, glass, etc. On the first floor was an exhibit of 19th century chairs that was so unusual and well done. It was displayed in a long, narrow room, with a narrow central aisle. On each side of the aisle was a wall of white fabric and to the outside of that, on each side, was a row of chairs. On the outside of them were lights focussed on the chairs, so that they threw strong shadows on the white cloth which you see as you walk down the aisle. Most of the chairs were variations on bent wood so their images were really interesting. And then you can go down the outside and see the actual chairs as well- really neat display!

There was also a small show on Otto Neurath- ever hear of him? I hadn't but look him up- very interesting.

And the museum store here is a bit like MOMA with beautiful and interesting objets! And the cafe is extremely modern and quite nice too.

Sunday was much sunnier and Rich was feeling better so we were out and about finally. Went to Judenplatz which was the center of the Jewish ghetto during the middle ages. Some buildings representing old stuff, but really not much there of that. But this is where they built a Holocaust memorial a few years ago- really a large statue- not anything you can go into, but it looks like a building of books, with names and places around the outside. (2 pictures above) And in the course of construction of this, they uncovered archeological remains of the medieval synagogue (top picture) so there is a small museum about that and medieval life in the ghetto. Quite fascinating even tho very small. They have reconstructed the outline of the building with some of the walls, and some indications of the location of the bima and the ark, shown in top picture above.

Later in the afternoon we went to see La Taviata at the Volksoper. Altho this not the "real"opera- only the opera for the people- it was really good. A beautiful, young Korean singer, Ha Young Lee was Violetta and was great. Unfortunately, the captions provided were in German, but oh well. One has to make do, you know.

That will be all for now- have to get to the OBB for ticket information before they close. More later.