2011.01 - Ballet before New Year's Eve

Our last present to get in 2010 was :
A visit to the National Opera of Vienna (Wiener Staatsoper)


The Play: The Bat (Die Fledermaus)
Ballet Choreography - by Roland Petit
Music - by Johann Straus

The Dancers:
Bella (wife) - Maria Yakovleva
Johann (husband ) - Roman Lazik
Ulrich (friend) - Denys Cherevychko

Petit's choreographie is extremely entertaining. His scenes are spectacular and his dancers are funny. It was amazing to watch their mimic through the binoculars.

Johann, a man with a beautiful wife has grown too accustomed to her and became bored. Johann’s wife Bella tries to get her husband’s attention to no avail. In the evenings however Johann has other plans. He likes to slip out to Maxim’s to dance, flirt and even seduce. He does this by transforming into a bat and flying away.

While Johann is ignoring her, Bella has a secret admirer, their children’s tutor Ulrich.

When Johann disappears to Maxim’s, Bella calls Ulrich to the house for help. She is totally devastated and doesn't know what to do.

Ulrich has a plan – to disguise Bella and take her out to Maxim’s where she can see how Johann entertains himself with other women.

He is hoping to get Bella's attention himself when she becomes disappointed in her husband.

The plan doesn't quite work like Ulrich expects it. When he takes Bella to Maxim’s, Bella makes a tremendous impression on all the men there, including her own husband.

Johann leaves all the other ladies and falls in love with Bella without realising she is his own wife.
"Shakespeare often enough used the same disguised lover trope in his plays to good effect and it works well here as well."

When Ulrich sees his plan falling apart, he makes arrangements for Johann to be arrested and put in jail. Bella comes to his rescue.

At home she cuts away Johann’s bat wings making him stay on her side for good.

It was one of the best performances (music, acting, dance & choreography) I have ever seen.





We allowed ourself a nice slice of Sacher-Torte to finish off the cultural experience ....


.. and then there was not much of the year left by the time we got home.





Happy New Year

2010.12 - Following Xmas to Hungary

Györ -
last check to make sure all the city decorations are in place.








Sunny - blue sky -







- not much snow but very cold.







What a luck that our skiing reservations got accidentally cancelled by our hotel.

We could use the time here a lot more useful. The kids brought joy & laughter.



Presents were presented ...








Shows were shown ...








Performers performed & the audience watched dutifully ...










Norbert "working" on his Xmas beard.











Mask ideas for New Year's Eve at the Supermarket ...


D & J








A & A

2010.12 - Getting away for Xmas in Austria

Getting on the road was never so complicated like this time.

We had to load and re-load all our package - first from house into the 4-wheel-drive, then from the 4WD into the family van.

Took an hour to do so.



Then Norbert had to dig out the van which was parked at the beginning of our street above the steep stretch - 400mtrs away from the house due to the knee-deep snow which the city could not clear away.
Luckily, the highways were free. A day after we left real chaos began. German highways, airports were closed down due to more snow and ice. By the way, New York too.


Austrian snow levels were more modest.
As in the years before, Xmas art made by the children of Wolkersdorf showed no limits in creativity.

Ornaments:
... little boxes wrapped up in shining paper ...
... angels out of fir corn, slice of orange, wooden ball ...

... snowflakes out of folded paper cut out, laminated ...

... light bulbs covered with color and glitter ...




... styrofoam spheres painted ...


... can lids covered with napkins ....


















We were also very satisfied with the way we decorated Omi's tree.









Sparklers in the fireplace.

Holly with berries on the mantelpiece.







Presents - books to read, money to spend ...










... and crystals to grow.







Here are the crystal growers supervised by Opa.









And this is their production of crystals.