SASKI Palace in Warsaw
LONDON—And we returned to the United Kingdom to continue the “A Musical Affair” tour. To be more precise, I was back in London earlier while the boys of Il Divo headed to Paris for a promotional TV appearance. We met up in Newcastle for the concert on Tuesday night. Tomorrow, we will be in Nottingham.
Before the UK though, there were many, many other European stops that blew my mind. To say the least, they were feasts for the eyes. One need not be a world-weary traveler or culture vulture to appreciate what each of these cities gave us.
Warsaw
Although the concert was held in Lodz about 90 minutes away, we were housed in Poland’s capital, Warsaw. Across the street from our hotel was something very interesting: the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the remains of what once was Saski Palace. The palace was once part of the Warsaw Lyceum, where the composer Frederic Chopin’s father taught French. The Lyceum was Chopin’s first residence.
I went online to see what Saski Palace looked like before its destruction in World War II. The building itself was distinctive and imposing, but today only a few columns remain. Two soldiers guard the tomb. They perform a ceremonial switch of positions, thick-soled shoes outfitted with metal plates so that their footsteps are audible as they march on the marble floor.
Vienna
SCULPTURE on the walk to Mozarthaus in Vienna, Austria
There was one thing, and one thing only, that I wanted to visit while in this city: Mozarthaus, on Domgasse 5. It is a 15-minute walk from the hotel, but it felt longer on the very gray and rainy day that we went.
On the way to Mozarthaus, we passed by Stephansplatz, where the Stephansdom, Vienna’s tallest cathedral, stands. It is a stunning building, even in less-than-lovely weather, and taking photos of it was a pleasure that required more than a few minutes.
Once at Mozarthaus, since we were told there was no picture-taking allowed, we put our smartphones away. I got to sneak in one snapshot of a staircase, though, while we were still nowhere near any of the valuable artifacts that resided there.
Mozarthaus is a museum dedicated to the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Domgasse 5 was once the Vienna address where he lived, worked and entertained.
The displays inside the museum include biographies of the musical influences of the time, stories of the era in which Mozart lived, worked and played some of his most famous pieces, plus art installations inspired by his life and music. It doesn’t take very long to go through the entire museum (it does help to be accompanied by an audio guide), just a couple of hours.
Prague
Friends who had previously visited, including the members of Il Divo, told me that Prague was an absolutely gorgeous city. Truth be told, those words don’t do it justice.
STAIRCASE of Mozarthaus, on Domgasse 5, Vienna
It is breathtaking, stunning, incredibly beautiful, striking awe in every visitor.
On our first day, immediately after our arrival at the Augustine Hotel, we headed to the Prague Castle, just up the hill from where we were staying.
On the way there, we passed the Wallenstein Gardens, with its lovely bronze sculptures and peacocks patrolling the grounds.
Afterwards came the long uphill walk leading to our destination: St. Vitus Cathedral. Here’s the thing … there isn’t a hint of the cathedral as you head up the hill. You finally see it in its full splendor only as soon as you get there.
And it is awe-inspiring. My husband Rob and I needed to take the time to sit and appreciate the architecture. There isn’t a shortage of photos that each of us took: “Oh look up, there’s a gargoyle. Hon, check out the spires. How does this photo look? Wow, it does change color in the sunlight.”
ST. VITUS Cathedral, in Prague, is simply breathtaking. photo: Facebook
The following day, taken around by Philippine Embassy staff cultural attaché Ramon “Bong” Gaspar, we went to Vysehrad to see the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, and the grave site of composer Antonin Dvorák.
We then headed down to the Sto. Niño Church and the Charles Bridge. We walked part of the way until we came to the statue of St. John of Nepomuk. It’s a custom in Prague to touch the statue to ensure one’s eventual return to this beautiful city.
Needless to say, I touched the statue. This is definitely one city that I want to come back to.
We’re back
“The Voice of the Philippines” returns to your television screens this Sunday, Oct. 26! Let the games begin again! Whose team are you on?