One more about the Ball

In Austria there are over 300 balls during ball season. As mentioned in the last post we choose the Kaffeesieder Ball because of our love for the Viennese coffeehouses. At the start of most/all the balls there is a precision of the honored guests followed by musical and dance performances.

One of the things I loved about this ball, the honored guests - were not stars or influencers. They were the coffeehouse owners. It felt so right for them to be in the spotlight. So much of the Viennese culture stems from the coffeehouses. Books, poems and music has been composed on some of those very tables. Card games have been played by both famous and infamous people while sipping their melange. Even today, some of the most well known Austrian comedians, writers and musicians sit and create new stories waiting to be heard or read.

The first coffee house I was ever in was Hawelka. I was on my first visit to Austria. Living on two separate continents for a year - Stephan and I savored the brief moments we had together. He was finishing a degree in Vienna and I was working in New York (with only two weeks of vacation to spread through the year).

On my first day he took me to Hawelka. At the time the orginial owners were still there. When we got there, there were no free tables so the owner, Josephina took our arm and sat us down with a stranger. No one questioned her and we ordered. Today, the son and his son own the Cafe and have grown with the times, opening a modern rösterei and cafe across the street from the original. We have still stuck with the older one, looking at the drawings and old vibes.

Anyway, I leave with some photos of the venue, the performers and the entrance of the coffeehouse owners.