Lost for words

I am at a bit of a loss as to what to post about. I am very busy at work right now and tired when I get home. When I stop it's like my mind goes blank. I also seem to be getting nothing done. The faster I peddle the more I stay still. Chores are piling up and I have an essay to research and write. Motivation is lacking however.

So...I thought I would share this photo with you. I took it while I was in Vienna. I saw a few of these lovely colourful stalls selling 'Blumen' while I was there. Each one was like finding natures palette in the middle of a bustling urban scene.


When you can't find the words, say it with flowers.

Beautiful View

As promised, here are some more photos from my time in Vienna. These ones are all of the Belvedere Palace which is outside the Inner Stadt but is still well within walking distance, being just south-east of the city centre. This palace was built by Prince Eugen of Savoy who played a major role in defending Vienna and the surrounding lands from the Ottomans. He had victories in the Turkish Wars at the Relief of Vienna and at the Battle of Zenta. Napoleon quoted him as one of the seven generals whose campaigns were worthy of study in a tribute to his military skill. He is an extremely significant person in Austrian history and a monument to him is situated in the Heldenplatz.


'Belvedere' means 'Beautiful view' in Italian and indeed, the palace enjoys a stunning view over the city being on elevated ground. The palace gardens are extensive. They are enclosed by clipped hedging and were laid out in the formal French manner with gravelled walks and a number of fountains, together with a large pond in front of the Upper Belvedere. To the rear, there are stairs and cascades peopled by nymphs and goddesses that link the upper and lower parterres which survive from the original garden, but the patterned bedding was grassed over and is currently being restored. Despite this, the gardens were a pleasure to stroll around despite the blazing sun which threatened to scorch me, it was so hot!


The photo above is of the Lower Belvedere, which was built, not as a palace but as a garden villa, with an orangerie and paintings gallery, with suitable living quarters and was completed in 1716. The photo below is of one of the rooms inside which were all highly decorative and quite stunning. Unfortunately, most of the Lower Belvedere was closed to the public for restorative work but the parts I was able to see were magnificent including a wonderful gilded and mirrored room which used to be Prince Eugen's bedroom.

In 1720-1723, the Upper Belvedere, in the photo below, was built. It was originally intended to provide a suitable end to the main garden axis but it was soon enlarged to become the main summer residence of the Prince. Today, it houses a collection of paintings including many by Klimt with pride of place being given to 'The Kiss'. The central Marmorsaal was the site of the signing of the Austrian State Treaty, that formed modern Austria in 1955.

I spent an enjoyable few hours here, and simply had to sample the Belvedere Torte that was a specialty of the cafe there. I am happy to report that it was suitably rich, chocolatey and had a thin layer of moist marzipan covering it. I would be interested to see what the Belvedere is like once the gardens and Lower Palace have been restored so I guess I will just have to go back sometime. Life can be sooooo hard sometimes!

I still have more photos of Vienna to share so there is more to come.

Anyone for Torte?

Don't they look scrumptious? See how the cream is perfectly piped and delicately dusted with chocolate powder? Or how about the neat layers of chocolate truffle cream folded over thin slices of light chocolate sponge piled high. Or there at the back, the light and fluffy strawberry cream mousse torte with the chocolate base, garnished with a real, juicy strawberry. Or is the rich dark wedge of chocolate torte dusted with poppy seeds more to your liking? Or how about the torte of Viennese tortes? The Sachertorte? A decadently rich, moist and dense (you guessed it) chocolate sponge with a thin layer of apricot jam and then covered in a rich chocolate icing layer and served with unsweetened whipped cream. This cake is so rich a small slice IS a meal in itself.


This is the sight that greeted me in every Viennese cafe. A chilled cabinets full of colourful treasure and as I was on holiday, it was of course all calorie free! Bliss! I quickly became enamoured with the tortes of Vienna. Every afternoon we would stop at a small cafe that took our fancy and take torte and coffee. The only hard part was choosing which one!

The photo above is of the Sacher Hotel Cafe, home to the original Sachertorte where it originated. It was a little more expensive but the Sachertorte was sublime. It was invented by Franze Sacher in 1832 and is one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties. The trademark for the "Original Sachertorte" was registered by the Hotel Sacher, which was built in 1876 by the son of Franz Sacher and the recipe is a well-kept secret to this day. If you ever go to Vienna, make sure you go here and sample the Sacher torte which is truly a taste of Vienna.

Not the Hoff

I started to write this post last week but it got delayed as I haven't been at all well. I have been laid low by a nasty bug and was unable to focus on writing anything for very long. I had to stay home from work and spent the time dozing on the sofa, and I never usually sleep in the day. Bob the cat applied feline care in the form of sitting on me and going to sleep purring. The fact that I feel a bit better is patently down to his ministrations. I am now as weak as a kitten but at least I'm on the mend.

****************************************

Anyway, while I was in Vienna I was amused to find old episodes of 'Knight Rider' on the TV, dubbed in German. In fact 'The Hoff' turned up quite a bit. I had heard that he was big news in some European countries and this confirmed it. Lately he has resurrected his career in the UK, through a largely tongue in cheek take on himself but elsewhere, 'The Hoff' seems to be a serious force in entertainment.

I was much more taken by a different 'Hof' (see what I just did there?), namely the Hofburg Imperial Palace. This was the first of the palaces that I saw, being located in the Inner Stadt, not too far from the hotel I was staying at. I was walking through Vienna, on the first day I was there and turned down a very well appointed street, full of designer shops to see this domed and high arched entrance at the end, bathed in sunlight

The facade was quite impressive as it was richly adorned with fountains and statues, including ones of Hercules and Archangel Michael. The photo below is part of a water feature at the corner of the building, where the pigeons liked to bathe and then preen their feathers.

The Hofburg is a palace that has been home to the powerful Habsburg dynasty, who were rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It served mostly as the winter residence, while the Schönbrunn Palace, further out of Vienna, was the preferred summer residence. The Hofburg area has been the documented seat of government since 1279 for various empires and republics and it currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria

The palace was immense, having been expanded over the various generations that inhabited it. It currently encompasses six museums, a chapel, the president of Austria's offices as mentioned previously, the national library, the famed Winter Riding School and a park. One of the museums contains an impressive collection of arms and armour where I spent a couple of happy hours. The collection mostly belonged to the past Emperors and included practical as well as dress armour and diverse weaponry. The photo below shows the jousting armour of the Emperor Maximilian I.


Inside the Hofburg the interior was a homage to marble with marble staircases, marble bannisters and marble columns. It was vast and sumptuous and my photo below really does not do it justice. As I walked up these stairs I wondered at the powerful and rich people that had walked there before me.

The Hofburg is big. You could easily spend a couple of days looking around this alone. The photo below shows one of the inner courtyards where there was a cafe (just out of shot to the right of the picture). I spent a leisurely lunch here, eating wurst, followed by torte and washed down with Viennese coffee, watching the tourists all pose by the monument. There is so much to see and do in Vienna that it is easy to rush around looking at this and that, but it is equally important to take time to stop and stare, to drink in the atmosphere and rest before moving on.


Of course, I saw so much more in Vienna, including visiting two other palaces which I will post more about soon.

Not a Night at the Opera

It has taken me a while to sort through the photographs I took whilst in Vienna. I never realised I took so many as I honestly did not spend all of my time viewing things through a lens. My tactic is much more one of seeing something for myself and taking it in with my own eyes and experiencing being there, then if the urge takes me, if the subject demands me to capture the moment, then I will lift the camera and view life through a lens.

For me, part of the fun of being on holiday is taking photographs. It allows me to tap into my creative side and allows me to merge two of my most favourite things, travelling and exploring new places with taking photos. Of course, once I return the creative process continues as I sort through my photos and file them. This always allows me to savour my break as the images transport me back to where I took them. Even though I use a dSLR camera I prefer not to rely on software enhancement of my pictures, preferring to compose my shots in situ, so when I get back minimal treatment is required. Sometimes though I see a photo that just screams for the artistic treatment.

My last day in Vienna was overcast compared to the other days which had been hot and sunny and as such the photos were moody. I felt that, for some of them, this lent itself perfectly to black and white and so I have converted the images to monochrome and I am very happy with them. The images below are of the Weiner Staatsoper, home to the Vienna State Opera.

The shot above was taken from the roof of the Albertina museum which is opposite the opera house. The original Opernhaus was inaugurated in 1869 with Mozart's Don Giovanni but was gutted by fire in 1945 during WWII. The foyer, the main stairways, the vestibule and the tea room were spared. The rebuilt theatre, the Staatsoper, seating more than 2,200, reopened in 1955 with Beethoven's Fidelio. The opera house has hosted some of the finest directors and opera singers.


I just love the photo above which is of one of the covered and arched walkways that surround the perimeter and form part of the building. This photo was taken standing near the stage door. I was walking around the outside of the building when I noticed this couple ahead of me and thought that it made a good composition.

I very much hoped to go to the opera while I was in Vienna but alas tickets are hard to come by and very expensive (unless you want to stand with obstructed viewing!). This time I did not make it and had to content myself with a circuit of the opera house but I did go to a very fine concert by the Vienna Imperial Orchestra who played Mozart and Strauss (of course, Vienna having been home to the musical Strauss family) with opera singers and ballet dancers. I had a wonderful evening, even if it wasn't the opera.

I am still sorting through my photos so there is much more to come!