ecbinvienna

This is not quite what I was planning to do with my Monday morning, but it goes in Stephen Covey’s Important and Urgent quadrant for me and therefore takes priority over some of the other things on my to-do list today.

According to this petition, organized by one of the directors at the Technical Museum in Vienna, the Ministery of Culture wishes to remove a number of items from the Collection of Ancient Instruments ( http://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/sights/from-s-to-z/collection-ancient-instruments) based in the Hofburg, or former Imperial Palace, to make room for a Museum of History. Apparently, there are other spaces in the Hofburg that are currently empty and could be for that purpose instead. Removing the instruments to storage, where they would be unavailable for viewing for an undetermined length of time, would be extremely costly, put the instruments at risk and practically gut the exhibition. The petition is in German, but there is a comment attached in English that explains well the importance of the collection.

If you feel moved, please sign at: https://www.change.org/p/bundespr%C3%A4sident-der-republik-%C3%B6sterreich-dr-heinz-fischer-in-der-wiener-hofburg-droht-der-sammlung-alter-musikinstrumente-das-aus-stimmen-sie-f%C3%BCr-den-erhalt-dieser-international-renommierten-ausstellung

Thank you! And have a good week!

Not only is the Ringstraße turning 150, but the University (that is, the University of Vienna a.k.a. the “Hauptuni” or “main university”) is turning 650 this year. That’s older than St. Augustine in Florida, the oldest city in what is now the U.S.A.

For those who haven’t picked up on it yet, the famous Ringstraße (where the city wall used to be) is turning 150 on May 1st this year. I know I’ve been negligent about posting recently, but I will try to be better in the future. For the time-being, let me just share some figures that appeared in the Kurier today:
– 5.2 km long
– 57 m wide (I suspect with the grassy bits along the road itself)
– At one point there were 27 coffeehouses on the Ring. Off the top of my head, I can think of three famous ones–Landtmann, Schwarzenberg, and Prückel.
– There are over 2,000 trees along the Ring. 50 to 80 of them are renewed (whatever that might mean) per year.
– UNESCO declared the Ringstraße a Cultural Heritage Site in 2001.

More to follow as we get closer to the anniversary.

http://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=61140

P.S. I’m jealous that I didn’t write this myself!

http://www.stadtbekannt.at/christbaumsammelstellen/

This article reminds people that the City of Vienna collects and burns Christmas trees to produce energy. Maylo and I already knew this. We have seen the signs and growing piles of trees on our walks. Most recently, we have seen how the unusually high winds of the last few days have hurled the abandoned trees through the park. Quite something!

U.S. Americans often find the customer service in Vienna lacking, and it can be. On the other hand, every once in a while it is breathtakingly wonderful. This morning, I wanted to send flowers at the last minute to a friend for a significant birthday. (Long story why I wasn’t more on top of that.) She lives on the other side of town from me, but I remembered the name of a florist’s near her. When I called to place my order I asked if they could deliver within the hour and whether I could pay by credit card. They said yes to the delivery but regretted that they don’t take cards. I was already trying to re-plan my day so that I could go out there and pay cash, when they said very cheerfully that they could send me a bill. Without having any idea who I was, they were willing to take that risk. We sealed the deal, and within 15 minutes I received a phone call from my friend thanking me for the beautiful bouquet. Now that is what I call customer service!

And perhaps it is an equally good day to soothe one’s soul with the Impressionists of the Albertina’s Batliner collection–like Monet’s “House among the Roses,” so beautiful it brings tears to my eyes.

A good day to go to the Miró exhibition at the Albertina, I think. Not only is the weather really unpleasant outdoors, not only is the exhibition over in a few days, not only have I already accomplished a great deal of work this week, but Miró understood the horrors of violence and, when the Spanish Civil War broke out,  came as close as anyone to expressing them on paper and canvas. It strikes me that he would probably have been one of the first to post #JeSuisCharlie on his Facebook page.

Vines spanning a wall

Threads of fate criss-crossing

Precious web of life

Happy New Year, all!