Established 1961 11 Lifestyle Features Sunday, November 29, 2020 The entrance of the famous Hotel Sacher is pictured in Vienna. — AFP photos General Director of the famous Hotel Sacher, Matthias Winkler poses in the A wall with historical photographs of the inventor of the “Sacher Torte” Franz hall of the Hotel in Vienna. Sacher (left) and Anna Maria Sacher (right) is pictured in the famous Hotel Sacher in Vienna pictured. Iconic Vienna hotel turns to drive-in cake as pandemic bites he coronavirus pandemic may Thave forced many of Vienna’s luxu- ry hotels to close indefinitely as global travel restrictions keep away the many millions of tourists who usually visit the Austrian capital every year. But the city’s iconic Hotel Sacher is determined not to let fans of its world-famous choco- late cake go hungry. The hotel’s concierge, Uwe Kotzendorfer, is selling “Sacher Torte”, as the rich delicacy is known, on a drive-in stand just across the road from Vienna’s prestigious State Opera house. “I do a bit of everything now,” says Kotzendorfer, standing next to a small two-wheel cart stacked high with cakes, as he hands an imperial red bag containing one of them to a cus- tomer driving past in his BMW. “I thought it was a fantastic idea,” says another customer, Claudia Bednar. “Because we can no longer travel, I am going to send one to my aunt in The Madame Butterfly Suite is pictured in the famous Hotel Sacher. A corridor in the hotel with historical photos of famous guests of the Hotel Sacher is pictured in Germany for her 65th wedding anniver- Vienna. sary,” she explains, then pays for the nance, and Kotzendorfer often guides International travellers typically cake, which typically costs between 50 workmen around the deserted swathes account for more than 90 percent of the Winkler says. As one of the first women to be and 60 euros ($60 to $71), with her cred- of the building. hotel’s annual 23,000 overnight stays, allowed to own and run a business, the it card. The vast majority of the Sacher’s with rooms costing anything between Imperial cake visionary matriarch become well-known staff are now on government-subsidized Past crises 400 and 2,300 euros ($480-$2,700) per The Hotel Sacher and the Sacher for her wit. The city’s high society nor- furlough. And the rooms and dining halls According to owner and managing night in the low season. However, with Torte have a long history. In 1832, a mally gathers for a dinner in the Sacher in the six neoclassical buildings-decorat- director Matthias Winkler, the Sacher is the virus lockdowns, that source of young pastry chef called Franz Sacher before the famous Opera Ball-but this ed with autographed images of previous the last five-star hotel in Vienna that is income has now been all but wiped out. was working on a new recipe he hoped year’s event has fallen victim to the pan- guests such as Britain’s Prince Charles, still in family hands. But it has survived Sacher’s cakes, which are shipped and would become all the rage at the demic. “A part of the history of Austria Franco-German film star Romy a number of existential crises in the sold across the world, are helping keep Habsburg’s imperial court. The ingredi- rests in our hands,” says the hotel’s Schneider and US opera singer Jessye past and during the global economic the brand alive. ents were whipped cream, a lot of deputy director, Doris Schwarz. “More Norman-are deserted. crisis in 1934 event went bankrupt. Although competition in the upscale cocoa, jam to add moisture, and a rich than ever, it is a question of being up to Nevertheless, the hotel insists on dis- “We’ve gone through many trials since hotel industry can be ruthless and inter- layer of chocolate frosting. Forty-four the task,” she says, standing underneath playing fresh flower arrangements in the creation of the brand and our family national brands have larger financial years later, Sacher’s son, Eduard, an imposing portrait of Anna Sacher, a honor of the five business travellers cur- is still planning for the long term”, said resources, Winkler believes that being opened the hotel in Vienna’s first district. big cigar in her hand and two bulldogs rently staying there. For those parts of Winkler, who took over the hotel from family-run is turning out to be an advan- But it was really only after Eduard’s at her feet.— AFP the hotel not currently occupied, the his mother-in-law in 2015. The current tage during the pandemic. “Here, deci- death in 1892 that the hotel enjoyed its management is taking the opportunity to virus-induced economic downturn is sions are made at a family meeting, glamorous heyday under the manage- carry out some much-needed mainte- also taking a heavy toll. without taking orders from abroad,” ment of Eduard’s widow, Anna Sacher. The marble hall in the famous Hotel Sacher in Vienna is pictured. The lobby in the famous Hotel Sacher in Vienna. Packs of the “Sacher Torte” are pictured in Vienna. University in Canada. Foteini Aravani, Museum to record digital curator at the Museum of London, said the recording of dreams Music icon Cher meets Pakistan would allow it to “document a key shared experience from the pandemic” Londoners’ but also to stretch the definition of a “museum object”. “Traditionally, when PM ahead of elephant’s move COVID dreams museums have collected dreams it has been in the form of artistic impression, for example, paintings or drawings influ- merican pop icon Cher met arrived in the Pakistan capital this week Cher tweeted that she thanked Khan he Museum of London announced enced by the events. However, this can APakistan Prime Minister Imran to see the animal before the flight to “For Making It Possible For Me To Take a project to collect the dreams of often dissociate the dream from the Khan on Friday ahead of the relo- Cambodia on Sunday. “Appreciating Kaavan To Cambodia”. The plight of T dreamer,” she said. cation of an elephant from Islamabad’s her efforts in retiring Kaavan to an ele- Kaavan-an overweight, 35-year-old bull Londoners during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to document the “We will collect dreams as first-person dilapidated zoo to a Cambodian sanctu- phant sanctuary, the prime minister elephant-has drawn international con- impact of the crisis. The lives of inhabi- oral histories with the aim to provide a ary. The famed singer, who has for thanked Cher for her campaign and role demnation and highlighted the woeful tants of the British capital have changed more emotional and personal narrative of years campaigned for Kaavan the ele- in this regard,” a statement from Khan’s state of Islamabad’s zoo, where condi- “not just in the day to day” because of this time for future generations,” she phant and is helping pay for his move, office read. tions are so bad a judge in May ordered the pandemic, but also “in relation to added. Sharon Sliwinski, creator of the all the animals to be moved. A team of how we sleep and dream”, the museum Museum of Dreams, said the research vets and experts from Four Paws, an said. The project, dubbed “Guardians of with the Museum of London “aims to pro- Austria-based animal welfare group, Sleep”, will look to collect the dreams in vide a rich resource for further under- has spent months working with Kaavan the form of oral histories. It will also standing the significance of dream-life as to get him ready for the journey to explore what insight dreams might offer a mechanism for working through social Cambodia. Experts have trained into mental health and ways of coping conflict”. The project will take place in Kaavan to enter a large metal crate that with external stresses, especially in February 2021 with the public invited to will be used to transport the animal to times of crisis. According to a King’s speak about their Covid dreams with an the airport. Volunteers working with College London/Ipsos MORI survey in international team of trained experts. The Kaavan say he responds well to music June, the global Covid-19 crisis can conversations will last approximately half and singing, and Cher is expected to trouble the mind not just during waking an hour and will then be considered for belt out a song or two for the elephant hours but also during sleep. acquisition. — AFP before he departs Islamabad. — AFP The Museum of London is launching the initiative in partnership with the In this handout photograph taken and released by the Pakistan’s Press Information Department Museum of Dreams based at Western (PID) shows Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan (right) meeting with American pop icon Cher in Islamabad. — AFP .