Another random collection of observations on living in Austria.
"Tante Fanny" is my grocery market heroine. Fresh prepared doughs (pizza dough! puff pastry! olive oil dough!) for all of my quick flatbread, pizza, and handpie dinner creations. Ich liebe dich, Tante Fanny!
Houses and buildings damaged during WWII bear a plaque reflecting their reconstruction, and the name of the Chancellor under whom the reconstruction occurred.
Places like this 110 year-old Tirolean Gasthaus, tucked inside a palace garden, quietly sit at the ready to serve traditional Austrian fare whenever you're of the mind.
...and some have fanciful sundials.
Erroneous reporting by both Viennese and British papers that kissing on Vienna's public transportation would subject the amorous canoodlers to a fine had everyone spun up for a few days here. All is well, I am happy to report. While commuters don't appreciate loud music from earbuds and stinky takeaway lunches (who can blame them for that, really?), the sanctity of smooching is safe.
Finally, on matters near and dear, the American School recently made official their pets-on-campus policy. We checked with Clayton Theodore, and while he's not too keen on attending French I with Anna Grace or IB Biology with Jack, he thinks he can manage "Lunch" just fine.
Wow, Victoria. you've really got a fine observing eye. All these buildings of the
ReplyDelete50's and 60's can be defined by your definite words as "dull, drab and utilitarian".
There was a stipulated percentage of budget to veil the architectonical poverty
of these constructions, which was called "Kunst am Bau"-never bevore or after
mosaics were that predominant in the arts here. But there's one other thing:
Vienna today seems to be a very well preserved city as it's architecture is concerned, but in 1945, 25% of homes were completely destroyed and another 25% were severely damaged by the impact of WW II. So the priority was to build as quickly as possible, without any qualms about style or artisitic quality whatsoever.
You know Karl-Marx-Hof - look at the Gemeindebauten just in front, and you'll
know immediately what I mean. All this was built with Marshall-plan money, and
my generation ( 1956) is forever thankful to the U.S. to provide us that second chance. We, as a nation, didn't deserve it, but we got it. I think,even with all the
political spasms we're having today, we didn't miss it. Thank you.
Reo, thank you ever so much for filling in some of the details. Every day that I am out and about, wandering this pretty city, I arrive home with more questions to ponder. One of which, if I may impose upon you, is to learn more about how the social housing buildings were named? Is there reference material that you can point me to? Thank you, Victoria.
DeleteHello, Victoria, there is information about that matter , but not in english.
DeleteThere's one new encyclopidea about the communal housing program, all
details concerned, even the naming of the buildings, /www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20130913_OTS0083/aviso-buchpraesentation-lexikon-der-wiener-gemeindebauten-namen-denkmaeler-sehenswuerdigkeiten-mit-str-ludwig,but it's german language
only.
The heroic period( 1920-1934) had a double standard: toponyms ( Sandleiten, Rabenhof etc.) and socialist heroes: Marx, Engels, LaSalle,
Victor Adler etc. After the war, more socialist heros, but of local provenience, Stella Klein-Löw for example, who suffered many years in nazi-camps. But even non-socialist people like Theodor Herzl!
Did you know that there is one George-Washington-Hof in the 10th
district? ( Near Spinnerin am Kreuz).The american revolution had a deep impact on Europe, many seem to have forgotten it, and it wasn't only France.
Kind regards
reo
reo, that's alot of German for me to parse. I may just look for the book at the library, though, because my curiosity is piqued. :) Thank you!
DeleteTante Fanny will be on my list for my next grocery run! Been wanting to make a few things, but didn't want the mess that came with making the dough! Thanks for the tip! And as always, you take great pictures!
ReplyDeleteI can understand that! Sometimes I'm not in the mood to pull out the transformer for my stand mixer, either. Tante Fanny to the rescue!
DeleteGlad that you like the photos. I'm pretty sure it's the camera, not I. :)