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April has the usual dose of cats and children, plus a glimpse of the new car (Bogdan the Duster) and a conference in Vienna.
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April has the usual dose of cats and children, plus a glimpse of the new car (Bogdan the Duster) and a conference in Vienna.
I'm making a photo book of the past two years' worth of trips to Vienna to try to take advantage of Blurb's substantial Black Friday discount code, which expires Tuesday night.
I had forgotten how much work putting together a photo book is. I was under the delusion that I could finish it if I started at 8 PM. I have just finished 2017 and it's already past my bedtime.
I found the above image in my phone photos, of the U-Bahn at closing time, presumably taken as the bloke and I were toddling back to our AirBnb after several grosse biers.
We've not had the most exciting weekend ever as our boiler broke very early on in the week but neither the bloke nor I were able to stay home from work at all until Friday. (We've been surviving with many layers, dressing gowns, and hot water bottles.) The bloke spent Friday afternoon working from home, only to have the engineer call at 6 PM to say he would come on Saturday morning at 8 AM. Which he did, bless him, but it also took him three hours to fix the boiler. The boiler then worked for a grand total of 24 hours before breaking again, so we spent all of this afternoon at home waiting for another engineer. He turned up at 7:30 PM. It is now fixed again. If it breaks tomorrow, we're stuffed again until next weekend. I have everything crossed that it doesn't.
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In the morning, we walked over to the Hofburg palace, which houses the Spanische Hofreitschule, or Spanish Riding School, where the Lippizaner stallions perform. Granny wanted to watch the morning exercises, which are much cheaper to view than the full performances, although you cannot book seats.
We were amongst the first in the queue and so we ended up getting very fine seats on the lower balcony. I was impressed that Keiki and Humuhumu maintained interest in the exercises for a full hour. Each set of horses practised only for half an hour, to avoid straining them. A little film was shown about the birth and development of the horses as they took their turns around the sandy floor. Keiki was fascinated by that, particularly the way the horses changed colour. Humuhumu got out her drawing pad and pens from her Rainbow Dash rucksack and did some drawings, which I later realised were based on the architectural flourishes inside the building.
If you’re wondering why there are no photos, it’s because all photography and filming within the building is forbidden.
The grandparents wanted to stay and watch another round of exercises, so I took the children to the cafe to wait for them.
( +4 )
After lunch and a rest, the children and I went out again to take a long tram ride over to the Kunst Haus Wien, one of Hundertwasser’s buildings, and a fine gallery. I have seen a couple of outstanding exhibitions there, one of H.R. Giger and the other of street photography pioneer Saul Leiter. The exhibition at the moment is the work of Finnish photographer Elina Brotherus.
( Kunst Haus Wien )
We took the tram home again, satisfied with the day’s adventures.
Once the bloke had returned from the conference, we ventured out into the night in search of a quiet drink.
The grounds of the Hofburg were exceptionally attractive by night, and also oddly deserted.
( +2 )
We were amongst the first in the queue and so we ended up getting very fine seats on the lower balcony. I was impressed that Keiki and Humuhumu maintained interest in the exercises for a full hour. Each set of horses practised only for half an hour, to avoid straining them. A little film was shown about the birth and development of the horses as they took their turns around the sandy floor. Keiki was fascinated by that, particularly the way the horses changed colour. Humuhumu got out her drawing pad and pens from her Rainbow Dash rucksack and did some drawings, which I later realised were based on the architectural flourishes inside the building.
If you’re wondering why there are no photos, it’s because all photography and filming within the building is forbidden.
The grandparents wanted to stay and watch another round of exercises, so I took the children to the cafe to wait for them.
( +4 )
After lunch and a rest, the children and I went out again to take a long tram ride over to the Kunst Haus Wien, one of Hundertwasser’s buildings, and a fine gallery. I have seen a couple of outstanding exhibitions there, one of H.R. Giger and the other of street photography pioneer Saul Leiter. The exhibition at the moment is the work of Finnish photographer Elina Brotherus.
( Kunst Haus Wien )
We took the tram home again, satisfied with the day’s adventures.
Once the bloke had returned from the conference, we ventured out into the night in search of a quiet drink.
The grounds of the Hofburg were exceptionally attractive by night, and also oddly deserted.
( +2 )
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Day 113/365: Vienna: Day 2 baby monkey + Day 3
I forgot to post the baby monkey from the Tiergarten yesterday. What an oversight! Here is the baby monkey.
Clinging to Mummy’s fur while she strips leaves from a branch.
( +1 )
We got going slowly on our third day in Vienna. Everyone was still pretty tired after spending all of the previous day walking around outside in the sun.
Humuhumu used the wooden shape kit in the childrens’ room to create this flower.
Keiki added the finishing touches - “more green”, as usual.
After getting dressed, we embarked on our tram stop tour of Viennese parks. A selection of photos from our favourites is below the cut.
( +++ )
I forgot to post the baby monkey from the Tiergarten yesterday. What an oversight! Here is the baby monkey.
Clinging to Mummy’s fur while she strips leaves from a branch.
( +1 )
We got going slowly on our third day in Vienna. Everyone was still pretty tired after spending all of the previous day walking around outside in the sun.
Humuhumu used the wooden shape kit in the childrens’ room to create this flower.
Keiki added the finishing touches - “more green”, as usual.
After getting dressed, we embarked on our tram stop tour of Viennese parks. A selection of photos from our favourites is below the cut.
( +++ )
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Humuhumu colours in a castle in her colouring book. Keiki looks through his green 'noculars at his toys on the table (green dinosaur & tentacle). The Schoenbrunn Palace, summer residence of the Hapsburgs, is in the background.
We spent our second full day in Vienna in the grounds of the Schoenbrunn palace and the Tiergarten (Zoo). Our first stop after disembarking from the U-Bahn at the Schoenbrunn station was the cafe, to refuel with coffee and cake.
( +++ )
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View of the Rathaus (City Hall) from the windows of our Viennese flat.
On our first full day in Vienna, I put the telephoto lens on my dSLR and took a few shots out the windows of our flat.
( +++ )
The first ice cream photo [Day 101] was taken on our walk back to the flat.
Later that afternoon, we had a walk through the Museumsquartier, where Keiki and Humuhumu said hello to the ducks outside the Leopold Museum, who remain blissfully ignorant of the sign which sternly reminds the public that animals are not allowed in the fountain.
Keiki and Humuhumu pull silly faces in front of the fountain. The Mumok (modern art museum) is in the background.
( +1 )
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The stairwell & lift shaft of the building we stayed in last week.
Schipol airport is a pretty nice airport, for an airport. Nevertheless, it is still quite wearing to spend five hours in any airport, no matter how hard it tries to make it easy for travelers to find refreshments, entertainment for the children, and departure gates. Particularly not with a three-year-old who doesn't understand why it is 8 PM and we are *still* not home. However, both the children thought the trip to Vienna was worth the tedium of the flights, not least because of the amazing flat we were in. Humuhumu remarked that she would have liked to stay there forever, except it didn't have a garden. Further photos to follow over the next week.
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Humuhumu to Keiki, at the Kunst Haus Wien cafe: "I can't hear you, I've got Mozartkugeln in my ears!"
Poll #19795 Mozartkugeln v. Manner wafers: Fight!
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 21
Which is the superior stereotypical Viennese treat?
For reference:
Humuhumu and I pulling funny faces in one of the Museumsquartier passages with our hair flying around wildly in the wind. #glassesgang
Having successfully fed the family (grandparents included) and put them to bed (grandparents not included), I'm off now to the gasthaus to get myself some schnitzel and beer with my man. ♥
Keiki and Humuhumu on a bench eating ice creams with their grandparents. Who also have ice creams. It is difficult to tell who is most smug.
If you are sensing a strong ice-cream-based theme to these photos, you are not wrong. I'm afraid I have once again been out wandering the streets of Vienna once the children are asleep* and am thus posting whilst gently Aperol-infused. I'm really happy to have finally been for a drink** in the Museumsquartier on a warm spring evening. Hellooooo
* Many blessings upon all grandparents willing to babysit of an evening
** Possibly inaccurate use of the singular
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