LOVE

A little bit of love can never hurt - even if it's only an eye-catching window display...

Blooming Magnolia Tree

The magnolia tree in front of the administration building of the Municipal Department "Parks and Gardens" is in full bloom. This department administers the about 2.000 square kilometers of urban green areas. Unfortunately the better part of these areas is currently closed until further notice.

Sunday Flowers #295

"Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light." - Theodore Roethke

Not Without my Mobile Phone

Usually I'm rather displeased and surprised how important the mobile phone has become for all of us, admittedly even for me. But now that we have to practice social distancing and most of us can't meet our family, friends and colleagues, the device is a good way to stay in contact. 

Evening Walk

Currently I'm especially happy to live next to the Danube because this means that I can take a walk by the water whenever I want to. Even if public transport is still working, we should use it only for unavoidable rides (i.e. going to work or the aid of other people in urgent need). On Wednesday evening I took a short walk on the Danube Island and enjoyed the sunset. The building in the background is the Millennium Tower, which to me still seems new although it has been completed in 1999.

Yellow Fog

"Yellow Fog" is a light installation by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson on the facade of the headquarter of Austria's leading electricty company, located in the very city center. Every day at dusk for one hour a yellow fog rises up the facade every three minutes for a duration of 40 seconds. (Photo from the archive, taken in February 2020)

If you want to revisit Eliasson's exhibition of some years ago, please click here, here, here, here, here and here.

Deserted #2

Well, there's not much to say... It's just another photo of the deserted city center...

Deserted #1

I know, a lot of countries currently have a curfew or at least exit restrictions, but when I took a short walk in the city center yesterday, the deserted streets (in this photo: Kohlmarkt where you can find a lot of luxury shops) really made an impact on me. I'm usually working in the very city center and used to seeing it crowded with people...

Spring - in Spite of the Current Situation

Spring has sprung in Vienna - in spite of the "current situation" and even if we are back to rather winterly temperatures at the moment. There are still people in the streets as you can see, but they have to observe a distance of 1m at least.

Sunday Flowers #294

“The flower that follows the sun does so even in cloudy days." - Robert B. Leighton

A New Museum for Modern Art

The opening of the ALBERTINA modern was planned for last week, but had to be postponed until further notice due to the coronavirus crisis. The collection of this new museum for modern art encompasses over 60.000 works by 5.000 important Austrian and international artists. ALBERTINA modern is located in the freshly renovated Künstlerhaus (built between 1865 and 1868 by the Austrian Artists' Society, the oldest surviving artists' society in Austria).

Getting Some Fresh Air

In Austria we currently don't have a curfew, but exit restrictions. We can still take a walk, but only alone or with our housemate(s) and keeping a distance of at least 1m to all other individuals - our politicians think this is good for our mental health. We'll see if this will change with the increasing number of infections. I love to move so I'm glad to be able to get some fresh air... This photo was taken the day before yesterday during my walk along the Old Danube.

Closed Until Further Notice II

As I have already told you the playgrounds are currently closed due to the current coronavirus crisis. The day before yesterday I saw a mother trying to explain to her little daughter that she can't enter the playground. The girl was too young to understand... It must really be a hard time for children... and their parents.

No Restrictions for Them

Lucky seagulls! They still can gather and continue their normal life. We are allowed to go for a walk, but only in urgent cases (what does this mean?) and alone or with our housemate(s) and with a distance of at least 1m to other individuals... The modern building you see in this photo is the Millenniumtower and the small mountain in the background is Leopoldsberg, normally a popular destination for walks.

Don't be Afraid...

I saw this during my walk to the office (where I had forgotten something) last Sunday in the window of a restaurant in the city center. Well, I guess there are a lot of people who are frightened by the current situation. For me it is still surreal...

Closed Until Further Notice I

There was a long break on this blog because I was busy with other things (everyday life, a new apartment...) and "suffered" from a lack of inspiration. But now the coronavirus has arrived to Austria and life suddenly changed... The restart of this blog is my occupational therapy...
Currently the aim of the Austrian government is to slow the spread of the coronavirus: museums, theatres, cinemas, schools and universities are already closed. As of today - with the exception of grocery stores, drugstores, pharmacies, post offices, banks and other shops responsible for basic services - all shops will remain closed, religious services are suspended, playgrounds and sport fields will be closed. As of tomorrow all restaurants, bars, cafés (which today are still allowed to open until 3 p.m.) will be closed. Everybody who can do his work from home, should do this. We should only leave our house for work engagements and activities that can't be delayed or carried out from our own home, to make urgent purchases of food and to go to the aid of other people in urgent need. Flight connections are being suspended, some countries closed their borders... For more information in English on the current situation in Austria please click here. I'm wondering how long this situation will last and how life will go on afterwards...

Sunday Flowers #293

"Flowers grow out of dark moments." - Corita Kent