Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Where I've been (Vienna) and what I've been doing (visiting the SRS)

Sorry for the blog silence, y’all. I’ve had plenty of posts banging about in my brain but not really the drive to sit down and write them.  All is well with the boys (especially Paddington, who has been working diligently on his Haffie math problems), but more on that later.

Last week, I had a business trip to Brno, in the Czech Republic, to visit one of my company’s offices abroad. It was my first time there, and despite it getting dark at 3:30 pm (icky Daylight Saving Time!), I had a great time and my coworkers there were wonderful hosts. Unfortunately, 8 am meetings combined with 10pm or later pub crawls meant that I didn’t have much time to sight-see.

For touristy stuff, though, the highlight of my trip was the day I got to spend in Vienna. And what does a horsey person do when in Vienna? Visit the Spanish Riding School, of course! I’d last been to Vienna 20 years ago (yep, I’m that old) but the School was closed due to a barn fire, so I’ve never actually seen the Lipizzans perform in Vienna. All I can say is, if you have the opportunity to go, you must. It was magical!

Note that you are not supposed to take pictures of the actual performance, but I admit I snuck a few...

The young stallions (4-8 years) make their entry.

More of the young stallions. Check out the riding school! Wouldn't you love an indoor arena like this one?

Dimming the lights between the performances. The chandeliers were amazing!

Older stallion performs the piaffe.

The riding hall. DROOOL.

View of the hall from the super $$$ seats.

If you can't take home your very own Lipizzan, why not take home a used saddle pad? These were in the gift shop, but I resisted (seeing as how I have millions of old saddle pads already).

I also took a tour of the barn, which was fantastic. The horses were gorgeous as ever, and I wanted to take two or three home. Of course, we weren't allowed to touch them or take pictures, so you'll just have to use your imagination. Picture short fat white ponies that can do amazing things ;) 

Courtyard with stalls facing out.

Helloooo handsome! Wanna come home with me?

And of course, what would a visit to Vienna be without a tasty schnitzel for dinner, followed by an apple strudel? Perfect end to an amazing day!

Next up: Paddington is the BEST PONY EVAR!

13 comments:

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    1. Liz, it was VERY impressive. The riding was absolutely spectacular!

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  2. Oh your sneak pictures are way better than mine were from the morning exercises. Would love to actually see a performance!

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    1. My antique 3G iPhone did better than I expected with the sneak pics. I'm glad I have a few to remember the experience!

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  3. So that's what you were doing in Vienna!! I'd no idea:)

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    1. Yep, I was trying to steal a Lipizzaner! Shhh, don't tell!

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  4. Lucky you! My dad took me to see the Lippizans' performance when I was little (in L.A.) and we saw them here in Austin. And of course, there's that 1963 movie with Robert Taylor and Lilli Palmer.

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  5. Cool!! I would love to go someday! Although not being able to take pictures is just no fair at all lol. I'm glad you had fun!

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  6. WOW this is so cool! Great pictures!

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  7. So cool!! What an opportunity. :-) Bummer about the picture policy. Why not even in the barns?

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    1. They didn't say, but I'd imagine it was for the good of the horses. Imagine a group of 20 people coming through your barn every hour and taking flash pictures of the horses, or sticking their fingers through the bars and getting nibbled. It's probably safer/better for everyone if no pics are allowed, as sad as that may be.

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  8. Jellloouuusss!!!! You shoulda smuggled me a few lippis!

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