Managing expectations …

Let’s see … 10 weeks of waltz lessons + talking friends into joining us + buying and shipping a tuxedo and ball gown abroad + purchasing tickets for both entry to and a table in the ante room for the Kaffeeseiderball in Vienna + 7 months of anticipation = a bit of a disappointment.

Thursday and Friday: … exploring Vienna before the grand event …

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  Even rain looks good in this beautiful city.

Translation: Sugar Garage ~ YES

sausage stand … standard Viennese (wonderful) fare

yet another example of Kevin being clever and hilarious

We were all (yes, even the guys) anxiously awaiting the upcoming Kaffeeseiderball … Dee and Kevin C, Cheryl and Justin Byrne, Anne and Heiner Koppermann:

Maybe we just did it incorrectly, but we were greeted with throngs of people (3600 in all), lots of going up and down stairs in extremely crowded hallways to get to our ante room tables. It was nice to have a place to rest our feet, but we paid for just a table; no food, no drink. ALL food/drink was extra. Service was spotty, food was decent but pricey. The opening quadrille by the debutantes and also the ballet performance were viewed on a screen in front of us. (I had already seen last year’s version of this on-line; this didn’t look much different.) This was all okay. We understood that those who paid a much heftier price were rewarded with seating in the main ballroom so that they could experience the opening ceremonies in person. I wouldn’t exactly call our screen a ‘JumboTron’, but it was adequate for viewing the performances.

The real disappointment came with the realization that there was actually no place for us to waltz to classical music in any of the designated ballrooms. We’re not sure why this was so. I had come to the ball with the thought that even if we held our own on the dance floor for 15 minutes of waltzing, it would be worth the price of admission. The reality turned out to be that we were able to dance for about 2 minutes in one of the smaller rooms to 80’s music (not that there’s anything wrong with that time period; just didn’t need to get super dressed up to do that).

Things we did think were worth it: Wow, you cannot believe how many beautiful women were there in the most amazing gowns. I DO mean absolutely stunning. In my next life I may join their ranks. It was almost impossible to choose our favorites from the almost endless supply of pure beauty. Really great. Our men (Kevin, Justin, and Heiner) looked fantastic in their tuxedos. Really great. Our friends, Anne and Heiner and Cheryl and Justin, were there to make the night extra special. Really great. There was also a spectacular display of fancy cakes. They were probably not worth eating, but that’s okay. Really great. The interior of the Hofburg Imperial Palace itself ~ breathtaking. Really great.  Having the chance to dress up like grown-ups was fun. Really great.

cakes: one slice of each, please

You’ll find good luck and happiness at the Kaffeehaus.
(maybe a bit of an overstatement)

Selfie Stars: Anne, Cheryl, Justin, Kevin, Dee, and Heiner

Would we recommend attending a waltz in Vienna? Not sure. Would we recommend creating unique memories with friends? Of course.