Me and my friend Mo

Yay last day of class!!!!! And I couldn´t be happier. And we ended on such a pleasant nite - assisted suicide and Euthanasia. So I decided what a way to wrap things up than with another trip to a cemetary. Let me explain a little further. The entire country of Austria is absolutely obsessed with Mozart and I have been following his shadow around the coutry so of course I couldn´t leave without visiting his grave. A brief bio for anyone who has failed to see the movie Amadeaus, and really if you have you should be ashamed of yourself because as I recall it was a very good movie.

Mo was born in Salzburg (ding ding ding point 1 of our tour) at a house which is now located on the main shopping street. His father was a musician who raised both of his children to be prodigies (there is a rumor that Mo´s sister was actually far better than him, but we all know the plight of an older sister).

Now we flash foward to Mo´s famous concert for the Hapsburgs at 6 years of age. We are in Vienna at Schonbrunn Palace (and if that doesn´t sound familiar shame on you becuase it has been mentioned twice before!). Here Mo played for the Empress and afterwards ran up and hugged her. So we now know he was either adorable or a complete brat.

A darling of the court Mo spent his time between traveling and living in another house in Salzburg on the other side of the river from where he was born. But sadly despite his status, Mo was a bit of a spendthrift and rarely had a penny to his name. And fame was beginning to take his toll. He renounced his citizenship and moved to Prague where he wrote Don Giovanni and dedicated it to the Czech people.

Perhaps thinking better of this decision (or missing his fame). Mo returned to Vienna. It was here he died penniless and was thrown into a paupers grave somewhere in St. Marx cemetary. After his death when he became real famous Austria kinda felt bad that they had mistreated him and decided to make him thier favorite son. Too little too late if you ask me. There are Mozart museums everywhere and you can´t turn a corner in Salzburg without seeing Mozart chocolate and Liquer. There is a monument erected in Zentral Friedhof with the rest of the composers even though Mo himself is located in a different cemetary. And the St. Marx is not nearly as nice. You can tell that´s where they stuck the poor becuase there are no elaborate masoleums or statues. Just headstones. Vienna created a nice monument and placed in approximately where someone thought maybe Mo might be buried, but since pauper´s graves are unmarked, no one´s really sure where he is. The monument stands in a kinda empty part of the graveyard which I think is creepy because you know it´s not really empty, there just aren´t headstones just lots of bodies beneath your feet and you don´t know where not to walk becuase they´re unmarked- ooooooooooo. But I made the trek and it was kind of like saying goodbye to my European trip. A nice ending.

After I went to the Nachsmarkt which is this huge farmers market that seems to go on forever. Half is all farmer´s markets and the other half is cafes. They do love their cafes here. Which is only ironic in that Starbucks seems pretty popular here too. Who´d have guessed?

Things I miss about the US:
Boba
Movie Theater popcorn
Free Refills on drinks (you know how we always make fun of Jon for getting those giant size drinks everywhere and then carrying it around with him? Turns out the boy is a genius. When I get home that´s me....everywhere. People are going to think I´m one of those crazy people who are afraid the world will end but the jokes on them - at least I can drink to my hearts content) (And if somebody loves me maybe they will bring me a giant drink when they pick me up from the airport)
Target
Washing Machines
Clothes I haven´t been wearing for 5 weeks
Friends
Family
Airconditioning
My cell phone - okay so I know I have it, but I really am being very good about not using it and I really miss talking to people. It´s so hard not calling everyone I know every time I get bored.
Radio/CD player (maybe I should just say music)