This May is so annoying: after 1-2 days with sunshine and nice temperatures, there are always several cold and rainy days. Let's hope that June finally brings the summer!
A beautiful yellow mansion in the 13th district.
Well, that's a distinctive letterbox!
“Flowers are like friends; They bring color to your world.” - Unknown
If you live in Vienna, love to garden but don't have a garden of your own, you can become a "tree patron" which means that you are officially allowed to transform a tree pit in your own small garden - you just have to apply at the competent area renewal office. I think this is a very good idea, the city gets more green without spending money and hobby gardeners get a "playground". I hope the dogs and human passersby respect these little gardens...
The sky looked rather dramatic some days ago when I returned home...
One day I want to have a front door like this one in the 13th district and decorate it with two boxtrees.
A quite street in the 13th district with small mansions side by side...
It's nice to take a walk in the 13th district because you can have a look at a lot of beautiful mansions.
The catholic parish and pilgrimage church Maria Hietzing is located in the oldest part of the 13th district.
"Stretching his hand up to reach the stars, too often man forgets the flowers at his feet." - Jeremy Bentham
Visiting a museum can be tiring. Gladly the Museum of Applied Arts has prepared some beds where the visitors can relax, take a nap, have a look at the beautiful ceiling or just check their phones...
In his sculpture "The Death of Marat" He Xiangyu created a life-size fiberglass sculpture of the artist Ai Weiwei’s corpse lying contorted face down on the ground. The title of the work refers to the 18th century portrait by Jaques-Louis David of the French revolutionary leader murdered in his bath. In a similar vein, Xiangyu's work reflects the political persecution of progressive thinkers and artists who have been silenced and imprisoned; hence, the choice to use Ai Weiwei, most well-known for his openly critical stance against the Chinese government. Weiwei has become a symbol of the struggle for human rights in China.
The monumental chandelier ("Descending Light with A Missing Circle") by Ai Weiwei appears to have fallen to the floor and points to the decay and ruptures of modern society in China. In the 20th century, the colour red, in China traditionally a symbol of luck in all its conflictive facets, became the colour of revolution, progress and political power through the ideology of communism.
Yesterday I went to see the exhibition "中国私语 CHINESE WHISPERS: Recent Art from the Sigg Collection" at the Museum of Applied Arts. The collector Uli Sigg has been following the development of contemporary art in China since the late 1970s. In the mid-1990s, he started putting together the world’s most significant and representative collection of Chinese art. In this photo you can see the work "Temporary Actor A" by Liu Ding. The painting can be viewed as a comment on the interpretation of the ideals of aniquity in the display of male and female figures for Maoist propaganda language. (Yes, I copied the label of the painting...)
"Happiness radiates like the fragrance from a flower and draws all good things towards you." - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
In Austria tomorrow is Mother's Day and according to the weather forecast it will be a cold and rainy day, just like last Sunday when I took this photo. I guess there won't be a lot of family outings tomorrow...
During my walks I'm always keeping an eye out for beautiful doors. Some months ago I discovered these gorgeous details on a door in the 3rd district.
I like this outdoor area of an expensive restaurant hidden in a courtyard in the city center. I can't afford ot eat there, but gladly taking photos is free. Click here for an older photo.
The baroque Bernardikapelle is located in the city center. It belongs to the Cistercians of the Heiligenkreuz Abbey in Lower Austria and originally served the abbot as private chapel when he had to stay in Vienna for a longer period of time.
When it's raining and you are fed up of with touring the city or you got too wet, you can take a break in one of Vienna's countless cafés. Since 2011, the traditional Viennese coffee house culture has even belonged to the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. If you want to know more about the popular coffee types served in Austria, please click here.
Yesterday it was raining all day long and we had only 6°C (42,8 °F). It feeled like in November. I went out only for a short walk and was cold despite my thin winter jacket. I was sorry for all the tourists who were touring the city in this weather.
"You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way." - Walter Hagen
Aren't these colourful birdhouses cute? I discovered them in the 19th district.
I guess it's not bad to live in this house, surrounded by nature.
I have this thing with photographing people sitting on benches... For more photos please click here, here, here, here, here and here.
Currently the lilac is blooming all over Vienna.
Click here to view the photos of all participants in the theme day.
On Sunday afternoon I participated for the second time in a guided tour at the Kunsthistorisches Museum by drag queen and art educator Tiefe Kümmernis. This time the focus of the tour was on the fashion in the paintings. It was an interesting afternoon, and the styling of the drag queen was as spectacular as always.
Yesterday I met some of my friends for a Sunday brunch. We tested a vegetarian restaurant in the 15th district, located in a former gym of the Jewish sports club SC Maccabi Wien.
"The breath of flowers is far sweeter in the air than in the hand." - Sir Francis Bacon
During my vacation the winter break of the boats came to an end. It's good to see them back in the water!
Did you miss me? I was on vacation in France and Spain for 13 days, but now I'm back. And of course I did my first walk along the Old Danube.
"Happiness radiates like the fragrance from a flower and draws all good things towards you." - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
I discovered this dog at the gateway of a mansion in the 19th district. I was wondering if he was patiently waiting for his owner or just chilling and watching the people passing by...
Oh, the joy when you find again a path that you walked several years ago.... It might sound silly but although I have taken a lot of walks in this area since that time, I always took other paths... until last Sunday... The path leads towards Kahlenberg.
Recently I prefer to do my Sunday afternoon walks in the outskirts, especially in the 19th district. It's as if I leave the daily routine and the stress "down" in the city. And it's a good place to watch nature waking up again...
A magnolia tree in full bloom...
The styles of the mansions in the 19th district are manifold.
Yellow accessoires obviously are a thing this spring...
Click here to view the photos of all participants in the theme day.
"Even if the flower is no more, still, the fragrance can be." - Jaggi Vasudev
Beautiful white magnolias and cherry blossom in the Setagaya Park.
The Setagaye Park, a small public park in the 19th district, was created in the traditional japanese style. Its blooming cherry and magnolia trees are very eye-catching in spring.
The view from Oberer Reisenbergweg in the 19th district is not bad at all... The noticeable building on the opposite hillside once housed the General School of Painting founded by Austrian painter Alois Delug.
A sunny and warm spring Sunday, a bench, grapevines and a gorgeous view of the town - not bad at all, I would say...
Kaasgrabenkirche is my favourite church in Vienna. The Roman Catholic parish and pilgrimage church was constructed from 1909 to 1910 and is a very popular wedding site which is no wonder if you consider its beautiful location.
The Bellevuewiese in the 19th district is a popular picnic site and deserves its name: it really offers a "belle vue" (beautiful view).
"Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn." - Lewis Grizzard
