Austria

Austria looked like a picture postcard from the train today. Blue skies, snow capped mountains, farmers mowing hay, cows grazing. The train stopped at little towns and lots of peple got on and off wearing national  costume. There was apparently a festival in Graz.

Goodbye Maribor for 2012

A last look at Maribor before catching the train to Munich.

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Plague Monument

The main town square (though not the one where most people take their coffee)is dominated by a large memorial to victims of the plague which must still be part of the city psyche.

Town Square with Plague Monument

It has been a wonderful visit - hopefully not the last.

Bridge over the River Drava

This sketch of the bridge over the River Drava at Maribor was drawn from the Vinotek on the riverbank.

The bridge over the river Drava at Maribor

One thing about drawing is that you can select the bits that inspire and leave out those that don't, like the new but unmemorable building in pale blues and greens next to the bridge. A local woman who lives in a house on the river bank told me the people from Maribor are angry that old buildings are being destroyed and replaced with buildings like this one which was, she said, designed by a 'famous' architect.

The view - with new bluish building

Beethoven's 9th at the Maribor Music Festival

Tonight was the final concert of Maribor Music Festival 2012: 'Ode to Joy'. Brahms, Messiaen, then Beethoven's 9th, a truly stirring piece. With combined orchestra and mass choir it was a great way to finish the festival.  A couple of years ago they played Beethoven's 8th in the Cathedral and I remember it was just as powerful.

Listening to a concert in the Maribor Cahedral

Tomorrow the cathedral will again be full of worshippers again, as it was last Sunday when I drew the picture below.

Sunday service in the Maribor Cathedral

Sculpture in Maribor

A new sculpture is being erected in Maribor. It was delivered by a series of large trucks who had to back in between street stalls on market day.

It is next to the large bald statue commemorating the second world war that locals call Kojak.

Kojak with the new sculpture behind it.

The inside is lined with white plastic, it has a door and tonight I discovered its function: it is a music venue. As I walked along to the final concert I discovered a crowd of people lined up outside and I could see a disco set up inside. Walking back from the concert the duff-duff music strangely complemented Beethoven's 9th we had just heard. I wonder if it is a permanent feature.

Clay 'houses'

These clay works have been placed around saplings along the flash newly cobbled thoroughfare in Maribor.

Clay works, about 15cm high

I see them as a mourning for the old, as they are identical in colour to Maribor's old tile rooves. There was a good deal of bomb damage in Maribor during the second world war and the post war replacement buildings are pretty ordinary... as are most newer buildings.

Books

It is always interesting to see which books have been translated into less-spoken languages.

Slovenian books on tobacconist's shelf

Theses Slovenian books were on sale at the local tobacconist shop among the postcards, cigarettes and lotto stand.

Sixteenth Century Double Bass

This is Max Bibeau playing a huge Double Bass made in the 16th century. It has the most mellow sound and is bigger than normal Double Bass as you can see. With  any luck he will be taking it home so Australian audiences will be hearing him play it in future. His own instrument is a much darker colour and normal size. I find them all beautiful but this 16th century one shines from within.

Max Bibeau plays Double Bass

Pistachio ice cream

Once again I have fallen in love with Pistachio ice cream. I seldom eat ice cream elsewhere, but ice cream in Maribor seems to taste better than anywhere else; there are so many ice cream outlets in Maribor and so many people wandering around eating (enormous) ice creams that you can't help but join them ... and it quickly becomes a habit.

Pistachio icecream for 1:20 Euro

The icecream shops stay open until late. The shop on the town square a few steps from where I am staying told me they stay open until 1:00 am.

11pm at the ice cream shop

Pianists in Baroque Church

Liszt, Messeaen, Bach, Kurtag - the Hungarian pianists Denes Varjon and Izabella Simon gave a stunning performance in the baroque Aloysius Church in Maribor.

Denes Varjon and Izabella Simon practise at Aloysius Church

They played on two grand pianos, placed across the altar and the acoustics from about mid church where I sat were wonderful.

Denes Varjon and Izabella Simon play piano

Wine and music

There was a reception last night put on by the Australian Embassy with a great deal of wine and relatively little food. The musicians and visiting Australians attended and many of them went on to the KGB nightclub afterwards. We might all be a bit seedy this morning, but rehearsals continue and no one is late.

Painting done this morning during cellists rehearsal

There is an official wine tasting tour after tonight's concert butt perhaps there will be less wine drunk than would have been the case had the Embassy not been so generous.

Saucer surprise at Maribor Vinotek

Down by the River Drava in Maribor there is a Vinotek that serves local wine ... and good coffee as well.

Vinotek by the Drava in Maribor

I was having an espresso there on Sunday morning when the wind blew away the small paper serviette under the cup, revealing an image on the saucer.
I had a closer look ...

Espresso cup ... and what's that on the saucer?

... and found someone staring up at me from below. What a surprise and I would have missed him without the wind gust.

Oh,  hello there!

Maribor Music Festival 2012

The Maribor Music Festival 2012 concerts so far have ranged from virtuosic Mendelssohn to electric guitar.

Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) performed in London on 1st September and received rave reviews. They performed the same concert in Maribor on Wednesday to an equally warm reception from the packed hall. On Thursday they played Bach and Mendelssohn with an incomparable virtuosity.

The ACO are in Maribor for the whole festival this year, playing sometimes alone and sometimes joined by the Slovenian Philharmonic.

Last night they were joined by comedian Gerry Connolly and Brian Ritchie (Violent Femmes rock band). In the second half Satu Vanska sang and it turns out she is not only a virtuoso violinist but has a lovely voice and good comic timing.

Satu plays violin

The unrenovated Maribor

In among the  interesting cafes of Maribor you can still find signs of the old Yugoslavia. Near the large renovated square with its fresh new cobblestones is this old house with its peeling plaster and an old wooden door that looks as if it has not been varnished for a century.

Unrenovated house in Maribor

 If you walk into the door and along the courtyard inside you come to a narrow little yard with washing hanging on pulleys. It is old but swept clean and geraniums hang from the small balcony above. Past the washing is a forlorn but romantic garden lane with a little path through scattered leaves and a set of stairs that leads to the houses up the hill behind.

Old but tidy

Back garden of unrenovatd house

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Cafe design

There are coffee shops on every corner in Maribor and each of them is distinctive. This one behind my hotel has a steel tree inside and  ...

serves coffee in cups that are as interesting as the decor.

New Art Gallery for Maribor

If you are interested in architecture, have a look at the website that shows the competition results and various options offered by architects for the new Art Gallery to be built in Maribor. Some are less inspiring!

Isabella Cafe

The Isabella Cafe opened in 2010 and is now an established part of the Maribor cityscape. The owners are environmentally and fresh food conscious and their soups and salads are delicious, as is the Human Fish beer they serve. 

Beer at the Isabella Cafe

I had a Human Fish beer at the Isabella and drew their bowl of oranges.

Oranges in bowl.

Ornamented bank building

This was my view of Maribor over coffee yesterday in the Town Square.

Building housing the bank in Maribor Town Square

I have had cause to visit this building as it houses the local bank and I was attempting to sort out some issues with my bank card. They are sorted now, but I am suddenly very aware of how exposed those tourists are who have had their wallets stolen.

Maribor, Cultural City 2012

Maribor 2012

The only outward sign that Maribor is the 2012 European City of Culture are a series of large balloons around the city. This may be the only outward sign but a lot of the city has been rejuvenated in the lead up to 2012. Another large square has been created ... finished this year at last. There is a music event taking place there as I write - the music is floating over the city, quite unusual haunting music.

Newly finished city square.
Behind the spot where the photo was taken is a very large tented podium with loud speakers etc.

All of the inner city is closed to traffic and it has a wonderful effect. People walk or ride bikes and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. When will Australia take a leaf out of the European book? Perhaps Sydney, Melbourne (or Umina!) could apply to be the next City of Culture?

Painted boy

Yesterday the streets of Maribor were full of young people with markings. Some had every bit of exposed skin marked ; others had marks here and there.

Boy in Maribor street with his freshman markings.

It is a yearly ritual - the fourth year students mark first year students and all of them are very excited.