Blues and Beer: Always a Good Combination!

Well, I figured I would post a picture of Ted on here since I have mentioned him several times, but the only decent pictures I have are from last summer. This is Ted, Alexis (another Fulbright student from last year), and me outside the Life Ball. If you're wondering what that is, wait until May and you'll see!

I went with Ted last night to the Fischer Bräu for a blues concert. We were meeting a colleague of Ted's who happened to know the band. I have to say, I was very impressed with the band. They seemed to get what blues was all about, and weren't merely imitating the sound like so many foreign groups do, or even the majority of groups in the U.S. as well. They also charged no cover, and most of the other blues/jazz clubs I've seen charge a 10 Euro cover. The bar/restaurant was also quite a find. We didn't eat there last night, but I am definitely going back at some point to try the food. They also brew their own beer, something which always attracts me in Vienna. Most of the mass produced beers do not taste that good, and Austria is not really known for beer but rather for wine and Schnapps. After the show was over, we headed over to Merry Monk, another micro-brewery. They are actually owned by 1516, a much larger bar also located in the first district that I have been to several times. The lesson to be learned is that even though Austria is not known for their beer, you can find excellent beer at microbreweries. It just takes a bit of hard work and dedication!

The picture to the right is of the Votivkirche, yet another massive church in Vienna. The church is quite a distance from me in this picture, and I'm not really sure what else to say to give an accurate depiction of the immense scale of the building. The pipe organ is also pretty large and I hope to hear it at some point, but there aren't too many organ recitals going on in Lent. I didn't get a chance to stop inside to take any pictures today, but I may go to a concert there this coming Friday, and if so I'll try to get some pictures of the interior as well.