Monday, June 30, 2008

Euro 2008 soccer cleats

Euro2008 cleats


These huge soccer cleats were on display in MuseumsQuartier for Euro 2008 soccer championship. Each participating country had a shoe on display. I haven't been able to find the exact size of the shoes, but several websites have described them as "car-sized". One German website even described them as "the size of a mid-size vehicle". You've got to love that German preciseness.

Photo taken June 29, 2008.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

And the winner is...

UEFA trophy

Spain won Euro 2008 and this lovely trophy to boot!

Friday, June 27, 2008

Sucession

Secession

This building was built in 1898 and houses some of the work of the art association Sucession. The association was formed in 1897 by Viennese artists who were not satisfied with the high-brow and conservative Kunstlerhaus association.

Photo taken June 23, 2008.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

dragon fruit

dragon fruit

Many types of unusual and exotic foods are available at the Naschmarkt, an outdoor market.

Photo taken June 23, 2008.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Naschmarkt

Naschmarkt

The Naschmarkt is Vienna's largest and most popular outdoor market. In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, you can also find spices, cheeses, meats, fish, dried fruits, and nuts.

Photo taken June 23, 2008.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Oh, and it can kill you, too

Warning: old skin

I laugh everytime I see this warning on the cigarette packages. I guess the warning that smoking can kill you was not working. This warning says that smoking will make your skin age.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde

musikfreunde2

This building in Vienna's first district was built in 1870 and is home to Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, or the Society of Friends of Music. The goals of the society were to organize public concerts, collect historical musical documents and provide public music education. The government took over the music school in 1909 when the society was no longer able to support the number of students seeking an education, but the society continues to host concerts and collect musical documents.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Purgatory

purgatory

I thought it was funny that there were vending machines selling cards, books and Fair Trade snacks in Votivkirche. But I thought it was really funny when I noticed they were decorated like heaven and hell.

Photo taken June 17, 2008.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Fernwärme Wien

Fernwärme Wien

This is an incinerator and heating plant. Pretty snazzy, eh? It was designed by Austrian painter and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who also designed the famous Hundertwasser Haus of Vienna.

Photo taken June 16, 2008.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Jack and Coke

Jack and Coke

I was surprised to see a can of whiskey -- it just doesn't seem like the stuff should come in a can. But then Brian pointed out that it's not just whiskey, it's whiskey and cola.

Photo taken June 16, 2008.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Flower boy

flower boy

This is one of my favorite photos. I was trying to take a photo of Votivkirche in Vienna when this young boy approached me to give me a rose. I was familiar with this scheme -- a child tries to give you a flower and then demands money or picks your pockets. So I ignored him and continued to try to get the photo I wanted. But he kept waving the flower in front of my camera. So finally I turned the camera on him and he gave me the mischievous smile you see here. I showed him the photo and then he left, smiling. And I'm pretty sure it's not because he picked my pockets. (As far as I could tell, everything was still there.)

Photo taken March 10, 2008.

Keywords: flower, sell, scam, kid, child

Monday, June 16, 2008

Horse and Carriage

Manner carriage

This is one of the many horse and carriages in Vienna's first district. But perhaps it's the only pink carriage with white horses. I think they're catering to the princess crowd.

Photo taken March 18, 2008.

Keywords: Manner, carriage ride

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Mary and Christ statue

Statue in Stephansdom

This is one of the many statues of Mary inside Stephansdom. I haven't been able to find information about this statue and who these people are inside of her cloak.

When my family visited earlier this year, my niece bought a book about Vienna that had several pages of information about and photos of Stephansdom. This statue was in one of the photos and my niece wasn't going to be satisfied until we found this particular statue. My sister has some cute photos of the search on her blog.

Keywords: Stephansdom, St. Stephen's Cathedral, statue, Mary, Madonna, Christ

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Gold on blue

gold statue


This statue is located between the main university building and the Rathaus -- on the opposite side of the street. I have no idea what it commerates, but I thought it looked lovely against the blue sky.

Photo taken June 9, 2008.

Keywords: statue, blue skies, angel

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Burgtheater

Burgtheater


The Burgtheater is directly outside the barriers for the FanZone for the EuroCup. But it's getting in on the action with the huge soccer ball on it's roof.

Photo taken June 9, 2008.

Keywords: football, soccer, FanZone, UEFA, Eurocup

Monday, June 9, 2008

Griechengasse

Griechengasse

I don't know how many times I walked passed this little street before noticing how quaint it looked. It's just a small side street that comes off Rotenturmstrasse, the main street that runs between Stephansplatz and Swedenplatz U-Bahn stations. You wouldn't guess it from the photo, but I'm pretty sure there's a Starbucks right around the corner.

Photo taken March 25, 2008.

Keywords: side street, 1st district

Friday, June 6, 2008

On the roof

sky trees


Many of the tall buildings in the city have trees or other plants growing on the roof. I found these bare trees against the bright blue sky striking. Perhaps I will have the chance to go back and see the trees again now that they are blooming.

Photo taken April 10, 2008.

Keywords: trees, blue skies

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Canola fields

yellow fields

This photo was snapped during the train trip from Vienna to Zagreb last month. I didn't know what it was at the time, but we saw several fields of these vibrant yellow flowers. I found out later that they are canola.

Photo taken May 3, 2008.

Keywords: train, canola, fields, flower, landscape

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

City view

view from Riesenrad

I took this photo from the Riesenrad, or giant ferris wheel. I love the way the clouds look. The tall buildings in the back center are UNO City. I think the white building to the right of UNO City is the tallest apartment building in Vienna.

Photo taken March 18, 2008.

Keywords: UNO City, city view

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

World's largest inflatable tent

World's largest inflatable tour tent


Yesterday on my way to class I noticed workers laying out huge tarps in Sigmund-Freud-Park near Schottentor. On my way home from school, I saw them inflating something. And today, I saw this. It's the tent for the EURO Experience Tour -- part of the Euro Cup festivities beginning this week. And it's the world's largest inflatable tent (approximately 45ft x 130ft x 200ft and weighing ten tons). The exhibit has already visited 12 other cities and will open in Vienna on June 5th and remain open until the end of the Euro Cup games. You can see here, among other things, the EURO trophy.

Keywords: EuroCup, UEFA, soccer, football, trophy

Monday, June 2, 2008

Cafe Central

Cafe Central

I think this Brian's favorite cafe in Vienna. At least one of his favorites. I like it as well, but I wouldn't call it my favorite.

It opened in 1860 and was part of the Viennese intellectual scene. It's pretty touristy these days, but I think it's still well visited by the locals.

Photo taken June 2, 2008.

Keywords: Cafe Central, coffeehouse, cafe