He's on his Way

The Easter bunny is on his way... I recently saw him  in the window of a confectionary...

Welcome to Daylight Saving Time

In the night of 29 March we changed to "summer time" (daylight saving time) by turning the clocks forward one hour so that now light extends into the evening hours. This change of time still causes a lot of controversy, but I'm happy about it as it allows me to enjoy some daylight after work.
This photo shows the Anker Clock which forms a bridge between the two parts of the former Anker Insurance Company‘s building. It was created by the painter and sculptor Franz von Matsch and built from 1911 to 1917. In the course of 12 hours, twelve historical figures or pairs of figures move across the bridge. Every day at noon, all of the figures parade, each accompanied by music from its era.

Sunday Flowers #144

 “It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” - Rainer Maria Rilke

Closed

From the series "simple things that catch my eyes": a rusty garden gate in the 19th district.

Old Vienna Easter Market #3

This cute nanny goat designates a stand with ethnic Easter decorations from the Ukraine at the Old Vienna Easter Market.

Old Vienna Easter Market #2

Some beautifully hand painted Easter eggs at the Old Vienna Easter Market.

Old Vienna Easter Market #1

It's the time of the Easter Markets! At the Old Vienna Easter Market in the city center you can find about 40.000 hand painted Easter eggs piled up in the center of the market as well as other Easter decorations. There's of course also plenty to eat and drink.

House Rules

I discovered these "house rules" in a fashion store in the city center.

Still Bundled up

The roses in Volksgarten are still bundled up in burlap bags to be safe from cold damage.

Sunday Flowers #143

 

"Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment." - Ellis Peters

Art People

I love to attend art fairs, not only because of the works of art, but also because of the colourful group of people  (gallery owners, artists, art collectors, art students) you can see there.

Austrian Art

On Wednesday evening I attended the opening of the "Art Austria" art fair at the Leopold Museum. In this fair, that takes place for the 8th time, around 50 presenters exhibit 20th and 21st century Austrian art such as "Shelter (Ad Example)" by Manfred Erjautz.

Shadows

I love it when simple things catch my eyes like the shadows on this pedestrian underpass on the banks of the Old Danube.

Sunset Obsession #12

Let's start the new blog year with one of my favourite photo subjects and a last view of my recent walk along the Old Danube: The Skyscraper "Neue Donau", the DC Tower and the Donau City at sunset.

Let's Celebrate And Eat Cake

Today this blog turns 5!! I really wouldn't have thought it when I published the first photo in 2010. Back then I didn't know what I was doing, I just wanted to give this blog thing a try. I doubted that I would find enough interesting photo subjects to continue the blog for a whole year, but then I started to see things that I have ignored or taken for granted before. I woud like to thank everybody who has ever visited my blog and especially those who left a comment. I appreciate your support and I am looking forward to sharing more photos of my hometown. And now, let's eat some "Demel" cake!

Parisian Flair

As I love my hometown, but also Paris (France), I was very glad to discover these typical Parisian café/bistro chairs in the city center. It's good to know where I can sit when my yearning for Paris gets huge ;-)

Sunday Flowers #142

"A hush is over everything,

Silent as women wait for love;

The world is waiting for the spring." - Sara Teasdale

Illusion

We are still on the banks of the Old Danube... This photo looks like summer, but I took it last Friday when we had 7°C (44°F) - and the temperature hasn't changed much since then.

Love Locks

It seems that Vienna can't escape the love locks madness. You don't only find the locks in the city center, but also on the banks of the Old Danube.

On the Banks of the Old Danube

On one bank of the Old Danube there are numerous platforms for sunbathers, equipped with benches and sun loungers. I hope to have an evening picnic here in the coming summer...

Burggarten on a Sunny March Day

This winter wasn't very harsh, still on a mild and sunny March day everybody spends as much time as possible outdoor. Recently some people even had a first picnic on the lawn of Burggarten.

View of The Town #9

Last Sunday afternoon I had the need to take a quiet walk in the outskirts. I didn't quite end where I wanted to, but therefore I got to know "new" alleyways and paths. And sometimes it's good to see the town only from a certain distance...

Kaasgrabenkirche

The idyllically situated Kaasgrabenkirche in the 19th district is one of Vienna's favored churches for weddings. The Roman Catholic parish and pilgrimage church was constructed from 1909 to 1910 in the neo-baroque style.

Sunday Flowers #142

"You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming." - Pablo Neruda

Sunny Afternoon

Yesterday I left the office early, took a walk along the Old Danube and enjoyed the sunshine. A good start into the weekend...

Gods and Nymphs of the Forest

The department store "Steffl" regularly invites young designers/artists to create fancy shop windows: This time, multiple award-winning, Austrian hairstylist Alex Moser realized extensive avant-garde hairpieces in shapes of flora and fauna. The title of the installation is "Gods and nymphs of the forest".

Waiting For Nicer Weather

As of last Sunday (March 1st) the Viennese gastronomers are allowed to open their outdoor areas. I read in an article that 2.000 gastronomers applied for an authorisation, and that in the city center 600 sidewalk cafés have been registered. Now we just have to wait for nicer weather...

Breaking The Rules: Salzburg #3

A bouquet of spices is a popular souvenir from Salzburg. The bouquet dates back to the time when only a few rooms could be heated, and people and their farm animals would often cohabitate on the coldest days - this spicy room freshener was a good remedy.

Breaking The Rules: Salzburg #2

The construction of Hohensalzburg Fortress started in 1077. This original design was just a basic bailey with a wooden wall. In the Holy Roman Empire, the archbishops of Salzburg were already powerful political figures and they expanded the castle to protect their interests. During the following centuries the fortress was further expanded. During the early 20th century it was used as a prison, holding Italian prisoners of war during World War I and Nazi activists (before the Anschluss with Germany) in the 1930s. Today it is a major tourist attraction.

Breaking The Rules: Salzburg #1

Last Saturday I day-tripped to Salzburg, the fourth-largest city in Austria and the native town of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The city is overlooked by the Hohensalzburg Fortress, one of the largest existing 11th century fortress complexes in Europe. The fortifications were built to protect the prince bishops and the principality itself from attack. However, the fortress never faced a real siege.

March Theme Day: Aging

 

When I saw these friends play cards last September, I remembered that this was a common picture of my childhood: older people gathering in the park for a game of cards that could last for hours. My grandmother also loved to play cards...
Click here to view thumbnails of all participants in the theme day.