Almost Daily Vienna Photo

Keepin' it clean

2009-05-20T22:22:00.003+02:00

After taking a break from this blog, it's hard to remember to post photos when I have them. I was so glad I had my camera this day because who would believe it -- the city has workers who clean the traffic lights!

Lunch in Melk

2009-05-08T19:13:00.000+02:00

I made my dad and sister pose for a photo before digging into their lunches. We had lunch at one of the restaurants on main street. The food was delicious and the prices were lower than what I was used to in Vienna. My mom and I had schnitzel, my sister and brother-in-law had cordon bleu and my dad had Bernerwurstel (sausage stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon).

Downtown Melk

2009-05-07T19:09:00.000+02:00

This seemed to be the main street in Melk, but since I only saw a small part of the city, who really knows. I love the way you can see the abbey standing above the other buildings.

Melk Abbey clock

2009-05-06T22:00:00.000+02:00

I think the last time I visited the abbey at Melk this clock was covered by scaffolding. I'm not sure what the painting represents, but I find it intriguing. I love the yellow color of this building.

Stift Melk / Melk Abbey

2009-05-05T22:00:00.000+02:00

The day before my family left we took a day trip to see some of the surrounding area. Our first stop was Melk where we had a nice walk through town, a delicious meal and briefly visited the abbey shown above. We didn't have a lot of time (and were lacking energy by this point in the trip), so we didn't tour the abbey.

Sphinx

2009-05-04T20:00:00.000+02:00

This sphinx is located across from the front of Schönbrunn Palace -- not to be confused with the better known sphinx of Belvedere Palace.

Gloriette at Schönbrunn

2009-05-01T20:00:00.000+02:00

I told my family that we were going to walk up to the Gloriette at Schönbrunn this year, but we were so tired and hungry by the time we got around to it I let them off the hook. This is a view of the fountain and the Gloriette from the Schönbrunn gardens.

Schönbrunn Palace

2009-04-29T20:00:00.000+02:00

Here's where the wide angle lens comes in handy. With my old camera, I would have had to back up quite a bit more to fit the whole building in frame. Yes, I'm that lazy. Actually, I took another shot from further back, but I like this one better. I like the way it makes the walls look like they are tilted inwards.

Schönbrunn clock

2009-04-27T20:00:00.000+02:00

My parents brought me a new camera a few weeks ago when they visited (a belated Christmas gift). I have been thinking about getting a digital SLR for a couple of years, but when it came down to it I knew I would get much more use out of a point-and-shoot. I decided on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4S mainly because of the 10x zoom with wide angle lens.

I've been quite pleased with it so far. The 10x zoom allowed me to get a nice photo of this statue of the double-headed eagle and a linear clock.

Nike and the Parliament building

2009-04-24T20:00:00.000+02:00

This is one of the eight bronze quadrigas that sit atop the Parliament in Vienna. It is driven by Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.

Mythical handle

2009-04-22T20:00:00.000+02:00

The elaborate nature of this door handle at the military museum caught me off guard and I had to snap a photo -- even though I hadn't purchased a photo pass. It was in the lobby, so I figured it was okay. :) You'll never guess what behind the door with such an ornate handle. The bathroom.

P.S. Anyone know what this creature is called?

Museum of Military History (Heeresgeschichtliche Museum)

2009-04-20T20:00:00.000+02:00

My dad and brother-in-law spent an afternoon at the military history museum (Heeresgeschichtliche Museum) while my sister and I ran some errands. We met them back at the museum where I snapped this photo out front.

Entrance to Stadtpark u-bahn station

2009-03-23T22:03:00.000+01:00

I love the old-fashioned style subway/u-bahn station. The station was originally built in 1899 as a train station. It was closed in 1918 and reopened in 1925 as a part of the city railway system (Wiener Stadtbahn). During the 1970s, the Stadtbahn was integrated into the u-bahn/subway system and became part of the U4 and U6 lines. Stadtpark station is part of the U4 line and is the only station on this line that remains mostly in it's original form.

Bookworms

2009-03-19T22:52:00.002+01:00

It's not unusual to see someone reading a book or magazine on the subway, but I've never noticed this before. I thought it was strange that this woman was holding her children so closely and then I saw that she was reading to them. When the seat across from them became available, I decided to sit down and snap a photo. I already had my camera in my hand and hopefully I looked like I was browsing the photos. I can't decide if this kid knew I was taking a photo or was just interested in the camera.

Demolished

2008-11-14T22:00:00.000+01:00

I've seen this sort of thing several times and it always surprises me. That empty lot in the foreground used to be a building -- a building that was attached to the building that is still standing. Is this a strange thing, to tear down only part of a building?

No schnauzer allowed

2008-11-12T22:00:00.000+01:00

Today's post is dedicated to my favorite schnauzer owners -- you know who you are. :)

It's not uncommon for people to take their dogs practically everywhere with them. It's also not uncommon to see signs posted to tell you that your dog is not allowed in a certain area. However, what is uncommon is to see a sign with such a distinctive looking breed of dog. Most signs look like this:

It's kosher

2008-11-10T22:00:00.000+01:00

Food shopping is a little different here than in the States. I have a large supermarket practically across the street from my apartment and that's where I do most of my shopping. (It's large by Austrian standards, but certainly not something like a super center.) But sometimes I head over to this shop to buy items that you don't typically find in European grocery stores. Items like a normal size jar of peanut butter, pancake syrup, boxes of baking soda, American-style mustard, and vanilla extract. Last week when I was there I also noticed kettle corn and chocolate chips. And the items are exorbitantly priced -- well, no more than food products anywhere else. I don't know why a kosher store carries these products and a regular store doesn't, but I'm glad to know it's available.

Mariahilferkirche

2008-11-06T22:00:00.000+01:00

There are so many churches and cathedrals in Vienna. I've walked past this one on Mariahilferstrasse many times, but haven't been inside yet.

Can't wait

2008-11-04T22:00:00.001+01:00

Ah, fall. It's the perfect season. This is the view from our apartment. And yes, there is a guy peeing on the wall. When I spotted him, I knew I needed a photo. I was sure that by the time I went to the other room, found my camera and got back to the window, he would be finished. But he wasn't. Apparently, he really had to go.

Waiting

2008-11-03T22:00:00.001+01:00

It's nice to ride the bus in the fall. It's not hot and stinky like in the summer and you don't have to stand and wait in the bitter cold like in the winter.

another sunset

2008-10-23T22:00:00.000+02:00

I don't know if I'll ever get tired of the view from our balcony. Especially as the sun is setting.

Kleines Café

2008-10-22T22:00:00.001+02:00

Brian and I haven't visited this cafe, but I think we should make a point of stopping there. This is how Lonely Planet describes it:

Designed by architect Hermann Czech in the 1970s, the Kleines Café exudes a bohemian atmosphere reminiscent of Vienna's heady Jugendstil days. It's tiny inside, but the wonderful summer outdoor seating on Franziskanerplatz is arguably the best in the Innere Stadt.

It sounds like just our kind of place, don't you think?

Fog on the Danube

2008-10-21T22:00:00.000+02:00

It's been really foggy here lately -- and not just in the morning. This photo of the Danube River was taken around noon. Here's the same view on a sunny day: New Blue Danube.

On the beaten path

2008-10-20T22:00:00.000+02:00

I was hoping for more reds and oranges. Still, it was a nice walk.

Taking a short break

2008-10-15T00:14:00.001+02:00

My schedule is a little crazy this week and I think I may be running out of photos. So I'm taking a break. Hopefully we'll be back to regular programming next week, so check back on Monday.

Austrian village

2008-10-10T22:00:00.001+02:00

This is a photo of the village from the balcony of the hotel where the retreat was located. It was taken early in the morning as the fog was rising.

Milk princess

2008-10-09T22:00:00.002+02:00

Several of the cows where wearing flowers on their head on Monday when they came down from the mountains. One cow had on much larger head gear, but she refused to pose for a photo. Someone told me that she was the milk queen -- the cow that had produced the most milk over the past year. So I thought perhaps this cow was the milk princess.

Men in tights

2008-10-08T22:00:00.001+02:00

Well, not really tights, but lederhosen. I couldn't resist a photo and these two were more than happy to comply when I asked nicely. In fact, the guy on the left borrowed someone's hat to get a more traditional look. I thought they just dressed like this for the festival, but I continued to see guys in leather pants throughout the week.

Filzmooser band

2008-10-07T22:00:00.000+02:00

Last Monday, the village had a big celebration where they brought the cows down from the mountain for the winter. I missed the arrival of the cows, but I got to see the band play for a while.

Room with a view

2008-10-06T22:00:00.000+02:00

I spent last week at women's retreat with other women from churches in Germany and Austria. It was a great week and a beautiful location. This is the view from the balcony of my hotel room. The mountain is called Bischofsmütze (or Bishop's Mitre) because it looks like a Bishop's hat.

Fernwärme Wien

2008-10-03T22:00:00.000+02:00

And yet another view of Fernwärme Wien. This is the last one.

Fernwärme Wien

2008-10-02T22:00:00.002+02:00

This is another view of Fernwärme Wien.

Lennon Wall

2008-10-01T22:00:00.001+02:00

Just one more shot of the wall. This message is hard to miss.

Lennon Wall

2008-09-30T22:00:00.002+02:00

While we're talking about the trip to Prague, let's take a look at Lennon Wall. It use to actually mean something, but it's become somewhat of a tourist stop since communism fell. It's still worth a visit. It may look like a big mess from this far back, but there are some interesting scrawlings there.

Departure board

2008-09-29T22:00:00.000+02:00

Last year Brian and I made a short trip to Prague and I just loved the arrival/departure boards at the train station. The sound of the little tiles flipping around every time the information changed was quite nice.

I decided this photo would be good for today because I'm departing for about a week. But don't worry, I have photos lined up for the rest of the week. And I hope to have some lovely photos from other parts of Austria when I return.

Winter sunset

2008-09-26T22:00:00.000+02:00

This is another photo taken from the balcony. I never get tired of the view. The needle sticking up on the left is Donauturm (Danube Tower). And I think the thing sticking up on the right is the tallest apartment building in Vienna, but I'm not sure.

Photo taken January 20, 2008.

Street musicians

2008-09-25T22:00:00.002+02:00

Like yesterday's photo, this one was taken shortly after we arrived to Vienna. In fact, it was our first day in this fair land. After finding the place we would live for the next month and probably after taking a nap, we headed downtown to check out the scene and grab dinner at Pizza Bizi.

Donaufelderkirche

2008-09-24T22:00:00.003+02:00

I was looking through some old photos the other day and ran across this one. It was taken on July 12th of last year -- less than two weeks after we arrived in Vienna. Donaufelderkirche is the third tallest church in Vienna and it's located just down the street from where Brian and I stayed our first month in Vienna. I still like to look for it any time I'm looking over the city -- from the Riesenrad, Donauturm, or any other place we take visitors to see the city view.

Doggie bag

2008-09-23T22:00:00.000+02:00

I never could get at a good angle to snap this shot, but it was so cute I had to share it anyway. No, I'm not talking about the guy wearing white socks and sandals. I'm talking about that cute little dog carrying a shopping bag in his mouth. I followed this pair for a block or two (I was going the same direction) and there was one thing I could tell for sure -- the dog was quite pleased with his purchase. And, just in case you're wondering, I was standing across the street when I shot this photo, so I don't think I looked like a total stalker.

Haas-Haus

2008-09-22T22:00:00.000+02:00

The Haas-Haus is a postmodernistic style building (whatever that means -- thanks Wiki) that was completed in 1990. There are other modern buildings in Vienna, but this one gets a lot of attention because it stands in such strong contrast to Stephansdom, which is located almost directly across from it.

Stephansdom's south tower

2008-09-19T22:00:00.000+02:00

The south tower is 445 feet high and took over 65 years to build, from 1368 to 1433. And it's probably been under renovation ever since that time. (I'm being a little sarcastic here, but it does seem like it requires a lot of upkeep.) For a small fee, you can climb the 343 steps to the lookout point. It's supposed to be a nice view, but the view is "somewhat restricted" according to the cathedral's website due to renovation.

Stephansdom at night

2008-09-18T22:00:00.001+02:00

It's worth taking a trip into the inner city after dark to view Stephansdom. On the left edge of this photo is Haas-Haus, a modern building that stands in start contrast to the architecture of Stephansdom.

Double-headed eagle mosaic

2008-09-17T22:00:00.000+02:00

This is another section of Stephansdom's roof. You can see how the city has grown up next to the cathedral. This photo was taken a block away from Stephansdom -- the buildings on the left and right are not part of the cathedral, but rather offices and shops that line this side street. The double-headed eagle depicted in the mosaic is the symbol of the Hapsburg dynasty.

Stephansdom

2008-09-16T22:00:00.000+02:00

This is just a small portion of the side of Stephansdom. One of the most famous aspects of the cathedral is the roof, which is covered in 230,000 glazed tiles.

Stephansdom replica

2008-09-15T22:00:00.002+02:00

I haven't posted a lot of photos of Stephansdom. But it's not because I don't like it or haven't taken many photos of it. It's because you can't really capture the grandeur of the cathedral in a photo. The city has grown up so close around it, it's impossible to get a photo of the entire building. Situated next to Stephansdom is this small replica of the cathedral. Over the next few days, I'll post photos of Stephansdom from different angles.

Tichy Eissalon

2008-09-12T22:00:00.003+02:00

When I ask people in Vienna about their favorite eissalon (ice cream parlor), Tichy is almost always mentioned. Sometimes the statement is along the lines of, "People say Tichy is the best, but I prefer...", but often it's named as one of the top three eissalons in Vienna. I visited Tichy once several years ago and didn't think it was any better than some of the other eissalons I had visited. However, I'm pretty sure they had ice cream parlor chairs there and I haven't seen ice cream parlor chairs at any other eissalon. I'll have to go inside and check it out the next time I'm in the neighborhood (which is a long ways from my neighborhood). Maybe I'll try their ice cream as well. Like most eissalons, Tichy closes sometime during the fall and doesn't reopen until spring.

Windmills

2008-09-11T22:00:00.000+02:00

From the window in our living room you can see a large windmill farm off in the distance. The view from our window doesn't look nearly as nice as these two windmills which are part of one of several farms we spotted while driving to Melk last July.

Gloriette

2008-09-10T22:00:00.000+02:00

This is a view of the Gloriette from which I took the photo posted yesterday.

Schloss Schönbrunn

2008-09-09T22:00:00.000+02:00

Schönbrunn Palace is one of the major tourist attractions. In addition to the palace, there are several gardens, a huge maze made out of hedges, the Vienna Zoo and a great view of the city. This photo was taken from the Gloriette, a pavilion located on a hill behind the palace.

Egyptian god Anubis

2008-09-08T22:00:00.000+02:00

This photo was taken a few months ago during Eurocup. That's why this statue of the Egyptian god Anubis is wearing a soccer jersey. There was an older man taking a photo of his wife standing in front of this statue and I was just milling around waiting for them to move out of the way. So he asked (or I offered, can't remember) if I could take of photo of both him and his wife, then he insisted on taking one of me and Brian. He took a couple of photos -- I think this was his artistic rendition since it's tilted. I think he enjoyed being able to see the results right away on the digital camera because he was still using a 35mm film camera.

After the photo shoot, we spoke for a few minutes. He asked where we were from and whether we were visiting or living in Vienna. He told us their names and that he was from the former Czecheslovakia and his wife was from Austria. He was quite impressed with my German and said to his wife, "Listen to her German, she doesn't even speak with an accent." To which his wife replied, "She has an accent." Oh well, at least other non-native German speakers think my German sounds nice.

Pestsaule statue

2008-09-04T22:00:00.000+02:00

This is another statue to plague victims. The statue in the center of Graben Square near Stephansplatz memorializes the citizens of Vienna who died of the bubonic plague during the late 1600s. Between 75,000 and 150,000 residents of Vienna died during the plague and this area of the city was used as a mass grave.

Votivkirche

2008-09-02T22:00:00.001+02:00

Votivkirche is probably my favorite cathedral in Vienna. Sometimes I wonder if there will ever be a time when half of it's not covered by scaffolding. You can't tell in this photo, but most of the building is white. The part that is covered is still being cleaned. And the roof is being restored on the right and back side. If you google Votivkirche, you'll find some interesting photos like this one that show the building without scaffolding. The white part has been cleaned and the gray part was still awaiting cleaning. The photo was probably taken in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

Segway city tour

2008-09-01T22:00:00.000+02:00

There are a lot of options for city tours: walking tours, bicycle tours, bus and carriage tours. But the most modern method has to be the Segway tour. It seems like a lot of fun, but I'd be afraid of falling off!

Holy Trinity Column - Koszeg, Hungary

2008-08-29T22:00:00.000+02:00

This column which stands in front of the Church of Jesus' Heart was built to memorialize the 600 people who died during the plague following Rákóczi’s War for Independence (1703-1711). The column was completed in 1713.

Read more about Holy Trinity Column here.

Placed by the Gideons

2008-08-28T22:00:00.000+02:00

I'm never surprised to see a Gideons' Bible in a hotel room in the U.S., but they're not as common in Europe. Koszeg is located about 2 or 3 miles from the Austrian/Hungarian border, so it makes sense that the Gideons would leave a Hungarian/German/English Bible.

Looking over Koszeg

2008-08-27T22:00:00.001+02:00

Earlier in the week Hungary celebrated a national holiday, so there were a lot of people taking advantage of the long weekend. Fortunately, the people we were visiting were able to find us a hotel for the night. Apparently it was one of the last available rooms in the city. Our tiny room was part of a finished attic with two beds pushed under the slant of the roof. It was actually quite cozy. We had one window which was located on the sloping ceiling, so our view was the rooftops of Koszeg.

Jurisich Castle - Koszeg, Hungary

2008-08-26T22:00:00.001+02:00

Jurisich Castle is located in the north-west part of the city. This section just happens to be located right outside the restaurant where we ate lunch.

You can read more about Jurisich Castle and the city of Koszeg here.

Church of Jesus' Heart - Koszeg, Hungary

2008-08-25T22:00:00.000+02:00

Over the weekend we visited Koszeg, Hungary, a small town in Hungary. The town is referred to as Hungary's Jewel Box because it is one of the most attractive towns in Hungary.

The Church of Jesus' Heart, also called Sacred Heart Church, was designed by a Viennese architect and completed in 1894. During our visit, we saw two weddings take place at this church.

On hold

2008-08-22T12:39:00.002+02:00

You may have noticed that I've been absent all week. Or maybe you haven't. I'm not going to fool myself into believing that there are people out there anxiously awaiting my next post. I may be a little vain at times, but come on.

I plan on being back next week with a vengeance. Or at least with some photos. So stay tuned.

Neue Donau

2008-08-15T22:00:00.000+02:00

This is a shot of the Neue Donau, or New Danube. On the left is a man-made island called Donauinsel (Danube Island), which is basically just a big recreational area. I think you can walk across the bridge when it's connected like this, but the bridge is made of up 4 sections and can be rotated to help control the flow of water. I'm not sure how it works, but I think it's used to help prevent flooding.

Where do you come from?

2008-08-14T22:00:00.000+02:00

When I first saw this, I thought she came from the future. But then I realized the date was 2007 followed by a smiley face and not 2070.

Fountain at Melk Abbey

2008-08-13T22:00:00.000+02:00

We weren't able to tour the abbey because we had Sharkdog with us, but Rhonda and I walked through the courtyard where we found this nice fountain with what we think were koi fish.

Melk Abbey

2008-08-12T22:00:00.000+02:00

Melk Abbey is a Benedictine abbey located in the Wachau Valley outside of Vienna.

The Last Supper

2008-08-11T22:00:00.001+02:00

I think you have to really see this in person to appreciate it. It's a mosaic of da Vinci's The Last Supper. This is what Wikipedia says about it:

There is a life-sized copy of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper on the church's northern wall. It is a mosaic made by the Roman mosaic artist Giacomo Raffaelli which was ordered by Napoleon I in 1809, but it was not finished before Napoleon's abdication. Francis II of Austria bought it, wanting to install it in the Belvedere in Vienna. As it was too large for the building, it was set up on the north wall of the church, where it remains to this day. The mosaic is 9.18 x 4.47 m and weight approximatively 20 tons. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoritenkirche,_Vienna)

If you look at the photo on Wikipedia, you can actually see some of the detail of the individual tiles.

Vienna sunset

2008-08-08T22:00:00.000+02:00

Another shot from Donauturm

2008-08-07T22:00:00.000+02:00

This is a view facing southwest shortly before sunset.

Church of St. Francis of Assisi

2008-08-06T22:00:00.000+02:00

Someone told us that this was the Russian Orthodox Church, but it turns out they were wrong. It's the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, also called the Jubilee Church because it was built to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Emperor Franz-Josef I.

This photo was also taken from the observation deck at Donauturm.

UNO-City

2008-08-05T22:00:00.000+02:00

This view of UNO-City, or Vienna International Center, was taken from Donauturm. Vienna is home to one of the world's four United Nations headquarters and many UN offices are located at UNO-City.

Donauturm

2008-08-04T22:00:00.000+02:00

The Donauturm, or Danube Tower, gives visitors a great view of Vienna. It's located in the 22nd District near the Danube River and has an observation deck, a rotating restaurant and a rotating cafe. See the thing sticking off on the left side? That's a bungee jumping platform.

Prater's devil

2008-08-01T22:00:00.000+02:00

This scary devil was sitting on top of the exterior of one of the Halloween themed rides. The Prater is not an amusement park for the faint of heart.

Prater attractions

2008-07-31T22:00:00.001+02:00

The two figures in the bottom right corner of the photo are more of those strange figures. In fact, I think these are the figures that were standing next to the odd creature in yesterday's photo. They seem to all belong to the attraction in the background with the huge clown head. This is a strange place.

Too much tv

2008-07-30T22:00:00.000+02:00

This is another one of the weird figures I don't know anything about. The tv screen displays "Blue Plant", which is the name of one of the attractions. But I haven't been able to find any connection between these figures and the attraction.

Big man, little man

2008-07-29T22:00:00.001+02:00

I haven't been able to find out anything about these guys, but I thought they looked pretty interesting.

Prater's Riesenrad

2008-07-28T22:00:00.000+02:00

Mozart Denkmal

2008-07-24T22:00:00.000+02:00

The Mozart monument (Mozart Denkmal) was erected in 1896 and moved to Burggarten in 1953.

Burggarten

2008-07-23T22:00:00.000+02:00

Dogs are not allowed in Burggarten, so Sharkdog and I had to stay outside the gate. We still got a pretty good view of the monument to Mozart.

Parliament building and fountain

2008-07-22T22:00:00.000+02:00

The Parliament building was built between 1873 and 1883. Greek architecture was chosen to pay honor to Greece as the birthplace of democracy. The huge fountain in front of the Parliament building was added in 1902. Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, stands at the top of the fountain.

Parliament fountain

2008-07-21T22:00:00.000+02:00

This is part of a massive fountain located in front of the parliament building.

Peter Altenberg at Cafe Central

2008-07-18T22:00:00.000+02:00

When you enter Cafe Central, you may notice a strange figure sitting at the front table. This is a life-size figure of Peter Altenburg, a famous Austrian poet, who frequented Cafe Central so often he had his mail delivered there.

Water fountain

2008-07-17T22:00:00.000+02:00

Drinking fountains are not very common in Europe. I read somewhere that there are no water drinking fountains in Vienna. And until yesterday, the only place I had seen a drinking fountain was in the U.S. Consulate office. So I was quite surprised when I realized this big thing in the middle of the walkway was a water fountain. This water fountain and 9 others were placed in the "fan zones" for EURO 2008 (the soccer tournament) held in Vienna last month. I hope the city keeps them around for good.

Gnomes

2008-07-16T22:00:00.001+02:00

Gnomes are quite popular here. So popular, in fact, that even gnomes collect gnomes.

The Lion of Aspern

2008-07-15T22:00:00.000+02:00

The Lion of Aspern is a large stone statue of a dying lion that commemorates the many Austrian soldiers and civilians who died during the Battle of Aspern-Essling fought on May 21 and May 22, 1809. Austrian forces were the first to defeat Napoleon's army in more than 10 years when they prevented Napoleon's attempt to cross the Danube River.

St. Martin's Church and the Lion of Aspern

2008-07-14T22:00:00.000+02:00

St. Martin's Church and the Lion of Aspern are located in Vienna's 22nd District. The stone lion commemorates the battle of Aspern-Essling fought on May 21 and May 22, 1809.

No, they are not

2008-07-09T20:28:00.002+02:00

Lo and behold, I spotted a new dog sign today. This one warns against a 36 euro fine for not picking up after your dog. You can't really see it, but on the right side it says, "Sind dir Wurst?" or "Are you sausages?"

Pick up the poo

2008-07-08T22:00:00.000+02:00

Last year, the city placed these signs all around to remind dog owners to pick up after their dogs. Apparently they're pretty popular because the signs started disappearing from the streets and showing up in yards. I still spot the signs occasionally in people's yards.

Karlskirche

2008-07-07T22:00:00.000+02:00

Karlskirche, or Church of St. Charles, is located in the 4th district of Vienna. It was commissioned by Emperor Charles VI after the Black Plague receded. The church was dedicated to Emperor Charles VI namesake, St. Charles Borromeo, who ministered to Milanese plague victims.

Photo taken March 20, 2008.

Stolen bike

2008-07-03T22:00:00.002+02:00

Please note: Securing the wheel of the bicycle to the bike rack does not prevent the bicycle from being stolen.

Photo taken by Brian on July 2, 2008.

Evil swan

2008-07-02T22:00:00.000+02:00

He may look nice, but just moments earlier he was hissing at us. Watch out for the swans.

Photo taken June 25, 2008.

Döner kebab

2008-07-01T22:00:00.000+02:00

Döner kebab is a Turkish sandwich of sorts. The meat -- which is usually lamb or chicken, but sometimes horse -- is cooked on a vertical spit. Stands selling döner kebabs are all over the city.

Photo taken June 23, 2008.

Euro 2008 soccer cleats

2008-06-30T22:00:00.000+02:00

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.

And the winner is...

2008-06-29T22:50:00.002+02:00

Spain won Euro 2008 and this lovely trophy to boot!

Sucession

2008-06-27T22:00:00.000+02:00

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.

dragon fruit

2008-06-26T22:00:00.002+02:00

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

Photo taken June 23, 2008.

Naschmarkt

2008-06-25T22:00:00.000+02:00

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.

Oh, and it can kill you, too

2008-06-24T22:00:00.000+02:00

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.

Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde

2008-06-23T22:00:00.000+02:00

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.

Purgatory

2008-06-20T22:00:00.000+02:00

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.

Fernwärme Wien

2008-06-19T22:00:00.000+02:00

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.

Jack and Coke

2008-06-18T22:00:00.000+02:00

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.

Flower boy

2008-06-17T22:00:00.000+02:00

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