Season's Greetings

Kitchen window December 2009

Lucia in Vienna

Christmas Flowers?

It is today the 12th of December and my flowers on the balcony look like this. Wonderful but tomorrow the weather gurus have predicted that it will be freezing temperatures and they will all be gone.

Lucia is coming to Vienna

and we meet and greet her with Lussekatter!

Twin cities

Many of my friends do not realize how close Vienna and Bratislava are and that it only takes about 40 minutes by car to get from one capital to the other by car. It takes a bit longer by speedboat but it is probably a nicer way of traveling. The route has become very popular and a new terminal is currently under construction next to Schwedenplatz, on the border between the first and second district.

Glad that Praterstrasse is not my garden !

Lots and



lots of



BIG leaves !

Memories from the bad old days

You do not have to walk around Vienna for very long before you see reminders of the Second World War. The largest are so called “flaktürme” which were built in a triangle around the city center, consisting of two towers in each location. The main towers were used as “fighting towers” while the smaller towers in the pairs were used by those who guided the shooters.

The two largest of the towers are in the Second District's Augarten and are 55 meters high with walls that up to 2.5 meters thick. Truly colossal buildings that can be seen from far away.

A good description of the towers as well as their history can be found on

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiener_Flakt%C3%BCrme

Kottan...

As you might remember, I wrote some time back about "Hotel Weisses Lamm" and its role in the films about police detective Kottan.I had at that time not seen any of the episodes but thanks to the well supplied public library on Zirkusgasse, this is not longer the case. The films are funny although a bit difficult to understand for a non native and the hotel's status as a cornerstone of the Kottan cult is now well understood :) It is obvious that it is not only the one way streets that have changed since that time!

Sunshine at last...

After several days of rain and fog, the sun came through and many from Vienna took their cars and went away for a lunch in the countryside or just for a walk in the sun.

Donnerskirchen

Time to clean up!

A very common site in Vienna



In most quality of living surveys, Vienna ranks very high if not at the top. Communications are excellent, health and school services as well and the cultural life is outstanding. The restaurants offer a wide variety of international and local menus that can satisfy even the most demanding tastes and so on and on.

There is, however, one big problem that everyone who has been walking around this lovely city has noticed. The dog poo that you see, step in and smell in all but the plushest streets. One can hardly walk around the block without getting upset and wonder why it is like this. You will not find a lot of cigarette butts or paper waste but dog poo...

The city council has, of course, noted the problem and started a number of campaigns but so far the results are very limited. It seems as if the dog owners do not care at all and the fines they risk are obviously not having any deterrent effect or they are simply never implemented.

Among the measures taken are signs saying how much the fine is and then an arrow at the crime scene.





Special dog toilets have been clearly marked and special dispensers of plastic bags set up but to no avail.







My own suggestion is that the many parking inspectors are given a wider and new mandate to be able to fine those who let their dogs make a mess of our lovely city! Maybe we can learn something from Singapore or other cities with a lot of dogs but still clean streets?

Rain, rain and more rain...

The weather in Vienna is typical for this time of the year. Lots of fog, windy and rain, rain and more rain. I got a bit scared the other day when I heard a noise that reminded me of the old TV series M.A.S.H. when the alarm went off and the helicopters brought in the injured. This time is was only a peaceful exercise but I still did not like the sound.

Tree trimming time in Vienna

Next to my bedroom window two tall birches have told me a lot about the wind and the time of the year but that will be more difficult from now on since I cannot see them any longer. An efficient man managed to cut down most of them in a few minutes time and it will only be those living two, three levels below who can admire them when spring comes.

Hamburgers in Vienna

The burger in Vienna is not like any other burgers! It tastes good but looks a bit strange to most foreigners since it is just a slice of meat loaf = leberkäse (kind of) in a bun that has been cut in halves. You can, of course, get ordinary hamburgers at McDonald's etc. but this for many the fast food that you get in the supermarkets.

Beatiful pollution?

Although I have seen many spectacular sunsets, I always grab the camera when the sky starts to turn red and try to get a picture with the right exposure and composition, never thinking of the fact that the redness is actually the result of some form of particles in the atmosphere, often natural like sand or droplets but sometimes man made pollution.

Enlighted buildings

The Eiffel Tower is celebrating its 120th birthday by putting on a light show. Thousands of small LED spotlights will make it look like a huge Christmas tree for the enjoyment of its onlookers.

This is nothing new to Vienna and the Second District! We have for a long time been able to watch and admire the Uniqa Tower, next to the Aspern Bridge, when it transforms from a beautiful steel and glass tower to a symphony of lights and colors. One evening huge snow flakes are falling down the facade while other nights the whole building looks like a giant Christmas tree or a ski slope with a skier coming down in full speed. Amazing!

Roses !

Despite the snow and the cold weather, this is what my roses on the balcony look like. Amazing, isn't it?

Tilting Vienna

The Second District's border towards the First District is changing rapidly. The Danube channel has got a series of bars, sand beaches and other meeting places and the new buildings coming up next to the channel are very modern constructions, mainly made of steel and glass. The reason is partly that such buildings are not allowed in the city center.

The latest addition to this trend is a new hotel in the corner of Taborstrasse and Grosse Mohren Gasse. Its facade is tilting a bit and since the neighboring house is also "tilting" a bit, you can easily get the feeling that you have had a bit too much of something...

Even if the new buildings are very modern and fancy in many ways, it is comforting to see that the old Vienna is still reflected in their architecture :)

Bikes in Vienna and Delft

Parking lot for bikes in Delft, Holland



Bicycling is a popular way of getting fit in Vienna. During the summer months hundreds of young and old are biking along the Danube, the Danube canal, in the Prater and on the thousands of specially made roads for bicycles. The bikers often dress up in very tight clothes with lots of advertisements that make them look like the are participating in Tour de France. Some look more like the famous Michelin man :) The bikes are, however, not used very often as just a way of getting from one place to the other like they are in the Nordic countries or, and in particular, in Holland. I was shocked when I saw the parking lot of bikes outside the Delft railway station and compared it to a similar parking lot in Vienna.

Parking for bikes in Vienna, U1 Stadion station

Snow and rain

A week ago we could sit outside late in the evening and have dinner. The day temperature was above 25 C and the wind felt like a hairdryer when it brought the warmth from Sahara to Vienna. Today it is snow in the air, the temperature is around 2 C and the wind is coming from the North pole. Guess what I like...

Hotel Weisses Lamm

There are several smaller hotels in the Second District, probably to accommodate all travelers who used to come to the northern railway station. It has stopped receiving long distance trains but the hotels are still here. Many are three star hotels but some do not reach that level in the grading system. One such hotel is “Hotel Weisses Lamm” on Zirkusgasse, but it is still famous after it featured in a series of TV shows called “Kottan ermittelt” or “Kottan investigates”. ( http://www.kottan.info/ ) I have so far not seen any of its episodes but I will try to find a DVD and see if I recognize the hotel and the street. The news is that the hotel’s entrance has just received a bit of care with a new sign and lamps to show the hotel entrance.

Before…



After …

To make us all remember.

I mentioned a couple of days ago that there are several small plaques on the sidewalks in the Second District to commemorate those Jews who lived here but were murdered during the Second World War. Here are some just outside my house. As always, click on the picture to enlarge it!

Pumpkins

Many shops in Vienna are now selling all kinds of pumpkins. Some are for eating but many are just for decorations. It is amazing to see how different they can be and what kind of shapes and colors they have!

Sukkot

The Second District in Vienna is center for many Jewish activities. During the second world war, it was from here most Jews in Vienna were deported and small brass plaques on the sidewalks tell us all the names of those who were murdered. Most recently the Jewish community celebrated Sukkot by dancing on the streets and playing joyful music. You can read more about Sukkot on

www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/4126/jewish/Sukkot.htm

Kellergassen

Kellergasse in Krauttal




This is the time of the year when the grapes are harvested and prepared for the new wine. To celebrate this and to get a first taste of the grape juice, before it has fermented, parties are held in each and every little village with even the smallest of wine growing area. Usually all wine growers have a cellar where they make their wines and they are often along a small hilly road or "Kellergasse" the parties are therefore called "Kellergassenfesten". On a small trip outside Vienna we ran into one of these parties and had to go in the opposite direction to get home but first we took a stroll down the road and enjoyed the party. Sadly, I could not taste any of the many wines on offer since I had to drive home but it is really nice to see how all generations and people from all walks of life come together, drink a glass of wine but hardly anyone gets drunk.

Kellergasse in Stammendorf

Neews ??

Dear All,

It is time to tell you a bit about what is going on in Vienna in general and the Second District in particular. The strange spelling of "news" is just because "Vienna News" was not accepted by blogspot but I hope it will not upset you too much :)