Back in BP

We came back from Vienna early yesterday evening. It was a really short trip, the train went a lost faster on the way back. I watched two episodes of John Adams. In the 6 person section where my mother and I had situated ourselves on the train, no one else had come. The train started moving and we were relieved that it was highly probably that would we left alone in the cabin. An American-Hungarian business woman was almost out of breath and she plumped herself in our cabin. That was no big deal because there was still more than enough room to be comfortable. Then, about a minute later, much to everyone in our cabin's dismay, a 5'3'' beer-bellied meaty heavy set man of ample proportions decided to park himself next to me. Why not in the other empty seats bro? He was drunk and smelled as if he had smoked eight packs of cigarettes prior to setting foot on the train. Smelling him was like second hand smoke pretty much. I was pretty fucked up just from a whiff. Well enough of my bitching, everything went smoothly pretty much.

(Photo from flickr)

Karlskirche
In 1713, the Black Plague swept Vienna, and Emperor Charles VI made a vow: if the plague abated, he would build a church dedicated to his namesake, St. Charles Borromeo. St. Charles was a 16th-century Italian bishop famous for ministering to Milanese plague victims. The emperor's prayer was answered, and construction on the church began in 1715.
The Karlskirche is a church situated on the south side of Karlsplatz, Vienna. It is one of the most outstanding baroque church structures north of the Alps and boasts a dome in the form of an elongated ellipsoid. It is amazing on the inside. We got to go up on this contraption, into the dome and it was quite frightening let me tell you. We got a nice view of the city though, and of the iconography painted on the inside of the dome.
There are photos from inside the dome. As I just mentioned, we had the opportunity to go up inside. It is 45 meters tall from the ground to the top of the dome. I am terrified of heights but couldn't pass up an occasion like this.

The iconographical program of the church originated from the imperial official Carl Heraeus and connects St. Charles Borromeo with his imperial benefactor. The relief on the pediment above the entrance with the cardinal virtues and the figure of the patron on its apex point to the motivation of the donation. This sculpture group continues onto the attic story as well. The attic is also one of the elements which the younger Fischer introduced. The columns display scenes from the life of Charles Borromeo in a spinal relief, however they also recall the Pillars of Hercules and act as symbols of imperial power. The entrance is flanked by angles from the Old and New Testaments.This program continues in the interior as well, above all in the dome fresco by Johann Michael Rottmyr of Salzburg and Gaetano Fanti which displays an intercession of Charles Borromeo, supported by the Virgin Mart. Surrounding this scene are the cardinal virtues.


The baroque is evident in the ornate bold decor best exemplified by the heavy application of gold on the columns such as the ones in this photo. Yay! Aren't you glad you read this, look at all the stuff you have just learned!

I saw some friends late last night. I also tried this Zwack Unicum concoction. I had heard so many things about it, good and bad, that I decided it was time to form my own opinion. The liqueur is today produced by Zwack according to a secret formula including more than 40 herbs and aged in oak casks. The flavor of Unicum closely resembles that of Jägermeister, but it is considerably earthier and less sweet with a very bitter aftertaste. Unicum is regarded as the national drink of Hungary.

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Today I am supposed to visit family but I really don't want to go. My grandmother's cousin's family...an 89 year old lady, a 73 year old lady and her 74 year old husband. Normally it would be totally fine because my sister would be here too but...now...its just my mother, grandmother and I. Tomorrow I think we are going to our lake house for two or three days and I am really excited. I haven't been in so long and going always brings back good memories. One of my friends has a lake house about 8 minutes away, so last night we agreed that we would hang out. This is a photo of some Hungarian amigos: