andrea: We should do a weather exchange! Two days of rain against 48 hours of blue sky? We could need some precipitation, months of blue skies are taking its toll.
IRENE: I love ports! They give me a feeling of endless horizons, of new beginnings.
the wine makers wife: Thank you. I had to take it with the camera standing on its heads, somehow that rascal was marring the blue sky with spots otherwise (the camera behaves like a primadonna at times, e la donna e' mobile! *g*).
Cream:. Wherever I was in the world, New Year's Eve always that same waltz. Somehow strange. What do they play in your parts of the world?
CREAM: Oh yes, sure, I know that one too. :-) Back home we used to watch that old English movie "Dinner for One", about a rather advanced in age Lady and her faithful butler. It ends with the butler asking "The same procedure as every year?", while leading her up the stairs. For some reason the show it on Austrian TV for decades now, in the original language.
Meg, Don’t be disappointed, please (I hope the Vienna Tourism Bureau is not going to sue me for damaging the image of the city!). If you look at a map of Vienna and its environs, you will realize that this particular area is in the far Northwest of the city, separated from the historic city center by a 3200 acres park (this area, the "Prater" was in earlier times a swamp (crisscrossed by canals, lined by beautiful buildings, giving it the name "Venice of Vienna"). Enormous amounts of effort and money has been invested over the years to protect the city from the high waters of the Danube river, building a very sophisticated storm management system, that keeps the city safe from floods (a historic feat). Vienna is not a stagnant museum town, it has managed to keep the large historic center a vibrant place of stores and commerce and offices, maintaining at the same time the historic heritage and the many green spaces. I am impressed by what the citizens of this city created on this particular outskirt where you lament the new buildings. Besides the buildings there are havens for water related outdoors activities, infact the whole long island between the old river and the "New Danube" is dedicated to green spaces for walkers, joggers, bikers and and nature sanctuaries were bird and nature watchers love to explore. When I walked there, groups of preschoolers played there, filling the air with their sweet chatter. I can assure you, Meg, that if you come to Vienna, the historic Vienna is so large, you will have no problem avoiding this area, which is so far out. But if you want to, you can hop on the Metro Nr. 1 right at St. Stephan's Cathedral and have a breath of fresh air only a ten minutes away. Not the mention the fact, that the city is ringed by the beautiful Vienna Woods (with creeks and valleys and meadows), and areas with vineyards, and the many smaller parks like Schönbrunn und Pötzleinsdorf that skirt the city.
I was not disappointed. Well, I was, in as much as your blog is like on long dream to me, and the modern buildings were a wakeup call.
I know Vienna has handled modernization exceptionally well, in that we can hardly see glass towers and steel spirals in your photos.
We went to Edinburgh in 1990 (when we hardly stepped out of the Old and New Towns) and then in 2003, when we walked around a little further out. All the new buildings could not have been built in mere 13 years, and I can't expect the entire populating of Edinburgh to stop living modern lives on the off chance I might visit again in another 13 years.
Likewise, I'm glad people in Vienna are safe from high waters, and have sports facilities, etc. Goodness knows, with all those cakes and chocolates, they need some exercise, besides walking in the Woods!
No, I'm ok. I'm just being selfish. I think I tend to seek out museum towns only because they are aesthetically pleasing, to me... Selfish...
Any frogs? ;o)
ReplyDeleteNope, Simon! (Guess they were deployed to the May Day celebrations at the City Hall pond. *g*)
ReplyDeleteInstead of feeling blue, this brightens my day. It's pouring rain here... :(
ReplyDeleteI get quite sad in ports. But I love a hike!
ReplyDeleteThe shot of the bridge is breath taking!
ReplyDeleteI can hear some music...
ReplyDeleteandrea:
ReplyDeleteWe should do a weather exchange! Two days of rain against 48 hours of blue sky? We could need some precipitation, months of blue skies are taking its toll.
IRENE:
I love ports! They give me a feeling of endless horizons, of new beginnings.
the wine makers wife:
Thank you. I had to take it with the camera standing on its heads, somehow that rascal was marring the blue sky with spots otherwise (the camera behaves like a primadonna at times, e la donna e' mobile! *g*).
Cream:.
Wherever I was in the world, New Year's Eve always that same waltz. Somehow strange. What do they play in your parts of the world?
Auld Lang Syne on New Year's Eve.
ReplyDeleteCREAM:
ReplyDeleteOh yes, sure, I know that one too. :-)
Back home we used to watch that old English movie "Dinner for One", about a rather advanced in age Lady and her faithful butler. It ends with the butler asking "The same procedure as every year?", while leading her up the stairs. For some reason the show it on Austrian TV for decades now, in the original language.
Yes, it was to be expected.... But but but... all those new buildings in/around Vienna? Darn.... I am disappointed.
ReplyDeleteMeg,
ReplyDeleteDon’t be disappointed, please (I hope the Vienna Tourism Bureau is not going to sue me for damaging the image of the city!). If you look at a map of Vienna and its environs, you will realize that this particular area is in the far Northwest of the city, separated from the historic city center by a 3200 acres park (this area, the "Prater" was in earlier times a swamp (crisscrossed by canals, lined by beautiful buildings, giving it the name "Venice of Vienna"). Enormous amounts of effort and money has been invested over the years to protect the city from the high waters of the Danube river, building a very sophisticated storm management system, that keeps the city safe from floods (a historic feat).
Vienna is not a stagnant museum town, it has managed to keep the large historic center a vibrant place of stores and commerce and offices, maintaining at the same time the historic heritage and the many green spaces.
I am impressed by what the citizens of this city created on this particular outskirt where you lament the new buildings. Besides the buildings there are havens for water related outdoors activities, infact the whole long island between the old river and the "New Danube" is dedicated to green spaces for walkers, joggers, bikers and and nature sanctuaries were bird and nature watchers love to explore. When I walked there, groups of preschoolers played there, filling the air with their sweet chatter.
I can assure you, Meg, that if you come to Vienna, the historic Vienna is so large, you will have no problem avoiding this area, which is so far out. But if you want to, you can hop on the Metro Nr. 1 right at St. Stephan's Cathedral and have a breath of fresh air only a ten minutes away. Not the mention the fact, that the city is ringed by the beautiful Vienna Woods (with creeks and valleys and meadows), and areas with vineyards, and the many smaller parks like Schönbrunn und Pötzleinsdorf that skirt the city.
I was not disappointed. Well, I was, in as much as your blog is like on long dream to me, and the modern buildings were a wakeup call.
ReplyDeleteI know Vienna has handled modernization exceptionally well, in that we can hardly see glass towers and steel spirals in your photos.
We went to Edinburgh in 1990 (when we hardly stepped out of the Old and New Towns) and then in 2003, when we walked around a little further out. All the new buildings could not have been built in mere 13 years, and I can't expect the entire populating of Edinburgh to stop living modern lives on the off chance I might visit again in another 13 years.
Likewise, I'm glad people in Vienna are safe from high waters, and have sports facilities, etc. Goodness knows, with all those cakes and chocolates, they need some exercise, besides walking in the Woods!
No, I'm ok. I'm just being selfish. I think I tend to seek out museum towns only because they are aesthetically pleasing, to me... Selfish...