Europe Day 2 (continued) Monday July 18th - the first part of the afternoon.

Sorry for the couple of days off - I guess I am just so overwhelmed with photo's and trying to get back to my normal (boring) life after such a fantastic trip. Even sitting at a baseball game last night - I couldn't help but being disappointed by my surroundings. Granted the Lou Gehrig Baseball diamonds are not kept up very well - but I find myself longing for the mountains, the peace and quiet of the wind blowing thru the trees, the bells of the cows ringing thru the air. The clouds sitting at eye level. I think I am a mountain girl. I truly miss the beauty.

Okay - enough feeling sorry for myself - and on to the reminiscing. For my Facebook friends - I did post several of the photos from the palace day already - but in keeping with the journal I am trying to create here goes.

After our performance at St. Stephen's Cathedral - we headed over to the Schönbrunn Palace which was the home of the ruling Austrian Family "Hapsburg" until they gave up the throne after WWI. This is the view we encountered as we entered the Palace grounds.

The chairs were being set up for the band. They were the ones who would perform as the choral sound wouldn't carry outside too well, although we did join them on The Battle Hymn of the Republic and Let There Be Peace on Earth (our combined numbers).

The trailer crew (which included the percussionists) had to carry the 3 timpani from the gate to the front of the palace. Although the timpani were packed very smartly on home made carts with wheels - the wheels were too tiny to endure the cobble stones and gravel.

Finally a smooth surface.

Once they got them into place they had to set all the equipment up. This often was still taking place as the band began warm ups. Being a percussionist is not an easy job!

Speaking of jobs, some of our non performing adults had jobs as well. One mom from Clarence had the distinction of being the bag lady! Dana's job was to guard everyone's purses during the performances. Most of them went into the big base drum case - but a few she held onto. Always with a smile, I enjoyed getting to know Dana!

The photo below was taken from the balcony on the palace. Jake was on timpani during this photo.

The photo below is also from the balcony - but shows how far the entrance gate was from where they played.

Here is Jake on the drumset. It was pretty neat how the audience could walk around the band and even peer over the shoulders to look at the music while they performed.

The little guy in the foreground of this photo was just adorable. He danced and danced all around the band as they played.

After the band was finished we packed everything up, carried the timpani's back to the trailer and went back to the hotel to change. We grabbed a quick lunch back in the center of Vienna and met at the Vienna State Opera House for a Tour.

Above is a photo of our Clarence 5 outside the Opera House, waiting for our tour to begin.
Finally inside - the ceiling was just a glimpse of the beauty to come.
We walked up the main staircase ...

and then a glimpse back to where we had just walked.

The main hallway on the second floor
we then walked into the auditorium itself.

The curtain covering the stage was so enormous and ornate. These photos just do not do the theater justice.

We then were led into a room where people gather during intermissions. The ornateness was astounding. Encircling where the walls meet the ceiling - all around the room were busts of the masters - with paintings depicting scenes from their famous operas.

Another room full of in-laid marble artwork, was captivating

Outside on the balcony more ornate paintings and carvings.

The painting below was on the ceiling. It is of none other than - the enchanting young Wolfgang Amadeaus Mozart as a 3-5 year old, meeting Maria Theresia Hapsburg for the first time in Vienna

A look behind

and the tapestries ... again the photo's just do not do the sights justice.

The opera house is of course a working building with performances throughout the year. We visited during the off season.

With our tour of the opera house completed, we headed back to the Schonbrunn Palace for a tour of the building and the gardens. This post is already tooo long - and so I will save the rest of our 2nd day in Europe for tomorrow's post.