Red Ribbon

Last Saturday the AIDS charity event Life Ball took place at the City Hall (as I told you here). As a sign of tolerance the Parliament was decorated with a huge red ribbon.

Sunday Flowers #231

"A beautiful flower is incomplete without its leaves." - Chinese Proverb

Life Ball

Tonight the Life Ball, one of the biggest AIDS charity events in the world, will be held at the City Hall for the 24th times. This flashy, colourful and loud party promotes public awareness of HIV and AIDS and generates donations for AIDS relief projects. The opening show will take place on City Hall Square with numerous performances by international stars. When I passed by the City Hall last Monday, the installation of the stage (set design by Amra Bergmann) was still going on.

Max Reinhardt Seminar #3

Here's finally the garden side of the Max Reinhardt Seminar. The garden may be an even better place to relax than the veranda...

Max Reinhardt Seminar #2

The veranda of the Max Reinhardt Seminar looks like a good place to relax or learn the lines for a play.

Max Reinhardt Seminar #1

The Max Reinhardt Seminar is the School of Drama at the University of Music and Peforming Arts. It was founded by Austrian theatre and film director and theatrical producer Max Reinhardt in 1929. The Seminar offers a four-year course taught by some 40 professors, many of whom are themselves notable actors and directos. Since 1940 the Seminar is located in Cumberland Palace in the 14th district.

Scribblings on The Wall

Some years ago a friend of mine who lives in Southern Italy, asked me why the buildings and monuments in Vienna were so clean, why there were no scribblings... Well, of course not all our walls are beautiful, but usually I don't photograph the daubed ones. I prefer to take pictures of things that I like or that I think are interesting. Here's now an exception.

Domestic Landscape

The institution "KÖR Kunst im öffentlichen Raum" (Public Art Vienna) is committed to breathing new life into Vienna's public space with permanent or temporary art projects. The newest project is located in the very city center: "Domestic Landscape 2.0" by Franco-Portuguese artist Didier Fiúza Faustino. The installed urban furniture made of blue-painted steel invites those passing by to see this public space as open for their own personal use.

Sunday Flowers #230

"All things by immortal power. Near of far, to each other linked are,

that thou canst not stir a flower without troubling of a star." - Francis Thompson

Meeting Friends

That's a nice end of the week: meeting friends in a park... I took this photo last Friday evening in Augarten.

Sunset Obsession #39

The sunset over the New Danube on Tuesday. If you look closely, you can see some people using the water ski lift.

June Theme Day: Nature

Palm trees in Vienna? Yes, in the Hirschstetten Flower Gardens, the cultivation gardens of the Municipal Department which is in charge of the Viennese parks and gardens. I would really love to see much more palm trees in Vienna...
Click here to view thumbnails of all participants in the theme day.

Donaucity

The modern Donaucity in the 22nd district: The first building was constructed in 1995, the last one in 2014.

Rowers

The Old Danube is a popular place for water sports. I'm especially fascinated by the rowers.

An Evening by the Water

On Saturday evening I finally did my first bicycle tour of this season. Other people chose to spend their evening in a more relaxed way...

Sunday Flowers #229

"A thorn defends the rose, harming only those who would steal the blossom." - Chinese Proverb

Put on Your Sunhat

According to the forecasters it's going to be a hot and sunny weekend. Time to put on a sunhat.

Schönbrunn Palace

I always enjoy looking at Schönbrunn Palace. I took this photo last Sunday when in front of the palace preparations for yesterday's Summer Night Concert, a free open air concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, were going on.

Vienna Citrus Days #3

Citrus fruits are often used in still lifes. At the "Vienna Citrus Days" a baroque still life was recreated.

Vienna Citrus Days #2

There are a lot of different citrus fruits. At the "Vienna Citrus Days" they were displayed on a table with Meissen porcelain.

Vienna Citrus Days #1

Last weekend the "17th Vienna Citrus Days" took place at the Schönbrunn Orangery. The information and sales exhibition presented a historic collection of citrus trees. The program included also lectures and tastings of culinary specialties.

Wedding Cakes

In Austria May is a popular wedding month. That's why the current window display of the Imperial and Royal Confectionary Bakery Demel shows some wedding cakes. 

Sunday Flowers #228

"Look at the flowers - for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are." - Osho

Pop up Gardening Store

For the last two months this pop-up gardening store was located in front of the MuseumsQuartier Wien. I passed by only last Sunday, the last day of the store.

Sunday Afternoon at the MuseumsQuartier

In 2002, the Viennese architecture group PPAG was commissioned by the MuseumsQuartier Wien (MQW) to design a courtyard furniture. The result was the "Enzis", named after the authorized signatory at the time. They quickly became a famous trademark of the MQW. In 2005 the outdoor furniture won the Adolf Loos Prize for Design in the then newly introduced category spatial design. The colour of the "Enzis" changes every year. When the weather is fine it is hard to find a free "Enzi"...

MuseumsQuartier

With its museums, exhibition halls, small cultural initiatives and restaurants the MuseumsQuartier Wien is an attraction for locals and tourists.

Sunset Obsession #38

The sunset over the Danube Island last Friday. 

Sailing

On Sunday the weather was perfect for sailing on the Old Danube.

Some Procedure as Nearly Every Sunday...

Yesterday it was time for another walk along the Old Danube. I just couldn't help it ;-)

Sunday Flowers #227

"Flowers in the city are like lipstick on a woman - 
it just makes you look better to have a little color. - Lady Bird Johnson

Blue Danube

The "Blue Danube" is a sightseeing boat that travels the Danube Canal and the Danube - a different way to explore Vienna.

Enjoying the Sunshine

This spring the weather is very unsettled. Yesterday it was sunny, but also rainy. In between two showers people enjoyed some sunrays in the cafés on the banks of the Danube Canal.

Sunday Flowers #226

"A flower's appeal is in its contradictions - so delicate in form yet strong in fragrance,
so small in size yet big in beauty, so short in life yet long on effect." - Adabella Radici

Saturday Breakfast

On Saturdays and Sundays I love to "celebrate" breakfast and start the day without any hurry. Usually I have breakfast at home, but this photo was taken some months ago in a french café - which explains the baguette and the croissants...

Fresh Green

Each year the fresh green of springtime is a delight for my eyes.

Blooming Trees

Admiring the blooming trees in the Botanical Garden....

Upper Belvedere - Spring View

The former residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736) is one of my favourite buildings in Vienna - especially in spring with fresh flowers around the pond. For more photos please click here, here, here, here and here).

Sitting Outside

During my vacation and last week the weather was rather winterly. It even snowed in the Viennese outskirts! But on Sunday it was finally possible to have a drink outside.

Sunday Flowers #225

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden." - Ruth Stout

All You Need is...

I discovered this "wisdom" in front of a café. Do you agree? As for me, I need tea and love... and some other things...

Krieau Race Track - The Paddock

Here's one of the horses of the Krieau Race Track during his off time.

Krieau Race Track - The Old Grandstand

The Krieau Race Track, a horse racing track in the second district, was opened in 1878. It is the second oldest harness racing track in Europe (after the Central Moscow Hippodrome, built in 1834). Today the racing track is also used as a concert venue. The photo shows the old grandstand, finished in 1913.

Vienna City Marathon 2017

Hi there! My vacation is over... I started the first morning back to Vienna watching the 42.766 participants in the 33rd Vienna City Marathon pass under my window.

Sunday Flowers #224

"Stretching his hand up to reach the stars, too often man forgets the flowers at his feet." - Jeremy Bentham

Amidst the Grapevines

A young couple amidst the grapevines on Kahlenberg last Sunday... 
Today afternoon I will go on a two-week vacation. This blog will take a break while I'm abroad as I didn't have the time to schedule photos and during my holidays I usually am busy with other things. I will post photos on instagram though... Hope to "see" you when I'm back to Vienna!

Magnolia

The magnolia trees are currently in full bloom.

Summerday in April #2

Life at the Old Danube on an unusual hot April day: while one stretches, the other one relaxes after (or in between) a bicycle ride at the Old Danube (and another walks by and takes a photo)...

Summerday in April #1

April started with beautiful and hot weather. I took another walk along the Old Danube where I discovered several sunbathers. Unfortunately I couldn't join them because I had to run errands.

Rainbow Skirt

The Indian fashion designer Manish Arora has created the current installation in the main window of the Swavorski store in Kärntner Straße. Unfortunately I could only take a photo of the mannequin in the center of the colourful display because of too much reflections.

Sunday Flowers #223

"The tulip's petals shine in dew,
All beautiful, but none alike." -  James Montgomery