Europe 2013: May 29th, Vienna Lipizzans, Leopold Museum

5/29 Wednesday

Highly satisfying ventures today. We have a latte and pastry breakfast at a nearby shop, then catch our tram to the Spanish Riding School. The practice session is really fun to watch. You can see the full performances with the touring horses, but you can only see the practices at their home arena, which is gorgeous, a palatial, elaborate arena, tiered galleries, chandeliers, pillars, marble staircases. The riders come out in groups of five, work the horses for 30 minutes, then they bring in a new group, for a two hour session. It’s all slightly formal and ceremonial, with musical accompaniment. There are poop valets at the ready. As first, it seems like they’re just riding around, but watching closely, the training and accomplishments are apparent. The groups of horses move through their exercises, demonstrating the high dressage movements so beautifully, the audience breaks into applause. Each group is less experienced than the previous. One senior Lipizzaner executes a dramatic jumping maneuver. The riders work on specific commands for each animal. The horses are thinking hard and paying attention, yet beautifully relaxed. After noon most of the crowd has gone, when we see the last group, all dark and dappled young stallions. Lipizzans are born dark, mostly black, and lighten to snowy white as they age. They’re raised in the alps, left to play and grow until they’re three, then they start training. These are obviously well-started beginners, and the riders let them relax and mosey around off the bit for some time, then ask for some more deliberate attention, then dole out some treats, then a little more work. It’s all very interesting to watch.

After this, we find the Central Café, a classic coffeehouse, for a snack. The room is as pretty as the cathedrals we’ve been visiting, with a high vaulted ceiling. We have lattes, apple strudel and chocolate cake, excuse me, truffle torte, unlike anything we’ve ever had. The place is so fancy, yet completely casual at the same time, everyone is hanging out reading newspapers, having a long lunch, whatever.

Then it’s on to the Leopold Museum to see the Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele collections, as well as an exhibition with the theme of Clouds that proves quite interesting. The Klimt and Schiele works, and the attending historical narrative is really satisfying. The works are rarely accessible and the Leopold has the most complete Schiele collection in the world.

We have a beer in the museum courtyard, joining the swarms of people who come here just to hang out and drink and talk with friends. Lots and lots of young people, everyone is just enjoying the day. We walk home along a street that reminds us a little of Soho, smaller galleries and such. Our plan is to find a spot on our tram line, so we are not subjected to the likes of the Schnitzel Hous again. We find a very nice Asian restaurant that fits the bill exactly. On the tram home, we’re engulfed in carloads of twenty-somethings, all headed out into the city. Interesting.