ecbinvienna

Actually, we are not supposed to have a rainy season, but the weather the last few days reminds me of the weather in Kyoto, where I lived for one year many, many years ago. It’s uncharacteristically humid, and at 4 or 5 o’clock every afternoon we have a flash flood, which sadly does nothing to clear the air. I’m afraid I might start growing mold soon!

The weather has been beautiful and the last three weeks I have celebrated the end of the work week by going on picnics with friends. The first Friday we met in Neustift and picnicked in the vineyards. Last week we chose the Votivpark and sat around the Vivaldi monument. Today we went to Türkenschanzpark where we sat next to a pond and were treated to not only ducks and crows but this creature as well–a gray heron, ladies and gentlemen, in the middle of the city!

This is the Old General Hospital in Vienna’s 9th district, otherwise known as “das alte AKH,” which now houses large parts of the University of Vienna on a proper campus. (The University used to be a collection of buildings scattered around the 9th district with no special greenery or places for students to gather for fun.) Somehow this photo captures several aspects of the campus. The statue is from its former life as Vienna’s general hospital and depicts Dr. Theodor Billroth, pioneer in the world of surgery. The greenery shows Austria’s investment in making their students’ lives more pleasant. (Higher education is tuition-free here.) The advertising for Radio Arabella, a commercial radio station housed on campus, stands for the efforts to make the campus a meeting place for students and other groups as well as the attempts to pay for the education system. 😉 The graffiti on the planters recalls us to the core purpose of any university (I hope Donald Trump is paying attention). What we cannot see is the series of screens set up throughout the area so that people can gather and watch the European Cup soccer at “public viewings”. Oh, and have I mentioned that, with nine courtyards (not all as big as this), it is a wonderful place for a walk?

The scent of the lime trees this year is overwhelming,  perhaps because we are having more humid weather than usual. Anyway, amazing and a treat.

As May 1st, today is European Labor Day. You may have noticed that it is also a Sunday. And so it came to pass that shortly after the brass bands of the Social Democrats had gone down the street (a party that traditionally rejects religion as the opium of the people) the church bells rang out calling the faithful to 10 o’clock mass. Vienna’s multiple faces …

It’s even worse than I feared–Hofer (FPÖ) is way ahead. The next two candidates after him each have only slightly more than half as many votes as he does. At least there is another election to come.

Austrians go to the polls today to vote, in a direct process, for their president for the next six years. Thank goodness the president doesn’t have much power, although, unfortunately, he or she does have a strong representative role outside the country, because in the last few days there are signs that the candidate from the FPÖ (the extreme right-wing nationalist party) has pulled ahead. The other frontrunner (the former head of the Green Party) still has a chance though.  With six candidates for the job and a requirement that the winner have an absolute majority, it seems likely that Austrians will be going back to the polls in May. Stay tuned …

This phrase in my last post may need some explanation. I’m basing the statement on something Jörg Mauthe, an Austrian writer and expert on things Viennese, wrote in his book Wien für Anfänger (Vienna for Beginners). In the second lesson he describes two Viennese coming together. The first one lays out his opinion on a topic. Then the second one gives his–diametrically opposing–opinion to which the first, after a moment’s thought, says, “Ist auch wahr …” (“That’s true too …”)

Our local Trafikant  (that is, proprietor of our local Trafik) was in good form this morning. He enjoyed Maylo, as always, and gave him treats. Then he asked “Und wie ist er mit den Weiberln?” (Basically, “And what’s Maylo like with the ladies?”) I explained that Maylo is neutered and that although he gets excited around females in heat he doesn’t really know what  he is supposed to do. With typical Viennese flexibility and diplomacy, he promptly responded, “One less problem for him to worry about.” 🙂