Wonderful Wien and Back to Buda.

Vienna is a tall glass of class. And, Budapest is undoubtedly one of my favourite European capitals, rich in culture and character... so, I thought these would be two great cities to take my Dad on his European Holiday Tour. But, before we even left for Italy, I made sure he had a chance to visit Hungary's finest: K-Town!

Dad rolled into Kaposvár by train... just in time to drop his things off at the flat and join us at Munkácsy for the end of the term Christmas reception with all the teachers. I'm glad he got a chance to check out the school and meet some of my great colleagues. They were all very intrigued to meet him and happy to welcome him. Of course, he's easy... lots of smiling and nodding... and he knows how to drink champagne, so he fit right in. This is a pic of Greg (the other English teacher from the US, one of three Americans in the city), Dad, and Laci (great host, great storyteller, great teacher, and great Hungarian dude).

We only had one full day to experience Kaposvár, so I took him on a walking tour of the city until we were good and hungry for supper. We went to one of my favourite restaurants in town called Turul Étterem. Dad had a chance to sample some authentic Hungarian cuisine and some of the finest wine we have to offer (from the Dél-Pannónia region). Then, we hit Kossuth Square to soak up the Christmas energy and sip on some forralt bor (hot wine), naturally. Dad loves it! He couldn't stop talking about the hot wine and I couldn't stop laughing. We had fun.

Fast forward a few frames... we went from Hungary to Italy (for Christmas), and then arrived in Vienna on the twenty-sixth of December. It's pretty amazing how you can take an hour flight from southern Italy to Austria (or even just drive over the border) and be in a totally different place... I'm not just talking different language, but different fashion, attitude, architecture... it doesn't even feel like the same century! Leaving small town Sicily for fancy-time Vienna was culture shock for my Dad, but he was ready to take on a new city.










I like traveling with a variety of people; it fascinates me to see what different people are attracted to... the little things... like for my Dad: he can't get over the fact that people all over Europe listen to American music on the radio (sung in English), he has to get an authentic recipe for the Hungarian forralt bor, he can't believe the San Fratello roof tiles are held in place by rocks, he could watch the Palermo traffic jams for hours on end, and he wants to learn how they built the Vienna subway systems... I love it! I realize that even while I'm traveling and learning about people and cultures, I can learn about people and cultures by the people I'm with. There's not a better way (for me) to learn, than traveling.

I wanted to make sure we spent some time in the Museum Quarter, so we checked out the Freiraum International Quartier 21, the Leopold Museum and the Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig (MUMOK). Wow! I really dig the Leopold. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the Egon Schielle anthology (the most definitive collection of his works in the world)... he's quickly becoming one of my favourite artists from the twentieth century, but not for his skill or his content and certainly not his lifestyle... there is something compelling about the emotional intensity of his compositions and the way his lines work in new ways... I just dig it.









The Quartier 21 is cool. They had some conceptual installation work based on retro hi-fi stereo systems... you know... ovens with turntable stovetops, pumping to vintage tweed speaker cabinets mounted on spider legs climbing up walls... that kind of thing. Ha. And, the MUMOK (the Modern Art Museum) was okay. There was a lot of work there, but only one floor was really that hot. There were some hip Warhol pieces and a stare of rad colour lithographs from some Argentinian printmakers.

To close out the Vienna experience, we decided to got to a concert at the Orangerie Schönbrunn (at the Schloss Schönbrunn Palace). We saw Schönbrunner Schlosskonzerte, featuring the works of Mozart and Johann Strauss (two of the many many many world-famous classical composers from Vienna). The performance was complete with full orchestra, conductor, and even some oprea singers and dancers for some pieces. Cool show.

Before Dad bolted for the big apple, I took him around BP for a day... and we ran into some great fun. Sure, I took him to Hero Square, and down the iconic Andrássy út, etc. but we also went to some spots I've yet to visit. I finally took advantage of the world-famous thermal baths of Hungary, and brought Dad to Szécsényi Fürdö, the most highly-regarded of all the bath houses in the country!

Wow, I no longer need to wonder why this place gets such incredible attention. People have been telling me to go to the Szécsényi Spa since I moved to Hungary, and now I see what all the fuss is about. I'm just glad I waited until winter, because I can't imagine it's ever as cool as this. When the snow started falling, it was simple paradise... landlocked paradise...

Finally, after the thermal spa, we got bundled up to brave the cold and I showed Dad a typical Hungarian combo... something I've grown to love a lot: a Soproni (local session beer) and a lángos (fried Hungarian flatbread).

Eventually, we settled in at the Delirium Tremens Sailor Inn on the Danube for our final meal together. We feasted on top-notch traditional Hungarian cuisine (gulyash, lecsó, stuffed cabbage) and tasty Belgian beers... great way to round out the visit with my pops...

Sicily, ITALY: Digging up Family Roots.

Unfortunately, I had to wait an extra day than originally planned to see my first visitor... and even more unfortunate, is the fact that my poor father got mixed up in the weather woes and disrupted travel at the Charles de Gaulle Airport (in Paris). But after a series of flight delays, lost luggage, a missed train connection, and an unexpected night's stay in Budapest, dad finally showed up in Kaposvár on the twenty-first and we had a few great days to hang in Hungary (details to appear in an ensuing post) before heading off to Sicily for Christmas!

Yes. Sicily for Christmas... my father and I... exploring the origin of the Scaglione roots: the land, the people, the food, the language... all things Italian... I was more than a bit excited to arrive and still get psyched thinking about how special this experience is. Being set in the thick of winter now for over a month, I welcomed the Mediterranean climate and the taste of paradise offered by the sea.












We flew in and out of Palermo, and stayed at a trendy newfangled joint right in the city center. The place was great and the location was perfect. That being said... the first night, we were out for pizza late in the evening / morning... and as we walked back into the hotel (3:23) we heard two blatant gun shots fired outside. We looked at each other and then at the receptionist, and he visibly scrambled to make us feel more comfortable... telling us it was some kids setting off fireworks. Ha. Oh well, this is Palermo. I dig it, for the whole experience. (Now I know why everyone kept joking with us on our travels to Palermo about going 'prepared', etc.). It's not a particularly clean city, but is still beautiful! Similar to Rome or Pittsburgh or Toronto... there is resident charm that keeps them attractive.

So, we woke in Palermo on Christmas Eve and headed out exploring right away. The first thing we did was walk to the water. It was a bit hazy, but still cool to see the palms and feel the influence of the sea. As we walked the perimeter of the city and then started zig-zagging through the streets to catch the main sights, we were constantly amazed by the driving. Driving in Palermo is a complete mess... a refined system of organized chaos. There must be accidents everyday, but we didn't see any (several just-misses though)... dad was so intrigued by it, he wanted to just sit by the park and watch the traffic for an hour. He loves it (weirdo New Yorker).

Evening rolled around and we got duded up for Christmas Eve mass at S.S. Pietro e Paolo. It is a gorgeous old Catholic Church, filled with all the adornments of Christmas and holiday celebrations... except people. I was surprised; the church was only about thirty percent filled and it seemed to be a bit less structured than the typical Catholic mass I grew up with. Still, it was nice to be there and with my dad for Christmas Eve. Afterward, we went out for some pasta and pesce.

Christmas morning never felt so different, while still feeling exciting. I've had my share of less-than-great Christmas seasons the last few years, but this experience was sure to be new and I have been looking forward to it for a while now. Of course, I didn't wake up with Sherrie, Krissie, and Joey (and I miss that), and I didn't look out the window to see a blanket of snow (that's nice too)... but today we went to the town that Papa Ferdinand grew up (my Papa's father): a little town at the top of a mountain, overlooking the sea, called San Fratello!

First thing's first... it's raining and someone stole the wipers off our rental car in the night, so we had to get some new ones... but that was a quick fix (especially for Christmas Day), so no big deal. Finally, we hit the road... Lucky for us, we took the A19/20 all along the northern coast of Sicily, hugging the mountains and the sea... heading towards Messina. Neither of us had any idea that this drive was going to be so beautiful, but totally impressed by the unknown...

Two hours later, we arrived a top the long and winding road at a small town with a sign welcoming us to San Fratello. The first thing we did was visit the cemetery. We went searching for our family name, specifically Papa Ferdinand's father, Papa Toto (Salvatore Scaglione). Although we found plenty of Scaglione's and even some Salvatore Scaglione's, we're not sure that any matched the dates and names of our family tree research... but it was special nonetheless to be surrounded by our family name and see such authentic ornamentation in small town Sicily.

The sea never looked as clear and beautiful as it did from the top of San Fratello. We had so many things we wanted to explore and see, but we kept being drawn to the coastal view. Once we left the cemetery, we drove to the 'center' of the town... really, nothing more than a simple square with a couple of closed shops (it's Christmas after all) and a municipal building. Of course, English is more foreign in San Fratello than Hungarian is in Denver... but the people were so kind and we were able to communicate our message and mission well enough with our extremely limited Italian and our exuberant hand gestures (really, we could speak Italian without saying a word)...

The first man we met understood who we were and why we were there. We had the address of the old Scaglione Family house, but he wasn't sure exactly where it was (turns out, it's kind of a hidden street with no street sign). But, he was determined to get us there. He was a sharp-dressed well-to-do man, who seemingly knew EVERY person in the town. So, he just stood in the street and everybody that passed by (by car, by foot, by bike), he stopped and asked how to get to Stesicorea. Finally he called for a younger boy across the street and simply gave him instructions to guide us to the house... and, as a respectable kid would, he gladly concurred. Not speaking a single word of English, we headed out on a journey with our San Fratello tour guide until we, at last, discovered the street and the house... number 44 (of course, my father's obsession).

The house is amazing. It's huge; originally it spanned half the block (the rugged off-track block that is), but has since been divided into several flats. Papa Toto and Mama Mariannia and all of the kids have passed away and I'm not sure if any of our Scaglione line still lives in town, but we were able to see this family monument and it was pretty special!

We spent the next few hours wandering the streets, making it up and down each and every one... For Dad, it was a total shock to see present-day living conditions in this state... and I understand. Until you visit a small town like this, far away from any tourist spots, in a place far away from the United States... one would never believe that they even exist. The buildings are dilapidated and many have been condemned (or should be, including our house on Stesicorea). The larger of the two churches in San Fratello, St. Nicola (that was designed by Mama Mariannia's cousin), was unfortunately shut down... it's simply falling apart (check out the crack in the side of the building) and there are no resources to piece things back together in this town. It makes me awfully appreciative for the opportunities and fortunes I have, and grateful for the perspective gained by visiting places like San Fratello.

The last place we visited was the smaller church at the top of the town, Ave Maria Church... and we actually walked up, by chance, ten minutes before the Christmas Mass... so we were able to stay and experience this intimate San Fratello mass. This sixty-four seat church was the real deal and people were standing all along the back, decked-out and packed-in for Christmas... this is the flavour we were looking for in Palermo but couldn't find it. Here it is, right in San Fratello! After mass, we drove down to sea level and discovered San' Agata, the largest city in the area. We had our last Sicilian meal and walked around the city, until we headed back to Palermo. The trip to Sicily with my old man (though, still not even fifty) is a trip that won't be forgotten.

Kossuth Square: White Christmas Week

Kossuth Square (downtown K-Town) is in full holiday modus... people are bustling around and it's lit up like a, well, like a Christmas tree. I went down to meet Greg and Danielle tonight for some forralt bor and, what turned into, a bit of a snow battle. The hot wine, a traditional Hungarian wintertime favourite, was the perfect antithesis for the soaked mittens and canvas Vans; I was warm as toast...

I'm getting really excited to host my first international visitor; tomorrow my pops comes to celebrate Christmas with me... it's going to be great!

Munkácsy Christmas Concert.

So, somehow, word got out that I don't know how to say no... and before I knew it, I was convinced to join the Teacher Choir and perform at the Munkácsy Christmas Concert. As if I haven't been busy enough, I've been in choir rehearsals before and after school for the past couple weeks... working on my Hungarian and French!









The concert was Monday night in the school atrium. The student choir sounded incredible (and they even got to sing in English... lucky). Not us. Here is my phonetic charting for one of the Hungarian songs: Kicsi Gyermek... pretty entertaining for my Hungarian colleagues.

And, at the end of last week, Mikolas (Hungarian Santa Claus) came to the school, bringing treats for all of the teacher's children... kind of like Wheat Ridge's Trick-or-Treat Street. This is hilariously cute though... the kids have to sing Santa Claus a song in order to get a reward.

Vienna, AUSTRIA: A Winter Wonderland.

An opportunity... to check out a new spot, to meet up with the Fulbright crew from Czech Republic, and to enjoy some time in the snow around the holidays... done and done. Ever since I visited Innsbruck in the summer of oh-nine, I have wanted to return to Austria... and finally, this weekend, I was able to make it to Vienna! From what I hear, there isn't a better time to visit than Christmas... the energy is high, the city is adorned with all the holiday flair, and the Christmas Market is said to be the best in all of Europe!












The highlight of the city is, without a doubt, the copious representation of world-class modern art. Vienna is the home of some of my favourite artists of all-time, most notably Gustav Klimt. Klimt, the first president of the Vienna Secession movement, created an eminent frontier between figurative and non-figurative... a model that continues to inspire artists, like myself, over a hundred years after the height of his career.

I have waited a long time to see such an incredible archive of his work... and I finally got the chance to visit the highly-revered Belvedere! The Belvedere Palace is absolutely amazing... from the architecture to the landscaped gardens to the collection, it proved to be an easy way to spend the better part of a day in Vienna. Of course, I had to purchase the combination ticket to see the new contemporary exhibition in the lower Belvedere, in addition to the classics collection in the upper Belvedere.

The upper galleries showcased breathtaking work from Klimt, Schiele, Messerschmidt, and Kokoschka... including the one-and-only Der Kuss (The Kiss). I 'accidentally' snapped a photo of (part of) the masterpiece during my ten-minute inquisition... I was amazed that I was able to view The Kiss in the company of only about four or five other people, but when I was in the Louvre a couple years ago, there was never a moment that the Mona Lisa could be seen by any less than thirty people at one time... and The Kiss is every bit as spectacular (and it's a whole lot cooler).

The lower galleries showcased temporary exhibitions by Valie Export, a leading contemporary Austrian artist... and works of Auguste Rodin, exposing his relationship with Vienna.



I also had the opportunity to visit the Albertina at a perfect time! There were exhibitions of four legendary artists: Michelangelo (The Drawings of a Genius), Picasso (Peace and Freedom), Herbert Brandl (Mountains and Landscapes Monotypes), William Kentridge (Five Themes). It was a great balance of classics and avant-garde. Although I had just seen this Kentridge collection a couple years ago in Tampa, it was good to see it again with new experience (and after I had a chance to explore his work more with my students in Studio 23). The Brandl stuff was pretty rad, and the Michelangelo work was nothing less than spectaular (as I expected). The Picasso collection wasn't nearly as impressive as the selection I saw in Copenhagen a few weeks ago, but was worthwhile anyway.

After two half-days in the museum, I was ready to spend some time outside exploring the city (although I look forward to returning to Vienna to get back to some of the museums I didn't hit in the Museum Quarter)... I met up with the Fulbright gang and enjoyed some Puncs (hot spiced boozy cider) while we fought off the Christmas crowds in the central market. I appreciate the culture and the appeal of the Christmas markets (and I do agree that this one in Vienna is awfully grand), but I still prefer the applied art markets featuring local artists making unique crafts (like the WAMP Design Market in Budapest and the Holiday Handmade Craft Fair in Denver).


















On the last night in Vienna, we went to the Austian-authentic Centimeter and ate schnitzel and pork chops off a sword; it was like a medieval shish-ka-bob... righteous. Then, we hopped around a couple different bars, finally landing at this swanky little joint by our place for some evening-ending White Russians... I dig Vienna. Good thing, because it's close to 'home'... and they have a much better scene for the arts and hip concerts than Budapest... so, I'll return soon...




















Oh, on the way to Vienna, I made my habitual stop-over in Budapest... and I went with my friends Matyi and István to Dürer Kert to see DJ Premier's special dedication gig to his late great partner MC Guru. The show opened with some Hungarian hip hop outfits, including the hottest disc jockey in the state: DJ Dice. And, then Primo came out and thew down the 'real hip hop' for almost two hours... highlighting his work with Guru and Gang Starr, of course... but also working in plenty of other classics he's done with Biggie, Tribe, Nas, Jay-Z, Mos-Def, etc. The jams were hot and the club was packed... a good way to kick off my weekend ramble...

A few final photos of the beautiful classic Wiener architecture...