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...
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