Entries about fun

VIENNA IN JUNE (2013)

Fabulous weather in Vienna in June!
Linden is blossoming with dizzying fragrant, flower covers and fresh-green all around.

In early June, the Danube (river) poured - and there was a serious flood. But they are reparing and washing the lines near water, taking out the trees, brought from Germany (?) by the river. It is getting shiny once again.

FESTIVALs

RAIBOW PARADE
at June 15th on Ringstrasse (will therefore be closed to traffic).
From Heldenplatz at 2.00 pm against the flow of traffic (!) around the entire ring.

Vienna Jazz Festival from June 17th to July 10th

Free Open-Air Popfest at Karsplatz
Donauinselfest 21-23/06

MUSIC & STAGE

WIENER STAATSOPER (OPERA)
Already couple of years, Vienna’s leading opera stage shows live performances on 50 m² LED video screen on the square in front of the Opera House. Free, of course.
But nothing as good as going to performance.
Here are spots in June 2013:
" Il barbiere di Siviglia " , which we unfortunately missed at 14/06,

the ballet "Don Quixote" by Rudolf Nurejew, Marius Petipa - only in this ending season.

"Don Quixote" was absolutely magic, outstanding, brilliant! It was such a delicious pleasure of colors and music and dance, and beautiful costumes, scenography and orcheography, that difficult even describe.

Then, Richard Wagner is 200 y.o. this year so "Die Walküre" (16 & 23/06) and "Tristan und Isolde" (18,22,26 & 30/06)
We went to hear "Tristan und Isolde" not in the theatre, but with this live-video out of Opera House.
With all respect to Wagner.. gosh.. it's soooooo long (and boring). How good that we didn't take tickets to the performance. Do you imagine about 5 hours of opera in German? Plus almost nothing happen, oversized Tristan sitting/staying/or lying in dramatic poses and sometimes he is singing too. But tomorrow (19/06) we hope to take a "Don Quixote". There are zero tickets available, we hope to take standing places. P.S. actually we did, see above <<<

"Capriccio" by Strauss 20,24 & 27/06 ... oh my God, what to choose?
Of course "Roméo et Juliette" in June 21th, 25th and 28th but Conductor is Plácido Domingo (!)

"Roméo et Juliette" was weird. Opera runs in French, scenography was kind of "modern", costumes and decorations minimal, again with elements of modern life (Romeo in jeans didn't fit my expectations). Juliette had a wonderful voice, but looked and acted not like medieval teenager from Verona, it was more alike soup-opera. And, it appeared that the main point was Placido Domingo - great singer... not a conductor. Public was so muc enthusiastic about him that almost forgot about Roméo et Juliette. Still.. :-) Wien Staatsoper - it's so awsome! It's always pleasure, always!

and finally Nurejew Gala 2013 29/06
to die, trying to make decision!

and then, something unusual will be shown on huge display on Rathausplatz: (29/06). Rolando Villazón's adaptation of the Donizetti opera "L'Elisir d'Amore in the Wild West" (2012) - he sings the part of Nemorino and also directs.

ART


!!! Bosch-Bruegel-Rubens-Rembrandt in ALBERTINA till 30/06 only + few interesting exhibitions
and other art-events I didnt even checked up, will do it in next days - feel need to hurry, because it's June 15th already tomorrow!

We are painting (almost) daily. This summer is dedicated to prolonged watercolor plainair. All this is pretty much updated in our web-gallery and on FB (search for "VA Stashinski"). It takes most of our time, but that what we planned and wanted.

SPORTs

F1 on TV, as usual. Andre always up to, it's one of his very much facorite things.
Also Red Bull air-parade is in Austria this weekend (29-30/06), but it's not in Vienna, so we are going to see it on TV.
Not possible to catch more then you r able to. Our rollerblading is minor, hope to increase it in July. And that's because of few reasons. 1st of all it was a serious flood, which distroyed parts of "our island", it's getting better each day, but there are still lot of mess and river silt everywhere . Water was about 3m up. The second reason is instable weather - it was too hot, it was cold and rainy after. End of June is getting fine weather, but wind is agressive and it makes our sport activities difficult.

EVERYHING ELSE

And there are more of small events, nice meetings and various tasks.
We collected linden blossom for upcoming winter. Gosh, how it flavors, how it flavors, you are moving in honey cloud, it's alike being a bee!

Last weekend seen Nina & Franz and cats. Love to go there, love to be with them.
Spent nice time with Angelika and Gabriel

Don't be shocked, Gabriel is a pirat!
;-)

FOOD & DRINK
as usual, we cook and we trying new tastes.
We addapted Aperol - so popular in Europe, with Prosecco and Prosecco alone is wonderful too!

If you doubt what you see on the last picture - it's not pineapple, but yellow (!!!) watermelon

Last year we discovered and loved Gruner Veltliner - wonderful white wine from Niederosterreich.

Fiaker: Named after horse-and-carriages, the Fiaker is a rather not-so-common drink of coffee with a shot of Austrian rum and whipped cream.

Coffee in Vienna is always served with glass of water aside. Sometimes with another "additions" and spicies