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Newsletter #32 - January 22-29, 1960 |
| NEWSLETTER #32 January 22-29/ 1960 Vienna, Austria rec'd In Wilmington, Del. on 2-6-60 Guten Tag - Wie geht es ihnen heute? OR Hello - How are you today? Today [January 23] was certainly another very busy day. We've been running since early this morning and went to see two very lovely palaces. We saw the wonderful collection of the Austrian crown jewels and the lovely vestments of excessive value which were once used in the churches at the Hofburg Palace. Next we saw the Palace of Schonbrunn which was once the summer palace of Queen Maria Theresia, the mother of Marie Antoinette and ten other girls and five boys. We were permitted to see only forty of the 1,441 exquisitely furnished rooms and, without a doubt, the tapestries, paintings, chandeliers and other furnishings were the loveliest collection of well-kept objects we've ever seen. Not only was the interior of the Schonbrunn Palace gorgeous, but the gardens as well. They are surrounded by fountains, formal terraces, statuary and many other objects of beauty and art which have all been planned to the minutest detail. We were told that the rose and flower gardens of all Vienna are simply beautiful throughout the summer months. On our return, we saw the University of Vienna and the Johann Strauss Monument in Stadtpark. We could see ice skaters on a rink nearby the monument. By this time it was five o'clock and we were due at another tea given by members of Beta Sigma Phi. The tea was held in the Wintergarden of an old palace. We had a very pleasant time chatting with the members and they even invited another man so that Meredith wouldn't be too bored. As soon as the tea was over, we drove to Grinzing - a suburb of Vienna. Here we had a Heuriger which means the drinking of new wine. At a Heuriger you usually have a large party (there were nine of us) and you take with you your lunch meat, rolls, butter, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, fruit and whatever else you wish to eat. You must order wine. The wine was really very good and we had a very gay, hilarious time as the group was very sociable. We ended the evening by having coffee at the home of one of the couples who also came to our Heuriger. Since I'm wide awake, I'm writing our day's tour to you. However, I should be in bed because I want to go to the Royal |
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Church of Austria tomorrow to hear the famous Vienna Choir Boys sing. Now [January 24] it is late on Sunday night and I can give you another account of a busy day. We were at church this morning and before we could enter the church, had to purchase a ticket. Apparently, this is the custom in some European churches. This was a real treat as a large orchestra accompanied the Vienna Choir Boys who were also joined by the adult choir of the church. They sang a very famous mass and the vestments of the priests and persons performing in the service were extraordinarily magnificent. After the service we visited the landmark of Vienna which is the St. Stephen's Cathedral. The Gothic spire of this cathedral is very unusual and is 448 feet high. Many beautiful pulpits, choir galleries, paintings and a great organ of Baroque design are contained within the cathedral. We next went to the Augustiner Church and then on to Karls' Church. Karls' Church was built by a very famous architect named Fischer von Ehrlach and was also Baroque in design. Most of the buildings in Vienna are of Baroque design. Our next point of interest was Belvedere Palace and from there we went to the Viennese Coney Island - "Der Prater". Here we saw the world's largest ferris wheel. We also visited the Schatzkammer in Hofburg Palace and saw the renowned Michaeler Tor which is a gorgeous wrought iron entranceway in this palace. After a large dinner in a typical Viennese restaurant, we had our dessert and tea at Demel's. Demel's is a very famous pastry shop where the Emperor Franz Joseph often had his coffee or tea. (Vienna is famous for its coffee houses.) At the close of this full day, we were seated in the seventh row of the famous Vienna Opera House at 5:30 P.M. to hear the Vienna Philharmonic and the opera "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" by Richard Wagner. The part of the Meistersinger was sung by Hans Sachs who did a magnificent job. The opera lasted five full hours and was really a thrill to see. It was beautifully performed and I can honestly say the hours went too fast. We are now back at our hotel and I'm really too tired to write this, but I hate to get behind. We left Vienna this morning [January 25] and drove to Salzburg, the city where the great music festivals take place during the summers. Small mountains surround this little city which is also the birthplace of Mozart. You see two castles on hillsides as you drive through the busy city streets. This is truly a lovely sight. On our way to Salzburg, we stopped in the city of Linz. This is the capital city of Upper Austria and has several bridges which are quite attractive which span the Danube River. Our stay in Salzburg was quite nice and from here we drove to Berchtesgaden in Germany. This was certainly a treat for both of us. |
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The Alpine scenery in this area is really spectacular and the homes are beautiful with a lovely Bavarian atmosphere throughout this picturesque countryside. From breathtaking Berchtesgaden, we drove on the "Autobahn" to the Lake of Chiem. This lake is often called Chiemsee and is a very large lake which is quite popular. However, it looked rather dull today as it was covered by fog and mist and we could not see the island in the lake. (The island contains a very famous castle.) We drove on into Munich [January 26] and certainly enjoyed the scenery the entire trip. Munich is the capital of Bavaria and in the heart of artistic Germany. Tonight in Munich, we have a very modern, warm hotel room. Our hotel is located in the area of Munich which was bombed and all the buildings have been rebuilt. It seems to us as if we are living in complete luxury since we have a small room with carpeting and enough heat to be comfortable. Our dinner tonight was very delicious and I know that if I keep on eating Austrian and German meals accompanied with their delicious beer I shall soon need new clothing. We arrived here early which enabled us to walk through some of Munich's streets. Of course, we window shopped during our walk and even went into a Woolworth store. We again walked about Munich today [January 27] until noon. We left then and drove south about 100 miles to Oberammergau which is a most picturesque mountain village in southern Bavaria. This is a very popular resort as well as being very famous for the setting of the world renown "Passion Play" which is held every ten years. 1960 happens to fall in the tenth year and every ticket is sold for all performances. This play was first presented in 1634 in gratitude for the cessation or ending of the Black Plague and has been faithfully held every ten years until 1934, when the performances were discontinued. The performances of the "Passion Play" were resumed in 1950 and, since we can't procure tickets for May or June performances, we'll have to make it a must for 1970. A wonderful guide took us through the theatre and showed us back-stage, the costumes, the props and, of course, gave us the history of the play. We even saw the cross and our guide explained how the actor who portrays Christ, is nailed to the cross. Only natives of Oberammergau are permitted to take part in the "Passion Play" and, of the town's 4,000 inhabitants, 1,400 people have something to do in the production of the play. All male actors must grow a beard for a year -- naturally the town is now full of bearded men. Oberammergau is also a great wood-carving center and maintains a school which teaches this craft. The shops are "chuck-full" of woodcarvings but the prices of the carvings are as much or more than you would pay in the U. S. However, when you watch a carver at work, you realize the reason for the expensiveness of their items. The frescoes on the homes in this village are most unusual and I hope the pictures Meredith took turn out well so you will |
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know what I'm talking about as only in these Bavarian villages do you see this unusual artistic and colorful groupings of homes. Another charming feature of Austria and Germany is the unusual balconies and beautiful iron-grille signposts and wood-carved pumps in the smaller villages. Tonight we are in Garmisch-Partenkirchen which is Germany's leading winter sports center and is near the Zugspitze Mountain (Germany's highest). Here we saw two ski jumps, several ski lifts, the ski stadium and an ice hockey game between the Canadian Flyers and the German Riessersee teams. This game was held at the Olympic Ice Stadium. It was a good hockey game, but not near as exciting the many we've seen at Hershey. Garmisch lies on rather flat ground from which mountains spring to enormous heights on every side. Looking out of our room windows we see several lovely mountain views and we have found that we are quite entranced and fond of this city. The German Alps are certainly majestic and greatly enhanced by the quaint peasant architecture of the homes of the mountaineers and their picturesque and colorful clothing. Most native men wear Tyrolean hats, jackets, knickers and embroidered suspenders which are very attractive and colorful -- even to the perky feathers in their hats. The habits and hospitality of these people has been greatly appreciated by us. Another day in Garmisch and we watched the people skiing and going up the chair and rope lifts. Many were just hiking about the countryside with their lovely winter sports outfits, being very well exhibited to us. The clientele here is very exclusive and you find that throughout the city hotel accommodations are exceptionally "grand". [January 28] We drove through Mittenwald, Seefeld, Zirl and Solbad Hall on into Innsbruck. Each of these places are fashionable winter sports areas which offer fine skiing from the high Alpine plateaus. The Tyrolean Alps, with their snow-capped peaks, surely do draw hordes of winter sports enthusiasts and you wonder where all the people stay as most of the towns are rather small, At Innsbruck we saw the Hofburg - the former Imperial Palace - and the Goldenes Dachl - a former royal residence with a copper tiled roof. Today [January 29], the last day of another newsletter week, finds us in Switzerland and just on the outskirts of Zurich. We drove through a blinding snow for about an hour today and used chains to go over another mountain pass. This was difficult to drive over as the snow was so deep and everything so white so that you could hardly distinguish where the road was. I dread the next week or more in Switzerland just because of these hazardous mountain passes. We also drove through Liechtenstein - a small country between Austria and Switzerland on the Upper Rhine. It has no army, navy, air force, |
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strikes, paupers or taxes and possesses a peaceful, quiet, lushgreen countryside with snow-capped mountains around it. No snow on the road or in the pastures at present. At Vaduz, the tiny capital of Liechtenstein, we saw the medieval Castle of Liechtenstein where the reigning monarch, Franz Joseph II, lives. This delightful village is surrounded by vineyards and is at the foot of the Garsilen Range of mountains. On our way to Switzerland we also drove along lovely Lake Constance which is shared by three countries - Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It is an exceptionally large lake and quite an important place for water sports and tourists. Thus ends another wonderful and busy week of our travels. We must say that these Austrians and Germans have surely served us delicious cuisine and have been most cordial to us. Their breath-taking mountain scenery and miles of lovely pine forests will be unforgettable in our minds, as well as their picturesque stone castles and gorgeous lakes. We are still enjoying fine health and raring to go on to see the remaining countries of cultural Europe. I must add to this that we are still very glad and proud we are Americans as our moral standards are 100$ higher than the majority of the people of Europe. AND, we have just as much to brag about in the United States as they do except for the fact that we are not hoarding any royal jewels or palaces or existing on glories of the past. Instead, we Americans are willing to work with our minds and hands to make a better world for all nations. I could go on about this for another page or two because the longer I'm in these countries, the more I feel like shouting I'm an American and proud of it. "Danke schon" for listening, or Thank you Auf Wiedersehen (Good-bye) |