06.03.11

Today a group of BA2 students from Portsmouth led by Greg Bailey flew out to Vienna. Ellen and I decided to meet the group in the afternoon. Greg’s wife Lynn and Steven Paradise (we had studied with Steve in Portsmouth for our first three years) were also on the trip and it was great to see them. It was lovely to meet the group and to enjoy some of the sights and encourage the BA2 group to take advantage of possibly studying here in the future!

The group was very well organised and had been split into pairs before the trip; each pair had to prepare a presentation on different sites around the city. This meant the group had researched and created a leaflet identifying key points before arriving. I was very impressed by theses and realised that this was much better than researching and presenting after the trip, as this helped generate a level of interest, knowledge and excitement before reaching the destinations.

With the group we ventured around Stephansdom and then retreated to a beautiful coffee shop ‘Demel’ for a strudel and a hot melange. After this Steve, Ellen and I decided that we would catch the last Ice skating session of the season outside the Rathaus.

Ellen, Steve and I ice-skating outside the Neus Rathaus

The ‘Neues Rathaus’ is the Vienna City town hall. It was designed by architect Friedrich von Schmidt after he won a competition held by the authorities for the best proposed design. It was built from 1872 to 1883 in a Neo-Gothic style with a huge central 100m high tower. The top of the tower has a statue of the ‘Rathausmann’, a knight in armour holding a lance. The Rathaus has curved balconies, grand windows and exquisite detailing. The interior has two grand staircases up to the ‘Festsaal’, a grand ceremonial hall that stretches the length of the building. On all four sides are Neo-Gothic arcades and statues of Austrian worthies such as prominent Habsburgs. In front of the building they have a fantastic ice-skating facility that is open for the winter months. After dark both the Rathaus and ice-skating ring are beautifully lit; there is even a route through the trees of the Rathausplatz Park that skaters can enjoy.

We had arrived before dusk and had the luxury of watching the sunset and atmosphere change as the surroundings were lit up. The experience was very special and I was very upset that it was the last session of the season!

The Neues Rathaus showing the Rathausmann tower reaching 100m high

We then decided to go to the Staatsoper to see ‘Madama Butterfly’. We bought our €3 standing tickets and enjoyed exploring the Opera House before the performance. This was my second visit to the Opera House (see 20.02.11) and even now I was overwhelmed by the diversity of people and the stunning surroundings. The Staatoper was actually hit by a bomb in 1945 and was largely destroyed. It was rebuilt and restored in 1955, restoring Austrian pride and re establishing itself as a key focus of the city. It seems the grand interior glowing in the evening light will always fascinate me. As you move up the grand marble staircase from the main entrance to the first floor, In my opinion the Staatoper even though quite recently rebuilt, has managed to hold on to a unique and original atmosphere.

The performance was quite intense and was my first Opera. Initially it was difficult to follow but after the first act I became engrossed in the and thoroughly enjoyed it; even if my legs were like jelly by the end of the three hours!

 View from the first floor looking back towards the main entrance of the Staatoper

I returned home content and pleased to have met up with the group. It was an enjoyable day and I was looking forward to seeing them all again and engaging in some more sightseeing!