Mountains and Dixit

I would like to post a few pics

from our PhD trip.

As I rarely visit mountains

the pics are really worth the attention xD

Yes, I do like mountains,

but long walks.. well..

it is not about getting tired

(ballet is much more tiring),

but probably about getting dirty,

worms and moths

(yes, maybe moths are the strongest argument).

Anyway the view from our cottage.

Swing :3

The cottage was surrounded

by animals e.g fallow deers <3

We played one really amazing game!

I am not really fond of games,

but this one <3

It is called Dixit-

you play cards,

but how gorgeous these cards are.

Like straightly from fairy tales.

I would bough them just to write stories about them <3

It really moves your imagination

and playing such a game

when being surrounded by mountains

I will keep on the shelf of dear memories.

(link)

Poznan, Parsifal and Takarazuka

I would like to post a few pics

from my trip to Poznań.

I went there for the conference about Asia

for students and young scholars.

Program

My luggage

Anna Karenina for the long way

and my ballet shoes

to not miss my everyday's exercises

(have I written here that 

I started taking ballet lessons?) 

The conference was really interesting.

I listened to a lot of lectures

which were about the part of Asia

rather far from my academic field

and it is always so refreshing!

For example about Gagauz people

and the symbol of wolf in their culture.

It is also worth mentioning 

that I met one visual kei fan

which encouraged me

to explore Takarazuka world closer.

Even thought I enjoyed the idea 

of this theater for a long time

I did not have time/ motivation to look at it closer.

But oh gosh after seeing the character of Death

in Elisabeth I feel fully motivated to change it!

Death looking like Kamijo.

I am absolutely charmed by the idea of Death

looking like a beautiful, long-haired man

who continually follows my dear Sissi.

Sissi longed for Death. She was fascinated by it.

Was it because she imagined it as the delicate, 

but dangerous man,

mysterious and charming?

The Kingdom of Dead

with its secret charm

suited her better than

Austrian Empire

with stiff and plain Franz Joseph.

Watch this :3

Oh, I was going to write about Poznan.

So a few pics.

Love the colorful tenement houses.

This place.

Kaya. Satsuki. Memories:3

And finally: opera.

Of course I could not miss it.

I am so jealous!

Poznan has such a beautiful opera!

Perfectly located: close to the castle and park

and classical in its forms with sophisticated interiors.

Pegasus on the roof
taking you up with every sound

Inside

Chandelier

Together with my aunt I went
to see Wagner's Parsifal.
And what can I say..
this opera got the better of me.
Maybe not even opera itself,
but Wagner's music definitely did it.
It was my first time hearing his music live
and I am simply speechless.
When hearing it on my computer and on tv
it was always like
so that's Wagner, that's nice,
but live... omg it's so monumental, mighty..
you simply feel like losing ground..
I have no idea what the story was about...
in fact the production design was poor,
the same like costumes and singer's acting...
so it only helped me to forget
that this even has any plot..
The music won it all.
I just remember myself
when looking at this gorgeous chandelier
with the full surprise that it is still in its place.
How can it bear all this power without
the dramatic fall on the ground which this music deserved?

What I liked in Vienna

As I want to finish my Vienna post series

I will make one post about everything.

(or otherwise I would write about it for at least a few months xD)

So things I liked the best.

Not a report, but my fav list :)

1. Cameo, jewelry and gold decorations 

in Kunsthistorisches Museum

It looks like Lolita accessories xD

2. Bear museum

They were absolutely cute, their poses :3

3. Schonbrunn

Well, I absolutely fell in love with this place.

Visiting it was my child's dream coming true

so I can't even express my enthusiasm.

I loved gardens, interiors and carriages museum.

Taking photos inside was forbidden

so just a few pics from the outside.

With my friend on Gloriette; wind :<

Carriages

4.Sissi

My childhood idol.

Now I feel like getting obsessed about her again,

but in much more mature way of course.

I will probably write post about her 

(after reading enough books/ watching movies)

so I will only post this pic ^^

(oh my ribbons look badly here...)

5. Prater

Of course that Disneyland is much more better,

but still I had such a fun there!

Carousel with living ponies!

Maybe I don't look like that,

but I really like all hardcore roller-coasters.

Prater was not able to offer me enough emotions,

but still I drown myself in their attractions.

6. Decadence - Aspects of Austrian Symbolism

We were really lucky to be able to see this temporary exhibition in Belvedere.

I don't remember when last time any exhibition touched me so deeply

and I found my new favorite painting.

Well, this really needs an individual post.

7. Parks

always in order, clean, and with ducks :)

8. Details

In Vienna even Coca Cola is more stylish

9. Palmenhaus in Hofburg

In was so carefree to watch butterflies..

but just before going out we saw..

the death of a butterfly in a spider net...

I can only bow my head before the brutal beauty of this metaphor.

10. Opera

I already wrote about it

11. Cake and coffee

same here

It is not everything..

Oh, so difficult to choose a few things

when you are already in love with all city!

Tosca in Vienna

Continuing my Vienna spam..

Wiener Staatsoper :3

I will skip the detailed review

as I already wrote it in Polish (for my uni supervisor)

and don't feel like writing it once again.

Here I will limit myself to silly 'ah and oh' feelings :3

Vienna is really the city of classical music.

It is everywhere.

In Vienna opera really seems to be much more

popular and commercialized.

You can buy a ticket on the street.

You can also watch the live opera transmission

every evening on the screen which is situated on the building!

Such a magnificent idea!

We were going home one evening and we just stopped for a while 

to listen to Toreador's song from Carmen.

Oh gosh I want to live there!

You see how many people watch it.

We also visited Opera Museum

Here is me outside the Opera

We chose Tosca.

The cast was hanging outside and inside 

the building.

Interior

So beautiful.

Just after entrance you feel like being taken

to the other world.

Gold. Gold.

Here is the Tea Room

where Franz Joseph spent intermissions.

You can rent it for 500 euro/20 min.

+tea costs xD

Balcony

You can drink your intermission cafe here.

I absolutely love their toilets.

They had special room to check you make-up.

This is how the program looked.

Quite elegant,

but only synopsis was in English.

I like that you can choose the language of

your subtitles individually.

Shortly about the opera?

We chose classical Tosca.

Quite old, typical performance

with a wonderful cast (for this evening):

Marcelo Alvarez and Angela Gheorghiu.

I have never heard the tenor like him before.

He was easily reigning with his voice

over the orchestra.

She was a charming prima donna and innocent little girl

who killed when pressed to it.

Alvarez's E lucevan le stelle-

I will keep among my most beautiful memories.

You can listen him here

and angelic Angela here :3

The power of every masterpiece opera lies in the fact

that no matter how well you know libretto,

how many times you have watched the story

you will experience it once again

and finish with your heart half-broken.