On this leisurely Sunday morning I again took my breakfast at the hotel and then walked to a nearby park. I took a seat in the sun, just beside a nice rose garden which had a few Kana Lilies as its border. The lilies took my thoughts to home. I wondered if I would ever permanently leave that lovely place.
This park was full of large oak trees. It was the time of year when their seeds would make their propeller ride to the ground in search of a space for rooting to become their own giant tree. The spiraling seeds took my thoughts back to my boyhood, which gave me a smile. This place was perfect for quiet contemplation. The day was warm and the sun was bright. There was a quite strong wind, as if a change in the weather might be coming, but this part of the park was largely protected from the strong gusts.
From time to time the air would come alive with the peel of distant church bells or the joyous screams of children playing on the distant side of the park. It was a good punctuation to the quiet. Often people would walk by with their dogs, which made me think of Pua and how she might be. At this hour she would be sound asleep and that was good.
As the morning passed I decided to spend the rest of this day at the Schloss. It would not be so peaceful but more stimulating. I took a cab to the front of the castle complex and arranged for my schedule of events that would keep me here into the night. First, their was the grand tour which was, indeed, pretty grand. There were many very ornate rooms filled with ornate furniture and ornate painting. However, for me, it's a bit like cathedrals in that after you've seen a few the rest are often simply more of the same. Sure, there are occassionally distinctive features but, in this case, the sameness allowed me to move through the tour quite quickly. It should be pointed out that this must be very interesting to most because there were, seemingly, all of God's tourists packed into this enormous place. It was like what it must've been in the Tower of Babel. I exited the castle and walked through the unbelieveably beautiful gardens. Although it has been some time, it seemed to me that these gardens were more beautiful than Versailles. I trekked to the top of the gardens where there was a memorial and from that vantage point there was a panoramic view of the city. I lingered here for some time, overlooking the beautiful flower gardens below.
Time passed and, as the sun began to set, I moved to the castle restaurant where I had arranged to have dinner before the evening concert. The restaurant was very elegant. My fellow diners were mostly older people seated in groups of four or six. There were a couple of tables with one or two diners but we were definately in the minority. The attire was interesting. I brought a tie and wore a sports coat so that I would not be too underdressed. Well, that was hardly necessary. There was a wide range of dress, some well dressed and some not so much..
I began my dinner with a Campari and then ordered Rotweine (red wine) from a local winery. The Rotweine was quite good, much to my surprise. I was seated by a Japanese woman and her daughter so we toasted "compi" before our dinner. The meal began with Beef Consomme (Rindsuppe) with Sliced Pancake (Frittaten). It was smooth with a rich broth and very enjoyable. Next came the "Tafelspitz mit schnittlauchsauce mit gerosteten erdapfel" or boiled corned beef with a chive sauce and roasted potatoes. The beef with the chive sauce was excellent and the roasted potatoes were perfectly spiced. It was a very enjoyable entree. Lastly, the serving was a very elegant Applestrudel, hand made and complimented with an excellent cream sauce. It was a very nice meal from what was basically a museum restaurant.
After dinner we retired to the concert hall, the Orangerie, for this evening's performance. The hall was extremely elegant and the elegance was enhanced by the soft orange lighting. The 16-piece orchestra was outstanding, for a country boy like me. The pieces that included opera were nice but not particularly special. The pieces that included ballet were not that special but, in all cases, the music was excellent. It was a very nice evening and a great sendoff for my drive to Italy the next morning.
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