Friday 22 May 2009

Summer in the City


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!

A wonderful weekend
to you all!


*

Photographed by Merisi
during lunch hour
around Palais Augarten
on Wednesday, May 20, 2009.


40 comments:

  1. Most of the images will reveal the one or other "relaxing" piece of music - a little thank you for you, dear readers, your kindness and encouraging words.

    A wonderful weekend to all! :-)

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  2. How wonderful is that flower image? It made me catch my breath...it's the type of thing that I love so much. All the lovely buildings, walking areas...how lucky are you to be there!!! You always know just what to shoot...
    hugs
    Sandi

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  3. Beautiful the way you have captured the juxtaposition of 'ancient and modern' :-)

    I enjoyed the Roller-coaster ride too!

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  4. Hats off to anyone who brings their own hammock to this magic garden!

    Judith

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  5. that one person was so very clever hanging their hammock from the trees...perfect place to lay away the day:)
    beautiful series merisi. just beautiful!

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  6. Anonymous22 May, 2009

    O Merisi, O Merisi...wait for me.

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  7. I'm coming...I'm coming too!!!!! So, very beautiful...and I love the way your thoughts flow...you always bring such a fresh perspective to EVERYTHING...genius, really. Love this...love to you, my friend...and have a wonderful weekend...enjoy the cool, quiet, serene green. ~Janine XO

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  8. Sandi McBride,
    oh Sandi,
    there is simply such an abundance of places to shoo .... photograph, I shall never run out! :-)

    Wandring Star,
    thank you!

    I should have pointed out that the tower behind the wall, between the two baroque urns, belongs to the waste incinerating plant Spittelau (9th District), designed by the 21st Century artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

    The ugly square looking tower in the other wall picture is one of several air defense towers from WWII, which are not only ugly, but apparently undestructable too.


    Aren't the geniuses, the creators of the roller-coaster ride on music sheets?

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  9. Judith. ..de Santa Fe,
    there were at least a dozen people with their own hammocks, quite a sight. Made me want to buy one and spend the next lunch hours suspended between those trees! :-)

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  10. erin,
    thank you! :-)

    I am quite tempted to join the hammock dwellers. ;-)

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  11. Moannie,
    sure, I will!
    Will you bring your own hammock or should be rock in a double size?

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  12. Sniffles and Smiles,
    I better get organized for that grand picnic en plein air!
    Shall we start with a mint julep? ;-)

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  13. What a good idea, hammocks in a park! I would bring my own, too, along with a good book...

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  14. The portable purple hammock is my favorite!

    Some people here in California are ready to send the Governator back across the Rocky Mountains to the east, and even further east across the Atlantic! But we'll keep the bees, thank you...

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  15. Cheryl,
    you are my kind of girl! :-)

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  16. Sara,
    could well be that he would have to look for asylum outside of Austria - his speech at the GOP Congress some years ago, in which he told a tale of "having fled socialism" when in reality the conservative Party was ruling at the time, has not gone over too well in some circles here. ;-)

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  17. I think being a sluggard, or idler, or wonderer about nature is
    MUCH BETTER THAN WORKING
    thank you for a lovely relaxing afternoon in the hammock
    and the walk down the chestnut avenue.
    Happy weekend.

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  18. Merisi,
    I will bring my laptop to my mother's house so she can see these photos. I think they might make her smile. She always gets blue around her birthday.

    She was born in Wien and her birthday is on Tuesday.

    She will be 95.

    magpie

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  19. Elizabeth,
    it is all only a matter of interpretation, isn't it? ;-)

    Happy weekend to you too!

    magpie,
    the idea that I could make your mother smile gives me goosebumps! Happy birthday to her,
    from someone whose birthday is only three days apart from hers!

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  20. ah, now i can show her your wish as well! thank you and happy birthday!

    m

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  21. I love those long tree walks and the Sage flowers amongst all that Austrian beauty.

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  22. Oh Merisi, what nature of gorgeous blog do we have here?

    Your photographs are just stunning and so peaceful!

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  23. Anonymous23 May, 2009

    As summers should be spent! :)

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  24. Gorgeous images Merisi!
    Have a wonderful weekend :-)

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  25. Anonymous23 May, 2009

    Wonderful summer sights!

    Paz

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  26. So beautiful - all of it! Love your commentary, too!

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  27. Anonymous23 May, 2009

    Beautiful, beautiful! Oh how i wish I could see the places you photograph in real life some day. Happy weekend!

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  28. Ah, great photos...I would love to be sitting in the park, reading a book!

    Thank you for your fun/interesting/compelling thoughts...

    By the way, I will be looking for a Valentino this week! Love him too...

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  29. What a great tour through the gardens. I could almost hear the humming of the bees. It made me laugh to see even bicycles in the shade - here we're starved of sun just now!

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  30. Very nice photos on your blog! Thank you for visiting mine.
    Cheers

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  31. Nice post, excellent photos and creative too ; )

    Cheers!

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  32. Well...will you bring your own hammock next time ? this is such a fantastic idea ?
    have a great week end Merisi!

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  33. Oh, what a wonderful way to start my weekend! I love the hammock photos - so relaxing. enJOY your weekend!

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  34. This blog is always a feast for the eyes. Thanks for these stunners.

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  35. That clear blue sky is absolutely beautiful!

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  36. if this is the "city" well something is very wrong with my city :(
    Heavens!!!!
    trop Glorious

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  37. Guess I'm a day late...I wish you many returns of the day Merisi.

    Thank you for these gorgeous images that you share with us.

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  38. The photos with the hammock were wonderful. What a perfectly lazy way to read a book after a hard week at the office.

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