Thursday 12 July 2012

Summer in the City
Looking for Cool Shade
in the Gardens of Augarten Palace


The Baroque Façade
of the Augarten Palace

The chestnut tree-lined road, the palace with
the Viennese Porcelain Manufactury
all are well and good,
but not what you are lusting after
on a hot early summer's day?

You take one last peak over the garden wall,
back into the city,
but your senses are already being transported
back to the Late Miocene,
your brain busy deciphering the song
of the honey bees working the sage flowers.

Looking at the abundance of flowers around here,
you begin to understand why honey bees
refused to cross the Rocky Mountains
on their own!

With so much bounty right at home,
I too, like the bees,
would have to be carried west by ship
- slaves to a honey craving New World -
preceding the Governator to California
by one hundred and fifty years!

One more wall
to find the gate leading us
into the gardens,

where we can wave good-bye
to the world outside

for a few precious moments,
our feet hurrying along
under the protective cover
of row upon row of trees

to where shady respite
is offered
not only to bicycles,

but to men
as well!

Wo/men too!

A park bench
invites to sit and
take off your shoes,
open the paper
and read about what you
do not miss,
here, in paradise!

Lass die Seele baumeln!
Take a break from life!

For once, pretend
to be the world's
greatest sluggard,

take being a loafer
to the heights of art
where it deserves to be!

Let your mind
do the wandering,

into
sun-stroked
green infinity!


Photographed by Merisi during lunch hour
around Palais Augarten on Wednesday, May 20, 2009.
First published May 2009
Images and Text © Merisi

17 comments:

  1. Sooo lovely and relaxing! Pure summer goodness!

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  2. And the bees are so much more useful than Arnold.

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  3. Lovely gardens, lovely, posies, lovely pathways, lovely buildings, lovely people, makes for a lovely post~

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  4. What a lovely place, Merisi! It was relaxing even just looking at photos of it. Thanks for sharing these delightful photos.

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  5. Dreaming of a shady hammock...

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  6. Thank you all for taking the time and leaving such kind comments! I appreciate them immensely, especially since I feel a bit wistful about the the whole blogging thing and, consequently, uninspired, treading in place, always the same old pictures, I say.

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  7. I have been to Vienna only once and remember quickly the lush green spaces everywhere. Your photos are lovely and whisk us away to beautiful places.

    Bises,
    Genie

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  8. Thank you, Genie!
    Vienna has indeed an abundance of green spaces.

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  9. A wonderful wander! Your reposts are always welcome.

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  10. O M G!!!
    it looks absolutely heavenly there..
    so serene...
    The GREENS! divine

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    Replies
    1. All those green spaces is definitely one of the big plusses here in Vienna!

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  11. Anonymous13 July, 2012

    You're making me very envious as our summer here, in and round Paris, is grim, grey and ... WET !!!
    - OR are we in autumn yet ?!? ... I just wonder !!!
    Marie-Noëlle

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    Replies
    1. Today, it is raining in Vienna. We had weeks of splendid summer day, so I don't complain.

      Wishing you many wonderful summer days,
      Merisi

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  12. A wonderful wander! Love specially the chestnut tree-lined road!

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  13. You made me smile following your camera in the park :) ! Am one of those to whom loafing and mind-wandering do not come easily . . . but could imagine myself in your footsteps . . . [Oh, beautiful Google image for Klimt's 150th today: also made me think of your posts!

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  14. This has set me to dreaming...thanks for the journey!

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