Sisi´s Stars

Visited the Hofburg Palace this morning, which was the home of the Hapsburgs of Austria. Saw their giantic silverware collection, as well as the museum for Empress Elisabeth (or Sisi) who has this weird cult following! She was very beautiful and vain, stopped getting her photographs taken and portraits painted after her early 30s so that no one would remember what she would look like as an older lady, and I calculated her BMI to be 16! Apparently she tried all these wacky diets (like drinking veal juice) and I saw the old gym equipment she used to stay fit! She´s something of a legend because she was assassinated by an anarchist. Her life story was actually quite tragic - relunctant princess, some of her children died - but hey she was a queen so I don´t know that her life could have been that bad. I bought a little brooch for my mom as a souvenir - one of "Sisi´s Stars" - because she has a famous portrait of her with diamond stars in her hair. I think my mom will like it cuz she loves royal stories like this.

Found the Mozarthaus later on, right behind St. Stephan´s Cathedral. Then we walked down Mariahilfer Straße where all the shopping was. It´s kinda like Oxford St. in London with stores just repeating after a while because the street was so long. Very hot day, just decided to have an early dinner back at the hostel.

Her life story was actually quite tragic...

Went out and saw Das Parfum at the local cinema - cuz Ancilla was missing seeing films. We were late getting to the theatre cuz once again we had walked in the wrong direction! The movie was really well shot, really stimulated the senses, though it was very macabre! Makes me want to go out and invest in a bottle of Chanel. Lately Cil and I have been stopping into every L´Occitane we see in order to put on hand cream and eau du toilette. It´s kinda funny.