Saturday 13 October 2007

Walk With Me: Café Central to Café de l'Europe


2.34 pm
Café Central
Fin de Siècle Melange
Palais Ferstel
Herrengasse 14

3.48 pm
Xocolat
Palais Ferstel Passageway
Herrengasse to Freyung

4.39 pm
Victoria Textile Design
Berggasse 21/Porzellangasse
9th District

4.42 pm
Das Rebhuhn
Berggasse 24
9th District

5.00 pm
Porzellangase/Servitengasse

4.49 pm
Parting for the weekend
Servitengasse
9th District

4.55 pm
Chair
Servitengasse
9th District

5.17 pm
Bike at Strudlhof Steps
9th District

5.38 pm
Café Roth
Währinger Strasse 1
Rooseveltplatz
9th District

5.42 pm
Schottenring
9th District

5.56 pm
Organic Farmers' Market
Freyung

6.09pm
Fiaker
Graben

6.13 pm
Demel's Pâtisserie
One last sweet morsel
Kohlmarkt

6.42 pm
Café de l'Europe
Happy Hour
Graben 31

Café Central to Café de l'Europe
Café Central and de l'Europe
are only a five minutes' walk from each other.
That's too close,
isn't it?
So you decide to walk a loop,
turning in the "wrong" direction,
strolling toward the Ninth District,
along Teinfaltgasse,
climbing the heights of the Mölker Steig
(waving to Beethoven on your way),
crossing Schottenring,
following Währinger Strasse,
turning right on Hörlgasse,
right again on Berggasse
(looking up to Dr. Freud's apartment
as you you pass Berggasse ),
dive into Victoria Textile Design's
fill your head with fabric dreams,
look up at the beautiful buildings
on Porzellangasse,
browse in the little shops at Servitengasse,
feast your eyes on their eclectic wares,
and your other senses on the heavenly
fragrances wafting out from
the restaurants there.
Act surprised, when the Liechtenstein Palais's
gates are already closed for the day,
but march on along Fürstengasse to finally
reach the bottom of the Strudlhof Steps.
You pause a moment,
you have to,
to smell the leaves lying on the stone stairs,
and then
read the poem on the stone plaque:

When the leaves upon the steps are lying
from the old stairs is heard an autumn sighing
of all that's gone across them in the past
... *)

You take the first step,
hesitate,
look back at the
Liechtenstein Palace,
then conquer step by beautiful step
the hill that brings you
up to Strudlhofgasse,
turn left into Währingsstrasse,
march all the way back to Schottenring,
past the Votivkirche,
leaving Mölker Steig to your left,
reaching Schottenstift,
the Freyung,
merryment still goíng on there
(the Farmers' Market also includes
the vintners and their wine!),
you enter Naglergasse to your right,
glance at the Biedermeier houses,
exit at Graben,
pass the palm trees
and there, right in front of you,
to your left,
Café de l'Europe.

*)"On the Strudlhof Steps of Vienna"
By Heimito von Doderer,
poem from his novel "Strudlhofstiege",
translated by Vincent Kling
target="_blank">Click here,
to read more.

21 comments:

  1. I just did a post on a "walk with me" too.
    Then I came here.
    Now, I feel inadequate!!

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  2. Beautiful photos! I especially like the fabric photo. I love fabric, all kinds of it, and have too much of it here at home. I have great visions of sewing on my sewing machine, yet never seem to make anything!

    I love the photo of the bike with that background, it's gorgeous. I really enjoy your blog and all your photos.

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  3. It is always an absolute delight to visit with you merisi. The instinctive eye you have for a frame leaves me envious and awed.

    However - fess up - you are 800lbs, aren't you? No one could patronise so many cafe's and induldge in so many delights without the devil exacting his price! (Moi, jealous? Why of course not..)

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  4. Oh what lovely walk. My favortie is of course the first picture at the cafe of the 'melange'. Hmmm, I wonder why ;)

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  5. Honey, I would have to spend more than five minutes in that textiles store! Great photos.

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  6. freefalling:
    Oh no, you must be kidding! :-)
    I enjoyed your walk greatly!

    Melissa:
    Thank you for your kind words,
    I really appreciate them.
    Your fabric and sewing machine relationship sounds like mine. I gave away boxes of fabric before I moved to Vienna, it was as if getting rid of a different me. I have made curtains and all the kids' Halloween costumes, some dresses and bedding and little quilt for my girls' dolls, but a lot more of my projects were only dreams never realized. I have bought 2 or 3 pieces of great fabric remnants here in Vienna, though, for the odd moment of inspiration. :-)

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  7. shrink wrapped scream:
    Thank you so much for your sweet compliments. I treasure them.
    As to the conundrum of sweet delights and power of calories,
    I had a bowl of lentil and spelt stew with a small glass of red wine for lunch, the melange in the picture, that little chocolate that came with the coffee, and a whole grain roll with ham, tomatoes and cucumber slices for dinner. Oh well, truth be told, I couldn't resist the sample of dark chocolate, a cocoa powdered almond and a caramelized wasabi root or something along that line at Xocolat. Deduct from this almost five hours of walking. 799 lbs, what do you think? :-)

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  8. My Melange:
    Are you surprised when I confess that instead of coffee, I am now thinking of you when I hear the word "Melange". ;-)

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  9. Paris Parfait:
    Oh yes, I second that feeling!
    Trouble is, my American Express keeps pulling me toward the exit! :-)

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  10. Oh! That textile shop! Heaven...

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  11. Your walks are so cosmopolitan when contrasted against my rustic hikes. It is great that you allow us to live vicariously through your lens.

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  12. You had a long day in this beautiful city. The froth on the coffee - to spoon down the froth before the delicious taste of the coffee - heaven.
    Those figs in the market would have gone down very well with them too. Fun tours.

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  13. pg:
    Oh yes, that fabric store! Can't wait to go back there with a little bit more time on my hands. ;-)

    c'est moi:
    I was thinking of you, how one adapts to one's environment or if and how one chosen where to live. I was quite happy growing up in a tiny hamlet, having parents who nurtured my curiosity was all I needed then.

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  14. Barbara:
    I must confess, I savour every moment in this city.

    I do save the milkfoam for last, though, eating the froth impregnated by the fragrance of coffee by little spoonfuls. ;-)

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  15. I so enjoy your "walks." They tend to have a cafe stop and are always lovely. Someday I hope to actually do come of these "walks" through Vienna. Thanks for sharing the visuals until I can get there ;)

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  16. Beautiful. I could stay in that chocolate shop, in photo, above nearly all day, but for the other temptations of Vienna. I would come home 3 stone heavier from all the food, hot chocoalte, wine and good living... a walk would definately be required.

    What a divine city. Sigh! (again!)

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  17. Love this photo, the angle.
    Porzellangase/Servitengasse.
    Love it.

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  18. HEXE:
    I hope you don't get too tired walking along my side. :-)

    ELIZABETH:
    The Xocolat shop is a chocoholic's heaven! The visuals are great and the fragrance there, oh my, they pull you in and your wallet out.
    ;-)

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  19. CIPRIANO:
    I shot it from under a flower pot hanging from a lamp post (the pot, not me), standing right in front of that gorgious fabric shop.

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  20. Love your "6.13 pm" photo.
    very nice to sit there and having a strong coffee.

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  21. Hi Ben,
    so nice to see you here!
    Can it get any better than a good cup of Mokka at that hour with this view? :-)

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