Mylo and I went out to Rodaun today (a holiday, Corpus Christi, and perfect June weather) to hike the municipal hiking trail nr. 6.
It never fails to amaze me that one can get a real hike in without leaving the city limits (although in this case, I do think we spent a few minutes in Lower Austria). The trail is over 12 kms long, goes up hill and down, through woods and meadows. Amazing. It even allows you to see some flora and fauna.
♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥
Vienna, as I have mentioned before, has a full ball season. Technically, this starts on November 11 (St. Martin’s Day) and ends on Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday) although it really gets going on New Year’s Eve.
There are a few balls that take place outside of this season and the Life Ball, started in the 1980s as a way raising awareness for homosexuality and AIDS, is one of these. This extravaganza took place last night, but the related events have been going on for a while.
Last year, for example, the City of Vienna progammed its pedestrian traffic lights not just to show the usual green or red man for go and stop but homosexual couples holding hands. Below is photo of the rainbow flags that adorn the streetcars for the first half of June as a symbol of solidarity and for tolerance:
I love Vienna.
It took two tries, but I finally managed to buy train tickets for Maylo and me from the machine. I was a little surprised that Maylo (all 5 kgs or 11 lbs of him) cost 30 cents more than I did. I felt somewhat better when I realized that the person at the next machine was having some trouble as well. I mentioned in the face of his sounds of frustration that I had had some difficulties, too, and added that my dog had actually cost more than me. He thought for a moment and replied that pets in Austria are highly valued. Even more than people, I pointed out.
As usual, I am reading the Kurier at Saturday breakfast and am learning something. Boxing is not a sport I associate with Austria, and indeed there is only one professional female boxer in the whole country, Eva Voraberger-but she is the world champion in the light bantamweight class, which means she weighs 52 kgs (about 114 lbs) or less(!). Who would have thought?
ecbinvienna 