Category: Vienna

End of summer on the Donauinsel in Vienna. Hélas. For the record the day was the 20 September.

Last year when I arrived in Vienna, the first time I saw Austrian society was at the Austrian Fashion Awards. Last year’s awards were not very good. They had a DJ in from FM4 which is the hot radio station in Vienna. Their DJ’s have a shared way of speaking with deep voices and a very laid back attitude. A kind of time transporter to the FM of the 1970’s in North America. In any case, this Hermes is much in love with this own voice and did not deprive us of it. He spoke for about two hours of…

Museumsquartier in Vienna is the ancient ecurie of the Emperor. It has been turned into the centre of art and dance in Vienna. Situated at the beginning of Mariahilfer Strasse and a stone’s throw away from Heldenplatz, Museumsquatier is the anchor of cultural life in Vienna. It also has some wonderful outdoor cafés in the courtyard far from the echoing of strassenbann and the noise of cars. This afternoon it was the site for the afternoon show of Austrian Fashion Week.

View from the bridge

A bridge crossing to the Donauinsel from Vienna. Nightfall.

i went on a six hour bike ride yesterday through Wienerwald. it was quite wonderful. at one point, i wandered away from the main bike paths and went to the top of a mountain where there was only the narrowest unused footpath. when i was there, i saw a beautiful red deer and at the very top i found a strange abandoned cave. the woods were so beautiful and green that it wasjust like a trip to Middle Earth. the path pictured in the photo above is the view down from the hilltop where i found the cave. i saw…

These Austrians, in German terms, are an idle lot, more interested in sunsets and picnics than work. But damnit, they take care of their country. Green and clean. Perhaps the sanest people on our small earth.