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Vivaldi in Vienna

28 Jul

This morning I learned in the most pleasant way possible that Antonio Vivaldi died in Vienna. There is a very nice Vivaldi monument in the park around the Votiv Church.

Vivaldi Monument

This morning I noticed something that is not there every day.

Vivaldi Monument with rose

And this is a close-up of the rose …

The rose

In case you can’t read the heart-shaped tag it simply says “Antonio Vivaldi, 28 July 1741.” At first I thought the rose was to celebrate his birthday but when I got home I checked my music dictionary and found out that he was buried in Vienna on that day.

Wonderful to be remembered–and so beautifully–after well over 250 years!

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More things growing in Vienna

25 Jul

Whether by accident or design there are squash plants growing in some concrete planters not far from the communal gardens. I was very tempted to pick the blossoms and make stuffed squash blossoms but (a) I don’t know how 😉 and (b) I’d rather see what happens with them. The photo below is at least a week old. They have grown considerably since then. (We’ve had quite a bit of rain.)

squash plants in the city

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Taking care of trash in Vienna – 2

22 Jul

Waste or trash prevention [Müllvermeidung] has been a hot topic for years in Vienna. One of the first things I noticed 24 years ago when I arrived was that you had to pay for bags in the grocery stores. Most people brought their own and I quickly learned to, too. Stores are now required to have containers for different kinds of packaging after the checkout area, and customers have the right to unpack what they have bought right there and leave the trash in the store. No point in carrying it home and then having to separate it and dispose of it there!

A truly creative approach for preventing unnecessary waste was written up in yesterday’s Kurier*.  A man named Christof Stein has had the really clever idea of buying heir-less estates and getting the public to come directly to the effects and choose what they want. He waits until he has several such estates, puts together a list of the addresses which he publishes on Facebook a few days ahead of time (www.facebook.com/RamschRosen). People who are interested pay EUR 10 for “entrance” to the apartments in question and, for that sum, can take away whatever they can carry and fit into their car. One of the photos showed two young men carrying out a (presumably working) refrigerator! And if the treasure seekers don’t find anything they want, they even get their EUR 10 back.

Even better than craigslist, I think!

* “Nachlass-Hopping: Auf Schatzsuche in alten Wohnungen”. Kurier, 21. Juli 2012.

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Viennese dialect and I

21 Jul

For years I have fondly been telling myself that I understand Viennese dialect. (I have even learned to say a few phrases.) This belief has been based on a certain facility to understand what is said in Hans Moser* films and has been supported by Viennese friends who speak high German with me, albeit with a Viennese accent. One thing about walking Mylo, though, is that I run into people who have no idea that I am a foreigner and who speak with me as they speak with other Viennese. And I understand, if I am lucky, about half of what they are saying! Quite a shock just before the 24th anniversary of my arrival in this city.

*  A wonderful Viennese stage and film actor (1880-1964) who often played the concierge or a similar role and was famous for his melancholic demeanor and how indistinctly he spoke.

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Waldbeer Stanitzl @ Café Landtmann

21 Jul

A few days ago I had to run the kind of errands (taking things to my tax adviser and so on) that make one feel in need of a treat. Since Café Landtmann on the Ring, one of the oldest and most traditional Viennese coffeehouses, lies on the route home from my tax adviser, I decided to stop there for my treat. Good choice! (See photo.)

Waldbeer Stanitzl at the Café Landtmann

It didn’t only look good. It was delicious!!! 🙂

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Things growing in Vienna

30 Jun

In addition to the wonderful things planted and maintained by the MA 42 (Magistratsabteilung 42 – The municipal parks and gardens services), which does such a good job they deserve a post devoted entirely to their work, there are a number of other things growing in Vienna. This spring I became aware of some communal gardens near the university campus, where dedicated amateur gardeners are growing vegetables and some flowers. It’s a wonderful idea and terrific use of land that was otherwise just being wasted. Here is a photo to show what great results they have already gotten, where the growing season has really just started.

Communal gardens

Not far from there on a traffic circle, beautifully planted in yellow and purple by the park and gardens services, is a sunflower that was planted by an anonymous beautifier:

Sunflower in a traffic circleHow do I know that it didn’t plant itself? Because it has a sign:

The sign says: Please water me. THANK YOU! Your Alsergrund “Grätzl*”-Sunflower.

* The word “Grätzl” also deserves its own post, it has so many associations. Short version: It is Viennese dialect and refers to one’s neighborhood.

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My first year in Vienna

10 Jun

Recently I came across my collection of opera tickets from my first year in Vienna. I couldn’t resist creating an annotated inventory of my experiences.  The results of my labors:  Operas I went to my first year in Vienna

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Sunday morning in Vienna

27 May

I must confess that Sunday morning is my favorite time in Vienna, especially when the weather is the way it is today–bright, cool, and clear. The streets and parks are empty (except for the dogs and their people) and usually clear of trash thanks to the untiring efforts of the city workers , the air is fresh (no traffic), and it is blissfully quiet except, this morning, for ecstatic birdsong. There is an exquisite sense of having enough time, peace, well-being, and surrounding beauty to work out life’s knottier problems–with fresh rolls to take home for breakfast as your reward.

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The Linden Trees (or “lime trees” if you’re British)

24 May

Hard for me to imagine that almost a year has gone by since I started this blog. What reminded me was that the linden trees are in blossom again, smelling as sweet as ever, especially in our suddenly muggy weather. No wonder poems were written and songs composed about them!

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Elderflowers

15 May

Just a quick post to announce that the elderflowers (Holunderblüten) are in bloom in Vienna.Image

This may not sound very exciting to you, but it they are beautiful, smell sweet, and are used to make a syrup for a really tasty soft drink special to Austria. 🙂

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