Keepin' it clean

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.