Having "Me" Time

When it rains, the soul gets soothed especially so if you are indoors listening to music.  It is even more soothing when you are indoors and playing an instrument.  It's been awhile since I've played the piano or touched my flute, but something about the rain made me want to play the piano today and so I did.  My soul was soothed. Upon playing I realized that it's been a very very long time since I've really just sat down and had some serious personal music time.  I don't know if its the same for you, but going to college somehow ended the musical phase of my life.  I didn't pursue anything musical in college, and together with classes and coursework, practicing on the piano or playing the flute was pushed aside.  It simply lost priority even though in highschool I was in the band.  Oh well, I suppose that's what happens. Then you move, pack your musical instruments away and hardly see them again.  Then more than a dec...

What better month to start my virtual trip to Austria than in the month of love?  Amongst the number of european cities I've visited, for me Vienna, Austria was by far the most romantic city of all.  Even more romantic than Paris.  You could wonder if it perhaps depended on whom I went on the trip with? My answer is no.  These were cities I went around exploring on my own and cities I grew in love with.  Don't get me wrong, I love Paris, but somehow I love Vienna more.  It's one of those things you just don't know why, but you do. To understand a city, one must first know a little of its history so here's a brief primer.  Originating as a Celtic settlement before turning into a major trading center under the Babenberg dynasty, the city became the Imperial city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  The empire ruled from the 13th century to the 18th century and spread from modern day Italy to Russia and even encompassed Bosnia.  Thr...