Hello my darlings! It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another fabulous Pink Tutu Vienna post! šø Iām writing to you live from Vienna, Austria! I arrived yesterday, and oh my goodness, the city is so chic and charming! Just like a ballerina, it floats on air with such grace and beauty. It's positively bursting with history and culture. Vienna is famous for so many things, the famous Vienna State Opera, of course, which we'll be visiting later this week, as well as the exquisite pastries. I simply had to buy a selection of sugary delights this morning! Oh and the schnitzels! They're HUGE! š
And what's the best thing about Vienna? It's actually so close to the Derbyshire Dales! You'd think it'd be a massive trek, but no, the train took a little over ten hours. Now, I wouldn't recommend travelling so long by train unless you are seated right by the window and have your most beautiful, pink tutu, adorned with sequins and lace, to catch the sunās light as it moves across the beautiful countryside! But itās worth it, I promise you. š
This trip has already been brimming with loveliness! It began in such a girly, wonderful way. On Sunday, I had a splendid gig as a solo ballerina for a lovely family in a beautiful little theatre near Nottingham. Now, Nottingham is very pretty, a lovely, historical town with many interesting connections to famous dancers throughout history. Anyway, the gig was lovely. They hired me for their private event, a birthday party for their granddaughter. I was invited to join them for tea afterwards and their sweet little daughter did such an excellent pirouette that I nearly fell off my chair! She even asked me to come visit her school and share my love of dancing. Oh, to be young and brimming with energy and delight again! š¤©
From the countryside I headed straight to Vienna! As soon as I stepped out of the railway station in Vienna, I felt like I was starring in a magical, fantastical ballet. I mean, imagine it: cobbled streets that glow golden at sunset, opulent buildings, horse-drawn carriages with their fine drivers all dressed in black suits and high top hats, andā¦ and ā¦wait for it! The sound of street musicians serenading people with traditional waltzes! Just magnificent. š„°
My trip began in the most wonderful, feminine way imaginable: I purchased a brand new, pink, sequined tutu right at Vienna Central station. You might think, Emma, how can you buy a new tutu? Well my dears, you have to know when itās time to replenish your stock! And this city deserves the prettiest, most wonderful tutus. I simply couldn't resist! My favourite colour paired with sparkling sequins and the perfect volume! Whatās not to love?! āØ
Of course, my first trip out had to be to Viennaās ballet school. Thereās nothing better than seeing ballerinas training, or the joy of children, with such wonder in their eyes, starting their journeys to becoming some of the worldās finest dancers. š©° Iām going back tomorrow to catch one of the final hours of their training before the main classes close for the summer break. Oh to have that kind of discipline! To start your days practicing plies and practicing your turns! I canāt help but be reminded how far Iāve come. What I learnt in that beautiful school back in Derbyshire is whatās brought me here, and Iām so grateful. š„ŗ
Now, to tell you all about whatās to come this week. Firstly, weāre taking a lovely boat trip down the Danube River tomorrow, so make sure you tune in! Oh and a trip to see Schƶnbrunn Palace! Now you all know Iām fascinated by all kinds of palaces and castles. How else do we discover the stories of princesses, ballrooms, and fairy-tales? Just thinking about that glorious history makes my heart skip a beat! š
This is such a romantic city, full of enchanting charm, itās like a dance waiting to happen! Even the city architecture itself resembles a beautiful corps de ballet: a magnificent array of beautiful and delicate details, the Vienna Opera House being a particularly beautiful and prominent feature! Speaking of whichā¦ Oh, I canāt believe Iām saying this, but I have tickets to the Vienna State Opera! They say that the dancers of Vienna State Ballet are the best in the world and I cannot wait! So of course, it would be un-Pink Tutu-ish to attend wearing anything other than a brand new, exquisite tutu. š©°š¤©
But for now, let me take you back to those delicious treats from this morning. What else is better than the sugary scent of coffee and fresh pastries wafting through the cobblestone streets of a beautiful Austrian town? My morning began by visiting the most enchanting cafĆ© - with Viennese waltzes in the background, the most delightful atmosphere and oh my! a selection of cakes, biscuits, tarts and all sorts of delicate morsels. Letās be honest: the cafe had something for everyoneās taste buds! If you find yourself in Vienna you just have to have some cake - it's divine! I know you're probably reading this and wondering, "Oh Emma, surely not more sugary treats? What a wonderful life you live!" And of course, I cannot blame you. I just adore life! This is truly the most delightful part of travelling. Discovering little treats and unique little cafes to discover new flavours. Oh the beauty! ā¤ļø
Weāve been sightseeing for the last two days, but you have to have an equal balance of exercise, I think! Otherwise, it would simply be a disgrace to my dance style, now wouldnāt it! We found this magnificent, stunning ballet studio in the heart of the city! It was a small family run school but all of the dancers were absolutely excellent, both students and teachers. It has that certain charm. What makes the space extra special is that it's within an old converted theatre that the students use as their rehearsal space! They were all so encouraging to me, so excited to see me, and told me I must stay! But darling, I cannot! I have an appointment in the Derbyshire Dales soon, you see. But I did get some great pointers on new exercises. Who knew they were a good workout as well! Just goes to show, dear readers, the best form of exercise is just a fun ballet class away! āØ
After our delightful exercise weāve had the most magical trip out, through the park where it's all so enchanting! This truly is a fairy-tale town, my dears! And with each stop, each journey, there is something new to admire. We saw a beautiful group of artists, young girls playing with skipping ropes and skipping so fast that they all nearly looked like they were floating on air! I tried to get some of them to let me try. Their little faces lit up with wonder and delight! Oh it was so cute! š
My dearest readers, the most beautiful part of travelling to a new city and discovering something new is seeing joy, itās contagious and it warms your heart. I found myself laughing with them, trying to skip, and giggling when I tripped and fell, and almost pulled my tutus. That was embarrassing. You just canāt expect to skip when youāre used to pointe shoes, can you! But who cares? It made their day! The whole atmosphere was full of laughter and fun and that, my dears, is simply the very best. š
Tomorrow, my dears, is the trip down the Danube. Oh it will be a trip filled with romance and beauty and of course, more treats, pastries, schnitzels and Viennese waltz. You can count on it!
Oh, dear readers, what would life be without the beauty and wonder of all things pink? As weāre closing in on the end of this post, thereās one thing I absolutely cannot leave you with out sharing: an utterly charming, pink palace called The Pink House in the Prater. My dears, the colours! Thereās something so fairytale-esque about its existence and the most stunning features I simply had to snap photos of to share with you! (Iāll make sure to add them to the photo gallery). My dears, imagine it: a beautiful, pastel pink palace set against a backdrop of blooming cherry blossom trees with views out onto a luscious park and green meadows! Imagine that! How dreamy! š
And who could I possibly meet outside a palace with all the magic, romance and delight? A delightful gentleman wearing the most stylish grey suit and a little black hat, dressed up just like a dapper Victorian character. It was so utterly, quintessentially English! And when he spotted me, he pointed at my beautiful, new, pink tutu, and let out a wonderful, āBonjour Mademoiselle!ā. This charming man even gave me a gift ā a single white rose, which now rests inside my suitcase ready for my return home, just to remind me of all the magic Vienna has. The gift from the Gentleman in the grey suit felt truly special, something very symbolic! As a Pink Tutu lady I find these beautiful, little magical encounters, wellā¦ charming. š
So, my dearest readers, that brings this blog post to an end! This post really flew by because, well, life with the Pink Tutu is so hectic! So stay tuned for my next installment in the Vienna series - The Danube River Trip, where itās bound to be more magical. Remember, I post each week, Wednesday at midday so make sure to join me over on www.pink-tutu.com. š In the meantime, keep it fabulous!
Yours Truly, Emma xxx
