Christmastime in ViennaOf Maronibrater and Vespri Viennesi

Three small Christmas Trees
I spotted them, just beyond the knoll
between the Resselpark metro exit
and the Technical University of Vienna.
They seem suspended between
the leafy remains of late autumn,
a moment frozen in time

Der Maronibrater
The Chestnut Roaster
"... Joseph Branco farmed in spring,
summer and autumn,
working on his land,
and ... in winter he was
a chestnut roaster.
He had a sheepskin coat,
a donkey, a small waggon,
an oven and five sacks full of chestnuts.
With this, he would set off early in November
through various Crown Lands of the Monarchy." *)

Vespri Viennesi
I know of no other place
where people eat and drink
and have the merriest of times
outdoors, even when the temperatures
drop below zero. I am sure the day
hell freezes over, the Viennese will not go gentle
into that cold night, but burn and rave and rage,
rage until the devil let them have a party
with hot mulled wine on hell's icy shores!

*) Quoted from "The Emperor's Tomb"
by Joseph Roth (translated by John Hoare,
published by Granta Books, London)
My favorite book by Joseph Roth:
I read it in Italian - letterature mitteleuropea
all the rage back then -, then in English.
When arrived in Vienna,
I finally read the original.
I loved all of them, and would
encourage you to read it, in whichever
language you feel comfortable with.
It is not only a literary gem,
but a small kaleidoscope of
Vienna a hundred years ago.

Photographed at the
Arts and Crafts Christmas Market
in front of St. Charles Church
Karlsplatz

Images and own text
© by Merisi