... and down, and all around actually. Another day off, another wander round with my camera. The day started off well with some very good advice from a graffiti artist:
Spring is truly here. I knew this the other day because all the cafes have got their tables and chairs outside, but today the weather actually confirmed it. It was something crazy like 14 degrees. I wore a coat but probably didn't really need to. Anyway, my walk... first I went past the Urania. Not sure what this was originally, it's a cinema now. I like to think it had something to do with space. I am not sure why I have never taken a picture of it before, because it is about 3 minutes from my flat.
I then continues on my travels to find a building I have been looking for since before Christmas. I have been on several expeditions to find it before but never actually got there until today.
The Holy Grail of Viennese Jugendstil; the Postsparkasse. I am a big fan. Could post millions of photos of it but I will resist.
Inside was also very impressive. There was nobody in there really, apart from a very rude man. I said hello to him, as if to check that it was OK for me to take photos but he just scowled at me. One of my students the other day described the Wieners as the "aller grantigste Menschen der Welt" (most grumpy people in the world) and he is so right.
Further wanderings took me to the oldest part of Wienna. I think it is medieval or something. This is where the pub that the Lieber Augustin used to drink in. He is the one who during the plague got so drunk he fell onto a pile of bodies and was taken away. He is something of a drinking legend.
I came across a beautiful church with lots of gold, I think it was a Greek Orthodox church but I am not exactly sure.
Every time I get the tram home from tutoring on a Monday I see this tower and wonder what/where it is. Now I have found out where it is and I think it is called the Maria am Gestade.
There was a lot more Jugendstil loveliness along the way. Just so you know, today I have taken nearly 300 photos but am not going to put them all up because you would be INCREDIBLY BORRRRRRED.
Another place I had heard of but never been to was Freyung. It is a lovely square:
with a lovely fountain. This is when the sun started to come out for real.
This is inside the Palais Ferstel which is right next to Cafe Central, my all time favourite place in Wienna. How it took me until now to discover these delights, I will never know.
Some people criticise those who take a lot of photographs for seeing everything through the viewfinder rather than actually appreciating places. I think this is a load of pish and tosh, because if I weren't looking at things to photograph I would miss so much. Like these lovely dragons on the lamps outside the Palais Ferstel:
I have been pondering as I have walked (because I forgot to charge my iPod) and I was struck by the number of old people in Austria. There are actually thousands of them EVERYWHERE. What I don't understand is how this is possible, given that about 95% of them smoke!
The other day (8th March I think) was International Women's Day. So, as a special treat, this lovely statue that I came across at a market was reduced to only 450€. It reminded me a lot of the leg lamp from A Christmas Story.
There was a lovely sweet/chocolate shop near Am Hof. There were all sorts of marzipan delicacies but the hedgehogs were the most impressive. Before I leave I am going to buy a marzipan semmel and wurst and have a marzipan feast!
After a while I ended up back on familiar ground, here is the Peterskirche, just of the Graben:
There were loads of street performers, but my favourite was the Asian Mozart:
See, here is a lovely bit of sign that I would probably never have seen if I didn't have my eyes peeled for photos:
I feel that I was deprived as a child. Or perhaps I was blessed that nobody was stupid enough to spend 79€ on a t shirt this hideous for me:
Last one, I promise... just goes to show that everything looks better when it's covered in Swarovski crystals.
Goodbye dears, no doubt I will bore you with more pictures and ramblings before long!
PS: I am sending nice thoughts to the people of Japan. Luckily Mr Boring was far away from all the drama.
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