Margie’sWorld ...through my eyes
I’m a professional Pianist/Vocalist who has literally been all around the world and back. I’d love to share my personal stories, photographs and videos with you. I’ve experienced so many wonderful places, made so many amazing friends and witnessed some truly magical things. This blog is very personal to me.... I’ve always loved to go “where the locals go”, not to all the tourist traps. Remember that “Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost” -J.R.R.Tolkien
Russia.... A Country of Contradictions....
I have titled this, "A Country of Contradictions" for a reason, and I will focus primarily on St Petersburg. Having visited there many times, I have been exposed to the country that they want the world to see - the glorious, grandiose palaces and jaw dropping architecture, the incredible musicianship and arts, the sheer magnificence of the churches, the exceptional sports teams.... I could go on and on. That said, I have also been privy to the daily life of the average citizen, in that the radio officer on our ship was from St. Petersburg; and I was honored to get to meet his family and enjoy their company. His stories of growing up there in the 50's were incredible- he told me about finding ways to rig his antenna to try and get broadcasts from outside "the wall" as he called it. It was quite an eye opener going from the breathtaking beauty and cultural greatness of this city to their tiny apartment where they were living with 5 other people. I guess that's what I meant when I said, "a country of contradictions". Please remember too that my recollections of this city are from about 17 years ago. Things may have changed, and this was just my personal experience.
Our ship's itinerary included the Scandinavian capitals, Finland and beautiful Estonia (to which I will devote an entirely new entry soon because of its historical uniqueness). We then sailed to St Petersburg. I was very excited and we docked outside the city center, so there was a need for shuttles to get into town. The authorities made the whole process very laborious to say the least, and many were extremely rude (or perhaps it was just sadness). I found it true, (once again, this is just my opinion) about the stereotypical Russian worker, in that everyone I encountered getting on and off the ship was very stony faced and dogmatic, but perhaps that's cultural. My passport, as you can imagine, looks like the United Nations from all my travels, with stamps randomly placed on whatever page; but not so in Russia. I have visited there on perhaps 15 occasions; and every stamp is perfectly placed next to my previous visit. A sense of rigidity abounds, even in the way they stamp your passport...
I was overwhelmed at the beauty of the city formerly known as Leningrad. It is nothing short of spectacular at first glance, with the broad avenues, stunningly decorated buildings, palaces and churches. One of the most unique is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (sometimes referred to as simply The Church on Spilt Blood). Words cannot do it justice with its beautiful medieval Russian architecture, and you must remember to look up and see the surreal "jewels" on top. It reminds me of Persian architecture... so very lovely. The contradictory element comes in when I remember my walk along the canal heading toward the church. Several mothers were sitting in the street, and were sending their young children over to try and wrap themselves around your leg, begging for money. It broke my heart.
The Hermitage is another spectacular palace and art museum. Once again its beauty is impossible to put into words but it is also a sad reminder of the opulence at the time it was built while people outside the walls were suffering, but in fairness you could say that of many places. I'm an avid reader; so I would always make a beeline for an amazing bookstore on Nevsky Prospect which is the name of the main street in St Petersburg. I can't remember its name (and couldn't pronounce it anyway !) but it was very close to the church I just mentioned. It is architecturally magnificent, and given Russia's rich literary history you can only imagine how expansive it is.
We had an overnight stay here and after dinner we enjoyed a local Russian folkloric show which was raucous and fun. It was great to see these musicians performing up close. I enjoyed watching them play some of the more traditional instruments including the balalaika and if you look carefully at the pictures accompanying this you'll see an array of my own Russian memorabilia- including a balalaika. Yes, it made it all the way back to the USA in one piece ! Speaking of music, once again the historical contribution of Russia to the Arts cannot be denied. Some of the greatest composers of all time were born there - Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Mussorgsky, Scriabin; the list goes on... Let's not forget the ballet -Nureyev, Baryshnikov, Pavlova...
My next day in St. Petersburg was so interesting. Once again I went through the long process to get off the ship and when I was finally in town I decided to explore a bit more, and found a fabulous flea market. Russia is very famous for their Matryoshka Dolls. In Russian this means "mother". You may have heard the other Russian word, "Babushka", which is similar but refers to an older woman. The Matryoshka doll is a stacking doll - when you remove the top there is another doll inside and each one decreases in size. I will never forget seeing an NFL table at the flea market, and I found a Patriots stacking doll with a very young looking Tom Brady painted on the front, with all of the players inside !! I know I have friends from all around the world so let me just say it is my favorite American football team. I still can't believe I found it on the streets of Russia. I think I came home with 8 stacking dolls in total, some of which are in my accompanying photos.
I mentioned my friend the radio officer on the ship,earlier; and it was on this day that I got to have lunch with his family. We caught the subway to another Metro stop- what an experience. I have never been on such a steep subway. It was a ride in itself, and kind of scary. I found out later the steepest subway in St Petersburg is 280 feet down (might have been the escalator I was on !). The platform itself was quite beautiful and once again, testament to the ornate style of this city. We got off and walked a couple of blocks to an apartment building. His family didn't speak English, but that didn't matter. They were welcoming and so happy to see their relative. It is still incredulous to me that 6 or 7 people could co-exist in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment in St Petersburg; but then, the rents were very high for the average person, and while I witnessed a lot of extreme wealth there I also saw immense poverty. Perhaps I'm wrong, but there didn't appear to be a middle class. That said, we had an amazing lunch of Russian Borscht, homemade bread and other treats. I'll forever remember it - oh and I'll always remember the vodka afterwards as well! They told me it's rude not to clink glasses, look the person in the eye and say "Nostrovia"; hey, when in Rome- oh, I mean Russia 😊
It was an amazing experience in so many ways; and as I've been writing this, it has reminded me of the joyous memories, and has made me place less importance on the rigidity of the culture- but oh, what an amazing culture.
The unparalleled beauty of Scandinavia....
Every time I re-visit my journeys to these amazing countries, I am still in awe of the experiences I had; and Scandinavia is no exception. I was able to visit there initially on a very small vessel, which meant that we could traverse some of the smaller areas (including the glorious Norwegian Fjords). There are 3 countries or "kingdoms" in Scandinavia - Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and there are so many similarities between the three, but each country is, in its own way, extremely unique and very proud of their individuality. Sweden is especially dear to my heart because of my family heritage. My maternal grandmother's family was from Stockholm, Sweden but moved to Australia when she was very young. Later in this article I will write about my personal experience trying to discover my long lost relatives there (now that was an interesting day !).
Where do I begin? There is a reason that Norway is sometimes referred to as the "happiest place on earth". The country feels as if it has been carved by glaciers and the beauty plus the general quality of life gives people an immense sense of peacefulness. I experienced this feeling as we sailed through the beautiful Norwegian Fjords.... I quite simply have never felt so calm. I was on deck looking up at these imposing glaciers; and it was so eerily quiet. It was very emotional for me actually.
I remember the beautiful city of Geiranger; and we tendered in and I took a long hike - the glorious colors of the waterfront houses were so lovely as were the row houses on our other stop in Bergen. They have been restored beautifully....
Bergen is such a pretty city- second in population to the Capital of Oslo; and I loved walking along the waterfront into town. Lots of coffee shops,restaurants and of course many places with handmade local products- everything was of such quality. I didn't venture off the beaten track because I was so enamored with what I was seeing and my time was limited there. As a musician I was sad not to have had time to visit the home of one of my favorite composers Edvard Grieg - Bergen's favorite son! I have made myself a promise that when I next visit I will experience his "Composer's Room" which overlooks the lake. I can only imagine witnessing the Northern Lights from Bergen- a guest on the ship told me it was like a "ballet of light dancing across the night sky", which I thought was quite a beautiful way to visualize it. Unfortunately I was there too early in the year to experience it. Before I move on to Copenhagen I of course have to mention Oslo. While it is very beautiful, I didn't have the same "feeling" that I experienced in the smaller Norwegian towns; but that's because it is a city and of course cities have a completely different dynamic to the smaller, more intimate towns. It is the place where you can view one of the most famous paintings in the world- "The Scream" by Norwegian Expressionist Edvard Munch. This painting is housed at the National Gallery of Norway; and that's another story for another day !
Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark is immensely beautiful and we used to dock very close to The Little Mermaid (in Danish "Den Lille Havfrue")- a famous bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen... you can tell that "Edvard" is a very popular name in Scandinavia!! Just as with the Mona Lisa, this statue is not terribly big but her wistful gaze is quite powerful and is lovely to behold. I always walked into the city and enjoyed the main shopping area, invariably walking all the way down to the famous Tivoli Gardens. It is very unique- I felt as if I was going back in time (well it first opened in 1843 !); and a myriad of entertainers of every musical genre have performed there over the years. Tony Bennett was featured the last time I was there; and even a few of the guys from our showband on the ship had performed on the bandstand at Tivoli. Denmark shares a similar style of architecture to her Scandinavian neighbors and this is a good time for me to literally transition to Sweden. I say "literally transition" because there is a uniquely engineered bridge that connects the two countries. It's incredible in that it runs 5 miles to an artificial island where it turns into an underwater tunnel that runs another 4 miles to connect the two countries ...absolutely amazing; and I never tired of enjoying the local historian that would come aboard every cruise and explain the history of Scandinavia, including the building of this bridge.
I said initially that I have a personal connection to Sweden, especially Stockholm. My grandmother's family are all from there and they emigrated to Australia when she was very young. My maternal Nana's name was Zackreisen. My twin sister, Mary, was extremely interested in our heritage and did a lot of investigating, finally giving me the names of several relatives that I tried to find. Many phone calls later (a couple of the older relatives didn't speak English) I was in touch with one of them that was approximately my age and spoke perfect English. It was so lovely chatting and it made me feel at home. Unfortunately because of logistics we were not able to meet face to face .... perhaps next time. When I said I felt at home there, it was interesting that everyone always started to speak to me in the local dialect at first and then of course broke into English. Most people that you encounter in any Scandinavian country speak English (at least from my generation on) and are very beautiful, friendly people.
I haven't even scratched the surface of Sweden but I wanted to tell you personally of my connection to this gorgeous country. I'll save some other stories for another day.....
Würzburg.... the gem of Bavaria....
As with so many of my travel blogs, I am at a loss as to know where to start talking about this stunning city. Just a little geographical information before I begin- Würzburg is a city in Germany's Bavaria region. The architecture is gloriously unique in that it is quite lavish and as a musician I am always thinking about the correlation between art and music. This city has gorgeous baroque architecture; very grandiose but austere in some areas (think of the famous Baroque era composers such as Bach and Vivaldi) but that said, there is also evidence of Rococo style buildings. Musically we always think of the Rococo era as "post baroque" and the pieces always have a little frivolity; almost as a reaction against the grandeur and symmetry of the baroque era. The slide show at the top of the page are pics I took of both styles in Würzburg. Okay, enough with the Art/Music history lesson !
Our super yacht would dock quite close to the city center and whenever I was feeling a little lost, I would just locate the tram tracks and follow them and invariably end up in town. There are so many glorious buildings in Würzburg (including the Marienberg Fortress which looms up on the hill above the banks of the Main River) but one of the most stunning is the Würzburg Residence (Residenz). This was such an amazing day for me. I was astounded at first by the beautiful gardens with powerful sculptures and just the overall beauty of this grand structure. If that wasn't breathtaking enough it didn't prepare me for the interior. Unfortunately no photography was allowed inside when I was there but it was very emotional for me experiencing the beauty and I urge all of you reading this to look on the internet to experience the interior for yourself in pictures or video. The words I could use now will absolutely not do it justice. The huge entrance with a vaulted ceiling and ...the staircase ! This is no ordinary staircase because above the 3 flights of the stairway is the most massive ceiling fresco (painted by Tiepolo). I can't even describe the "rooms" full of incredible artwork and sculptures... all so exquisite. Once again, please take the time to visit this majestic structure on line to appreciate its intricacy. I would always meander around the beautiful gardens and then make a beeline for my favorite cafe which is a short walk from the Residenz.
Caffe Ottolina is a lovely local cafe with such a friendly staff, great menu and most of all beautiful ambience; and by that I don't mean "stuffy", it just feels welcoming. They have a fabulous array of desserts which include local Bavarian treats (in particular amazing tortes) but also many French and Italian pastries. I've been there many times and sometimes I was in the mood for a coffee which was always beautifully presented but many times I would enjoy a local German wine. Würzburg is so close to the Franconian wine country and wineries abound. I've never had a substandard wine in Germany....
Meandering back to the ship I would invariably stop in Market Square (as I called it !) and if you look at my slideshow you'll see a stunning church - the Marienkapelle- such unique architecture and for those interested in Art and Architecture it is the burial place of the famous Baroque architect Balthasar Neumann.
All of these glorious places are within the city center which makes Würzburg a perfect walking city. Invariably I would get some fresh fruit at the market or maybe a bratwurst on brotchen for the walk back... just writing this makes me nostalgic for this beautiful city.
It is such a small world as I found out recently. My love of art and music goes back to my childhood and I was recently made aware of an incredible contemporary artist,Volkan Baga and the connection is of course, Würzburg. He was born there and I am enamored with his paintings. When I consider the rich history of art in the city of his birth, I can only imagine the influence it had on him growing up. He has recently been featured in an amazing documentary directed and produced by my good friend William H. Niemeyer called "Art of the Fantastic- A Journey Into Creation". I'm going to post the vimeo link if any of you are interested in knowing more about this great artist born in Würzburg, as well as some other simply outstanding artists. (You may have to manually type in this link or google the film - my blog skills are still being honed 🙄!)
https://vimeo.com/433702332
Well, I hope this installment didn't seem like too much of an art history lesson but I've found to expect artistic beauty when you least expect it. We all think of Paris, Vienna or perhaps Rome when we think about the art capitals of the world, but what I discovered in Würzburg was truly eye opening and right up there with these cities....just on a smaller scale....
The "Musical Tragedy" of 2020....
I thought about continuing my blog about the amazing places I have been - I was just about to write about Africa, and then I stopped. I took a step back to reflect on the heartbreak that this pandemic has had on the entertainment industry in general. This will be short but from the heart.
I have always felt that musicians in general have been so underappreciated for years. I don't want to make this about "me"; but did you know that my parents bought me a toy grand piano at the age of 4; and then, knowing how much I loved it, they put me in formal lessons from the age of 6? I then had concert piano lessons until I went to the Conservatory, got my degree, and then flew to Boston to do a grad year at Berklee. I didn't wake up some day and decide to be a "musician"- (I hate that word actually).
We have lost our livelihood and our souls because of this pandemic. I am not just talking about people like me; I am talking about my amazing friends that are Producers, DJ's, Symphony performers - the list goes on and on... We can't perform and I am quite sick of people saying, "Oh, just get another job". No offense, but imagine telling a brain surgeon to just "get another job". With all due respect, I have more innate qualifications than him or her, as do so many of my fellow entertainers.
I have had my friends from all over the world- Prague, Vienna, Boston, you name it, crying on the phone with me, unable to pay their bills, unable to do what they love because quite frankly we are an afterthought- we're "non essential workers" I guess.
I'm hopeful that you all realize that a world without music is a world without joy; and who wants to live in a joyless world .... certainly not me.
Pretty, hospitable Bermuda.....
The words "pretty" and "hospitable" don't do this glorious island justice but it's a start!
I have been visiting Bermuda on and off for about 20 years and have personally witnessed many changes but the one thing that has never changed is its beauty....I don't just mean the physical beauty of the island, I also mean the beauty of its inhabitants. From my very first visit I felt welcome and embraced by the locals and to this very day so many of them have remained close friends.
Bermuda is actually a British overseas territory and the closest USA state is North Carolina but my cruise experience there was always on a ship departing from Boston or New York City. This was typically a 7 day cruise and years ago we would visit the 3 "port towns" in Bermuda - St George's, Hamilton and King's Wharf (also known as Naval Dockyard). It is much more common now for ships to depart from the East Coast and just head straight to Dockyard as quite frankly these mega ocean liners cannot traverse the relatively narrow entrance to St George's called "Town Cut". Luckily my first few visits enabled me to explore all of Bermuda because I was on a very small vessel. That said, transportation is fabulous in Bermuda and it's fun being on a bus just drinking in the scenery while you're wondering how 2 cars can possibly fit on the narrow, winding roads, let alone a bus...oh and remember they drive on the left ! Speaking of driving, or rather "riding"; my doctor friend says that the majority of broken bones and even more severe injuries that he treats are from scooter injuries. This is not so much from the locals but from tourists who think it would be cool to buzz around the island on a bike! My advice - just don't do it.
I will never forget sailing into Bermuda and being awestruck by its beauty- the gorgeous pastel colored houses, immaculately landscaped; the powdery sand (some say it's pink but that's debatable) and the glorious color of the water. I remember thinking if you could visualize "serenity" then I have just witnessed it. The only other time in all my travels I have seen water this color was in Bora Bora and Northern Queensland, Australia. I'm sure it exists elsewhere but that's just from my personal experience. It is a gorgeous clear aqua blue that is indescribable and noticeably different to many other islands I have been to. I had a lot of free time that first day and wandered around for hours. I even popped into the local Tourist Bureau to get a few maps (this was well before cell phones were common!). That's when I experienced my first chat with a Bermudian who was born and raised there. Little did I know that 20 years later we would maintain our friendship and go through so many of life's ups and downs together, many times from afar of course. I've decided not to personally mention anyone by name in this installment because there are so many people that I have maintained friendships with there and I guess it's analogous to winning an Oscar and unintentionally leaving someone out during your acceptance speech! The first time I heard the lovely lady at the Visitor Bureau speak I remember thinking how unique and beautiful the Bermudian accent is -you can imagine the British influence and that, combined with the close proximity to the USA, just made her speaking voice so lovely. We became fast friends and over the years I've become part of her family in a way. I've been to her house so many times, experienced the excitement of "Cup Match" with the neighbors (a really heated cricket match between 2 island rivals St George's and Somerset that goes on for days with food, music and parties-incredible!!). I could go on and on about the personal connections I have made in Bermuda but it's always a two way street and as I said, I have never felt more welcome than I did there.
I've always sought out the local connection and quite often myself and a few of the musicians from the ship would volunteer at the local Seafarer's Center. What fun we had! Impromptu music, performing for the local members which was so appreciated by them. They were always so hospitable to us and you can only imagine once again the friendships we forged there....
The beauty of experiencing a city at night is always so beautiful and special to me and invariably after my gig I would go ashore. This is when I was greeted by a symphony- just not the one you're thinking of ! I call it the "Symphony of Tree Frogs" 😊 They are so vocal and it is really something to experience this cacophony of sound... high pitched, low pitched...quite amazing.
I could, once again, go on and on about this beautiful place - I haven't even mentioned the traditional Bermuda shorts with long socks, the famous Goslings Black Seal Rum, the Crystal Caves and stunning beaches, my favorite local restaurants and bars....
That, my friends will be Bermuda Part 2 !
Enjoy,
Margie ❤️
My view from my piano as we docked in Budapest for 3 days....
Stunning Budapest, Hungary
My first musical contract on the super yacht was 4 years ago and I remember joining the vessel in Budapest. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, knowing little about Hungary- I'd really only heard about the amazing goulash and vibrant music ! My agent thought it would be nice for me to stay for a couple of days before I joined the vessel and he organized an Airbnb for me in the heart of the city instead of a sterile big hotel away from the action. Sounds like a kind and great idea right? Hmmm... after my arrival into Liszt Airport (named after one of my favorite composers)I grabbed my bag and caught a taxi into the city. I never expect anyone else to speak English when I am visiting their country- it is after all "their" country but in Europe we tend to get spoilt because most countries in the EU have English as a second language in some capacity. This is not so in Hungary; although so many people do speak English, I have found it to be less prevalent there. My cab driver didn't speak English but at least I had the address written down and could show him. I wish I had saved a copy of the address but I remember the street name was so very long and complicated. He dropped me off at a corner because the street was blocked off and he pointed me in the direction of my apartment ....this is when I was so glad my bag was on wheels ! I must have walked around for an hour with paper in hand trying to find the apartment, periodically asking people where it might be and then finally I found it. My agent told me the key would be with the business next door so I went in, retrieved the key and walked up to my abode for the next 2 days. This is when I could finally relax and drink in the beauty of this city. My apartment was beautiful and "old world" and yes, it was right in the zone. Remember, this was my first time there so I wasn't really sure where to go or what to do, so I did what I always do- I went out and got lost!😊
If you look at the name of the city you'll realize it is a combination of 2 city names: Buda and Pest. Both are equally beautiful (I always remember the Buda side because it's hilly - silly, but I always have an image of Buddha with a big belly!). The Pest side is quite flat and it is definitely more touristy. That first night I stayed on the Pest side in an amazing location right near the Vaci Utca which is the main pedestrian street in Budapest. It was a lovely initiation for me because my subsequent visits to this beautiful city were off the beaten track ! The Vaci Utca is lined with restaurants and bars all competing for your business and it is also full of many well known stores. I had dinner at one of the restaurants and actually did get to taste that famous Hungarian goulash with a glass of local wine and it was delicious. If you nip down any of a multitude of side streets you'll see the Danube River right there. As I said, I got lost but did find my way back to my apartment and slept so well, excited about my adventures the next day.
The gorgeous architecture in Budapest is impossible to describe.... it is without a doubt one of the most stunningly beautiful cities in the world. Grand, glorious buildings dot the landscape throughout the entire city but it is at night that its real beauty shines. The whole city is lit up, not in a "Vegas way" but rather in classy amber light. We always did a night sail to experience this and our Captain would sail down the Danube, turn around and dock our vessel again. It was in one word- "magical". Speaking of Captains, we had so many wonderful, experienced ones but my favorite was Captain Laszlo Somlovari and yes, he's from Hungary. Not only is he a wonderful Captain and person but he is also a pianist! He gave me some great tips about where to find excellent jazz in Budapest and I heeded his advice. There is (or should I say "was" 😪) a great live music scene in Budapest which I got to experience- some of the best jazz I've heard was here and I also love the Hungarian folk music that I experienced.
There is an amazing coffee culture in Budapest which rivals Vienna in my opinion and I experienced a great day with my amazing "boss" and good friend from the ship, Kurt Kemani, who took me to Cafe Gerbeaud. You'll see him in one of the slideshow pictures- as you can see it wasn't just coffee that we had. The desserts there are amazing but what makes the experience truly special is once again, the building and its history dating back 150 years or more. It reminds me of the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston where I performed for years. It is so very elegant and beautiful- it's definitely not Dairy Queen !! Just an aside, as I talk about specific people, I can't believe how small the world is. While in Budapest I got to see my former USA agent Mike Suman and his beautiful wife Juliet who were disembarking their river ship cruise and also my friend Art Foley who was similarly doing so.
I will re-visit Budapest "through my eyes" again shortly because I haven't even started really.
As I said; the city is simply "stunning".....
The "Real Amsterdam".... through my eyes....
Performing on a fancy river ship is very different as I've said to performing on a mega cruise ship- the biggest difference for me is the fact that we can get into the tiny harbors in these beautiful countries instead of just the major port cities. While Amsterdam is considered to be quite a big port city, our super yacht was able to dock immediately down the road from Central Station which is amazing as far as it being a hub for getting around to other places. One day I caught the train outside the city to go to the Amsterdam Golf Show (I can't remember the exact name of the area or the course) but it was so convenient. The station itself is a giant shopping mall and fun to just walk around.
The sea of lights on the huge timetable board is quite incredible..... linking you with all the major hubs in Europe for a relatively low fare. It may have gone up but I remember seeing Amsterdam to Paris for about 40 euro (on a high speed train with less than 4 hours of travel time). Enough about Amsterdam Centraal - had to spell it like a local once :)
I usually finished my gig at night around 11pm because most of the guests were ashore- of course everyone wants to experience Amsterdam at night and I was no exception. We usually had 3 days in Amsterdam which was wonderful. I felt extremely safe at night walking around and usually I'd stop off at my favorite pub to see my friends for a bit- the Slainte Pub that I mentioned in my introductory blog is on one of the main streets in the Red Light District and it was always filled with Brits,Irish and Aussie patrons. My friend told me that although Dutch beer is good, it's too foamy so that's why he liked the Irish pub !
Everyone has a different experience of the Red Light District. For me I was enarmoured with the architecture as well as its "eclectic nature" shall we say. It is the oldest section of Amsterdam I believe and it is very beautiful.... lots of cobblestone side streets and of course- the girls in the windows. There are many windows !
Prostitution is legal and taxed but don't even think about getting your camera out because it will be confiscated if someone catches you. It's a very closely monitored area in a very subtle way and it's absolutely forbidden to take photographs. I would have never taken a picture anyway but I was so paranoid that I never even had my phone in my hand wandering around there ! Of course the infamous "coffee shops" that don't sell coffee are scattered throughout the city, with marijuana legal for personal consumption where small amounts are regulated and taxed.
I'd actually be sad if people visiting Amsterdam just made a beeline for the Redlight District because there is SO much more to this absolutely gorgeous city. I haven't even posted about my experience at the Rijksmuseum (which houses so many of the breathtaking Dutch Masters)...nor have I talked about the delicious cheese and stroopwafel experiences I've had there! I'll revisit Amsterdam in a week or so with more stories.
Enjoy !
Margie ❤️
View from the Central Station side of Amsterdam
There are so many facets to Amsterdam, so many canals and so many bikes !!!!
Free Spirited, Beautiful Amsterdam ❤️
I guess it's serendipitious in a way that I am writing this at midnight because so many people think of Amsterdam in this way-as an "after hours" city- it could not be further from the truth.....I'm writing this in Boston remembering my last Amsterdam experience less than a year ago and sorry to disappoint you, it's not what you think!
Amsterdam is one of the most absolutely gorgeous cities in the world for so many reasons. I always use the term "free spirited" and that exemplifies this city. Once again, just like Vienna everyone peacefully co-exists. Our yacht would dock very close to the city center and I would walk all day long around the center and beyond.
One day I was walking around the Red Light District ( which is by the way very safe and beautiful- nothing like you would imagine it to be) and I came across an Irish Pub called "Slainte". I walked in and felt immediately at home- the bartender Tom was from Australia (we get around !) and the beautiful girl helping him was Hollie Minnes... we are friends forever ....
This is my "Introductory Amsterdam "
Part 2 next❤️
"The Kiss".... Gustav Klimt....no words necessary ❤️
Stephansplatz.....it was a beautiful night ❤
Beautiful Vienna Part 2
I told you my blog would be personal and this is about the profound effect that art had on me last year in Vienna.....
Art has always been such an inspiration for me - my favorite subject in school was the correlation of art and music throughout the ages- they have essentially mirrored each other. I never thought I would get to see the Mona Lisa in person, but I did (very tiny actually - I think it was just 30 inches x 20 inches) and I never thought I would get to see my absolutely favorite painting in the world- "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt- one of Austria's most famous painters. It is so very beautiful (oil on canvas but with added gold leaf, silver and platinum I believe). It's a little more overwhelming than the Mona Lisa though - almost 6 ft x 6 ft !!!! You can imagine how awe inspiring and powerful this painting is. I am admitting that I was incredibly emotional as I looked at these 2 life size figures embrace on the canvas in front of me 😪
I'm backtracking a little now....my morning started early. There is such a difference performing on a river ship traversing the Danube than doing the same job on a mega ocean liner. It's more work actually- I'm the only entertainer so they're stuck with me ! Chatted with my lovely friends in the morning and then I walked to the train to begin my trek to the Belvedere Gallery. Once again I disembarked at Stephansplatz and then because I had limited time I caught a short taxi ride to the Belvedere (I think it was about 10 euro). It is such a glorious structure and inside it is even more beautiful.... awe inspiring really. Of course I started with that famous Viennese coffee I keep talking about! There's a few great coffee shops around the gates to the entrance of the Belvedere so I found one and enjoyed... perhaps it's the cream on top or perhaps it's the presentation (always served with a butter biscuit and a glass of water) -very civilized! Speaking of water; did you know that Vienna has some of highest quality drinking water in the world - right out of the tap ? I found out later that it flows from the lower Austrian Alps. There are drinking fountains all over the city and many times I would see people in line with their empty water bottles filling them up. Sorry, I'm digressing! Back to the Belvedere Gallery 🙄
The magnificence of the building can only be appreciated when you are physically there but I was like a little kid in a candy store - devouring all the magnificent artwork but searching for my favorite.... and there it was. "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt. This gallery I believe houses the most amount of his paintings in the world. It was, as I said, a very emotional moment for me and I stood there for what seemed an hour or more absorbing every detail. Magical....
That may be my favorite painting but my favorite artist is Donato Giancola and those of you who are not familiar with him should google his name. My wonderful friend and Producer
William H. Niemeyer has documented beautifully the sometimes unappreciated genre of "Imaginative Realism" in his film "Art of the Fantastic- A Journey Into Creation" in which my favorite artist is heavily featured. Google that as well !
I guess my day in Vienna at the Gallery had a profound effect on me....that's why this blog only needs one photo.
I will talk about Vienna more down the road but my next blog will be about free spirited Amsterdam (I have some great stories !!🤗)
Until next time,
Margie ❤️
Beautiful Vienna......
Vienna always feels like my second home for so many reasons. My agent is from Vienna and I'll never forget him saying to me when I first went to perform on the ship "I can't wait to have you experience your first Viennese coffee"- well, he was right. It was so exquisite and like the whole city "perfectly presented"!
How do I even start to talk to you about Vienna? Quite simply, it is one of the most beautiful architectural cities in the world- I feel so safe there and it is so welcoming and multicultural. I would walk through the park to catch the subway into the city and see people of all nationalities co-existing peacefully. So beautiful to witness. The short ride into town always amazed me (after I figured out how to use the ticket machine that was only in German🙄)- it amazed me because the trains are so efficient; running every ten minutes without fail but also because they are SO clean ! Oh, and there are magazines for you to read if you want.
I would disembark at Stephansplatz where the magnificent St Stephen's Cathedral is - one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and that's when my adventure would begin. It was always different every week -usually I would meander and get lost and use my phone GPS to find my way back just marveling at the gorgeous architecture. I even came across an Aussie pub nestled between some beautiful buildings. I was singing on the super yacht as I call it (river ship does not do it justice) and a guest came over to chat and accidentally hit the boom stand with my microphone on it and it chipped a tiny bit of my tooth. I found an amazing dentist in Vienna, had it fixed and it was right next to the Aussie pub! I went in and there was a lovely girl from Sydney bartending. I felt at that moment so lucky to have 2 places that are "home" always- Australia and the USA... but then I had to add a 3rd and that's Vienna; not logistically of course, but in my heart.
I have so many other personal Vienna stories to share with you at a later date my friends. My first blog and it's been very cathartic- I'll do it every day. I want to talk to you about my favorite painting in the world next time.... I got to see it in person at the Belvedere Gallery in Vienna ....
