Return (again)

After 10 hours on a train, experiencing both the highs and the lows of the German transit system, and a red eye flight back to East Midlands, I find myself finally completely finished with my Christmas break/Vienna travel adventure. It is a good feeling to be back for more than 3 days. Slightly comforting to have the same routine, the usual flat antics, people in their usual places, though I can do without the bleak English weather. Good to have some constants though.

I suppose people would like to hear about Vienna, and I'll oblige that gladly. This particular journey has from the very decision of mine to study abroad been a trip to look forward to. You could say it's been nearly a year in the making, literally. I had vowed that if I was not to go to Vienna as a member of the orchestra, I would visit instead, and I kept up with that promise. The joy at being reunited with familiar friends and faces from Luther is something that really cannot be expressed. I really couldn't wait to see them again, particularly Benjamin and Kate. If you're out of the loop, Benjamin and Kate are my people at Luther, so to speak. I left early Wednesday morning from East Midlands to Salzburg. After a whirlwind 7 hour tour of Salzburg that saw me covering the Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mozart's birthplace, his home growing up, and a very trendy coffee bar, I was greeted at the Vienna Westbahnhof by a gaggle of Luther folk on the platform, and quickly taken via subway to the Hotel Kummer. That was one very nice aspect of this, I stayed for free for 5 nights in a 4 star hotel. Quite the change from the usual hostel.

I feel it would not be very beneficial to just list off all the stuff I saw. Most of that can be accomplished by viewing the photo album that can be accessed to the right of the page. Once again, I'll focus on the things that struck me the most. The defining characteristic of Vienna I feel was most definitely the music. I mean, Vienna is the epicenter for the Western musical tradition, that which we are educated so strongly with at Luther. It is the city of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Strauss, Schubert, Mahler, the list goes on and on. Continuing the bohemian weekend I spent in London, my time in Vienna was characterized most of all by the great number of musical activities I partook in. This was to be expected, as my friends are all music students as well, and that is the great common denominator that brought us together in the first place, be it Concert Band, swing dancing or whatever. But make no mistake, music in Vienna demands your attention. Anyways, on Thursday I caught the Glenn Miller Orchestra, which was cool. Very prepackaged, but that's sort of what I expected. They did a good job of recreating a 1930's jazz experience. But it was just that, a recreation. But they were very good. Friday night was a definite highlight, as I went and saw Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) at the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera). The Staatsoper is considered one of the world's greatest opera houses, and it was amazing. Not only to see a Mozart opera in the city it premiered in, but also to actually see a whole opera, which I had never done. I've played in one, but never actually seen. Needless to say, I was lucky and could see the whole stage from my 9 Euro seat. And it was amazing. Following the opera, a group of us went down to a jazz club where we enjoyed some wine and local jazz.

On Sunday, Benjamin, Kate, and I decided to go try and get tickets for the prestigious Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic), regarded as one of the very best orchestras in the world, if not the best. With the help of a very nice Austrian woman, we succeeded in all getting tickets to the sold out performance. I was fortunate enough to get a seat on stage, about 10 feet from the horn section. It was as if I was sitting in with the orchestra, I could watch the conductor and everything. They played Stravinsky's Petroushka as well as Dvorak's Symphony No. 8. It maybe ranks in the best things that have ever happened to me. The best part I think was the ability to watch the emotions and movements of the conductor. He seemed so joyous, it was really incredible. Vienna in general is music crazy. After I described the phenomenon to Brandon back at the flat, he used the term that the music venues are almost like their football stadiums. I like that analogy. Every concert I saw was completely sold out, standing room included. There were people in front of the Musikverein scalping tickets to the Vienna Philharmonic. It's just such an incredible atmosphere of music and culture. I loved it. It definitely has inspired me musically. I am looking forward to increasing my practice time, as well as reapplying myself. I have to do this every year, but I suppose the Vienna experience just puts it into a bit more perspective. Especially if I am still considering trying out for orchestra next year. I've also been rethinking what I want to study after Luther. Musicology (the history of music)? Hmm, we'll see.

Of course, I did more than just listen to music. I ran around the city centre, and on Sunday the group of us went to Schonbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the Hapsburgs. For those of you not in the know, Vienna was up until 1918 the capital of the vast Hapsburg Empire, and is truly an imperial city. The palace tour was great, as were the incredible gardens. Check the photos. We also made it to the central cemetary, where we saw Beethoven's grave, along with Schubert's, Brahms', and Strauss'. On Sunday, Kate and I traveled to the northernmost edge of Vienna to visit Heiligenstadt, an area once haunted by Beethoven. It actually turned out to be one of my favorite things. Stepping off the tram was like stepping into a different world, as it was so quiet and peaceful. We wandered about and saw a few houses Beethoven once lived in. After some really bad directions and 45 minutes lost in another Vienna suburb, we met the rest of the orchestra at a heurigen, which is a very unique Viennese wine garden that serves new wine. Like the wine made this year. A good time. I know, a lame description of events. Check the photos, they'll do a good job.

To sum everything up, the trip was great. The orchestra leaders were very gracious in letting me tag along. It didn't hurt that I knew Dr. Baldwin, Dr. Strauss, and the tour coordinator, but they were great nonetheless. Being among so many Luther people was bound to raise up thoughts of whether it was indeed a good idea to study abroad or not. I'd be lying if I said I was supremely confident in my decision to go. But that does not mean I regret it. Rather, I feel confident that I will be fine next year, and that I am supported by those back home. One thing I realized is that no matter how many countries I travel to, or things I see, or miles I log on a train, they all pale in comparision to the incredible value of family and good friends. This doesn't only apply to Luther people, as I don't want to cut out anyone. It's just a realization that came to me in Vienna. I highly recommend study abroad to anyone. But I think anyone who goes will come to this conclusion. Anyways, that's that. We are quickly approaching the halfway point of this year, university tests approach me next week, as well as a paper on British evangelicalism. But strangely, all I want to do is watch the first episodes of 24 Season 6....