Sunday Flowers #63

"When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not." - Georgia O'Keeffe

Sphinx

One of the sphinxes located in the garden between the Upper and the Lower Belvedere.

Repair Shop For Dolls

During my last Sunday afternoon walk I passed by this repair shop for dolls in the 4th district. It´s good to know that there´s still someone who dresses the wounds of dolls and plush toys.

Secession Building - Detail #2

The motto of the Secessionist movement is written above the entrance of the building: "To every age its art, to art its freedom". The beautiful dome consists of 3000 gilt leaves and 700 berries.

Secession Building - Detail #1

Joseph Maria Olbrich integrated a very symbolic language in the building: The entrance area of the Secession building is decorated by the masks of the three Gorgons, which symbolise architecture, sculpture and painting. The side elevations also feature owls (not in the photo) - the Gorgons and the owl are attributes of Pallas Athene, the godess of wisdom, victory and the crafts. The photo also shows the dominant symbol in the building - the laurel leaf.

Secession Building

The Secessin building is an exhibition hall built in 1897 by Joseph Maria Olbrich as an architectural manifesto for the Vienna Secession (also known as "the Association of Visual Artists Vienna Secession") which was formed that same year by a group of Austrian artists including painters, sculptors, and architects. The first president of the Secession was Gustav Klimt, and Rudolf von Alt was made honorary president. The Secession artists objected to the prevailing conservatism of  the long-established fine art institution Vienna Künstlerhaus with its traditional orientation toward Historicism. The construction of the Secession building, a key work of Viennese Art Nouveau, was finished after only 6 months. Needless to say that the architecture didn´t meet the taste of that time: The building was dismissed as a "a bastard between temple and warehouse" and "a cross between a greenhouse and a blast furnace", the dome was compared to "a head of cabbage".

Sale is still going on

The new collections are arriving to the shops, but that doesn´t mean that sale is over...

Sunday Flowers #62

"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn."  - Hal Borland

February Theme Day: Umbrellas

As I didn't have neither the time nor the occasion to take a new umbrella photo, I decided to republish a photo taken in November 2010: A beautiful selection of umbrellas in the window of Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe, a company which has been offering a wide selection of the finest cloths, ties, scarves and accessories (as for instance handmade umbrellas in various styles and original designs) since 1881. Amongst the company's most famous customers were Empress Elisabeth and - in the 20th century - Franz Lehár, Arthur Schnitzler, Leonard Bernstein and Herbert von Karajan.

Matchstick Man

I discovered this matchstick man some weeks ago in the city center.

Winter Wonderland

By now Vienna is completely free of snow, but in the window of a confectionary there´s a still a winter wonderland.

Façade Detail #19

Caryatids on an apartment building in the 3rd district.

Inspiration?

In Vienna, the ball season is currently reaching its peak. The headdress and necklace of this vintage model might serve as inspiration for a ball outfit.

Sunday Flowers #61

"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow." - Proverb from Guinea

There´s Still Some Snow

Whereas the streets are again free of snow, the lawn in the Burggarten is still snow-covered.  In the background you can see the Palm House (which houses a restaurant and the Butterly House.)

Sweet Lucky Charms

In Austria pigs symbolize good luck.At the K. u. K. (Imperial and Royal) Court Confectionary Bakery "Demel" I recently discovered these meringue lucky charms.

Inside "Demel"

The K. u. K. (Imperial and Royal) Court Confectionary Bakery "Demel", founded in 1786, is the most famous pastry shop and chocolatier in Vienna. The waitresses address their patrons in the 3rd person ("He/She wishes"), which is the historical polite form of address in German.

Snowman

During my walk in Stadtpark last Sunday I saw a lot of snowmen. They were all different in size, physique and clothing - this fellow was one of my favourites. In the meantime the snow has melted and the city is back to its normal speed and winterly grayness.
Update 07.30 a.m.: Vienna is again covered with a thin blanket of snow.

Sledding Street

In Vienna there are two official "sledding streets" - streets that aren´t cleared from snow so that children can have fun sledding there. There are also hills in some parks that have been safety certified in accordance with official regulations. For more information please click here.

Bicycles in The Snow

This photo is courtesy by my aunt who took it last Friday in the courtyard of the apartment building where she´s living.

Sweet Sunday #14

"Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first." - Ernestine Ulmer

A Walk in the Snow

Yesterday in the late afternoon: A mother and her daughter braved the cold and the wind and took a walk in the snowy Burggarten.

Liechtenstein Garden Palace #1

The Liechtenstein Garden Palace houses one of the world´s  largest and most important private art collections, which  is owned by the Prince von und zu Liechtenstein and contains masterpieces of art from the early Renaissance to the High Baroque. From 2004 to 2011 the palace was open to the public as a museum, now the focus is on high-end events and pre-booked guided tours of the Princely Collections. For registration please click here.

Art Tales

The new installation "Art Tales" in the window of the Swarovski store in the city center is a cooperation with the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Museum of Fine Arts) to promote the reopening of the Kunstkammer (Art Chamber) in March. Among the highlights of the Kunstkammer are outstanding works of the goldsmith’s art, such as the famous Saliera by Benvenuto Cellini, first-rate specimens of sculpture, masterly bronze statuettes, filigree and bizarre ivory objects and virtuoso stone vessels as well as precious clocks, complicated automatons, remarkable scientific instruments, precious games and much more.

Light in The Dark

The interior of the café-restaurant "Corbaci", located in the MuseumsQuartier, was created by French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal. The  eye-catching ceiling tiles were specially designed for this space by Asiye Kolbai-Kafalier, a Turkish artist living in Vienna. The menu offers nouvelle Austrian cuisine with a Mediterranean influence.

Snow in the City

When I got up yesterday, a thin blanket of snow covered the city. This is how Stephansplatz looked like on my way to the office. In the meanwhile the better part of the snow unfortunately has turned into slush...

Vineyard & Winter View of the Town

This was the view during my walk on New Year´s Eve: Vineyards on the hillside of Kahlenberg and the town, somewhere down there in the mist...

Sunday Flowers #60

"Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul." - Luther Burbank

Winter Promenade

 

On New Year's Eve I escaped the hustle and bustle of the city center and took a walk at the foot of Kahlenberg. The modern buildings on top of this mountain are the Hotel Kahlenberg and the Modul University Vienna, in between you can see the spire of St. Joseph.

Modern Architecture

Two examples of modern architecture in one photo: In the foreground the 4* hotel Novotel Wien City, in the background the UNIQA Tower, the office building of an insurance group. For more photos of the UNIQA building please click here, here and here.

Spongebob

A control box disguised as Spongebob - recently spotted in the 6th district.

Colourful Blankets

I think currently not even people inured to the cold would choose to dine at one of these tables in front of a restaurant in the 6th district - despite the blankets ready to hand.

Art Nouveau Building

This beautiful Art Nouveau apartment building is located in Porzellangasse in the 9th district. I would like to know who lives on the top floor and what is going on behind these curtains...

Winter Sale

In Vienna sale started the very first work day after the holidays which is good for everybody who got a gift certificate for Christmas. Putting bags in the window is obviously a popular (and simple) way to promote sales - for more examples please click here and here.

Servite Church

In 1638 Emperor Ferdinand III allowed the Servite Order to found a monastery in Vienna. The foundation stone of the church of the Servites was laid in November 1751. Inspired by Italian architecture the church was built by Martin Carlone and dedicated to the Annunciation to the Virgin. The church was consecrated in 1760 though the interior decoration was completed  only 7 years later.

Apples in the Shop Window

What a simple, but eye-catching decoration in the window of a home décor shop while it´s closed for Christmas holidays: scattered apples...

Come in

Doesn´t the arrangement of wine barrels, checkered tableclothes and illuminated trees at the entrance of a Heuriger in the city center look very inviting?

My Favourite Part of Leopoldstadt

Let´s start the new year with a photo of a part of my favourite square in the second district (Leopoldstadt). It is located at the quiet part of Praterstraße next to the Danube Canal and has a very special (Parisian) atmosphere. The statue shows Austrian opera singer, actor and playwright Johann Nestroy. For more photos of this square please click here, here and here.

Last Sunset in 2012

Instead of going to the "New Year´s Path", the party zone in the city center (where entertainment started already at 2 p.m.), I prefered to take a walk in the calm outskirts. There I happened to see the last sunset in 2012.

Happy New Year!

New Year´s sweets decorated with lucky charms - except for the snowman who is just holding a bottle of sparkling wine... I hope you will all have a sweet new year!

2012 Christmas Decoration #6

The last photo of this year shows another Christmas decoration: a vintage mannequin in the window of a make up store that caught my eyes only yesterday.
I hope you have nice plans for New Year´s Eve (I´m invited for a fondue - a very traditional dish in Austria for the last dinner of the year) and hope you drop in again in 2013!

2012 Christmas Illuminations #6

The blue lit Christmas trees on the balcony of the 4* hotel Römischer Kaiser in the city center stick out against all the normal (yellow and white) lights.

Christmas Tree & Schönbrunn Palace

In the center of the Christmas Market in front of Schönbrunn Palace there is always a huge Christmas tree.

I finally made it to a Christmas Market

Before Christmas I was too busy to visit one of the many Christmas markets in town. Fortunately the market in front of Schönbrunn Palace was open until the day before yesterday. It´s my favourite Christmas market, you can find there handicrafts and original gifts, but of course also food and drink stands.

Vanillekipferl

Vanillekipferl (vanilla croissants) are Austrian crescent shaped Christmas biscuits. They are usually made with ground almonds or hazelnuts and get their typical flavour from a heavy dusting of vanilla sugar. They are said to have been created in the shape of the Turkish crescent to celebrate the victory of the Hungarian army over the Turkish in one of the many wars between the nations.

Christmas Dinner

These days there are a lot of Christmas lunches and dinners with family and friends. A fact that inspired a children´s fashion store for its Christmas decoration.

2012 Christmas Illuminations #5

This huge candle illuminates the office building Kärntnerringhof in the city center.

Merry Christmas!

The square in front of St. Stephen´s Cathedral is currently embellished with a Christmas tree.
In Austria we are celebrating Christmas this very night: The tree is set up and lit for the very first time, the Christkind (Christ child) places the presents beneath the tree, bells announce the arrival of the Christkind into the house - when he arrives the family gathers around the tree and sings Christmas carols. The presents will be unwrapped and a lot of families will eat a baked carp for Christmas dinner. My very personal programme for today: In the morning I will have brunch with some girlfriends and in the evening I will celebrate with my parents, just the three of us.
I wish you all a very merry Christmas!! Frohe Weihnachten!!

4th Sunday of Advent

"Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts." - Janice Maeditere

2012 Christmas Decoration #5

These mannequins in the window of a clothes shop are driving home for Christmas with a lot of presents...