Tuesday 14 June 2011

Life in the Slow Lane


Window with Rhododendron
Galerie Kandinsky

What are you looking for?
Kristian's Monasteri Restaurant
is tempting you!

This being an equal opportunity blog,
here the same scene again!

When you are done looking,
I would suggest to stop
for breakfast at Café Kandinsky.

Be forewarned:
Tables like this one are not uncommon,
here you run into a serious risk
of whiling away your whole morning!

Something like 101 different varieties
of Staud's heavenly-tasting Konfitüren jams
lie in wait for you - the sweet beginnings of more such
slow food for a leisurely breakfast.

I have yet to find out
why in the world anybody would think
that "Slow Food" was invented in Italy!

Italy of all places is where they
have "bars" where they scan your coffee-IQ
- that secret code trasmitted
instantly to the automatic coffee maker
when your shadow slinks through the door frame,
before you are greated with
"Bon giorno, Sua Eccellenza!" -
all meant to expedite your stay at the counter
down to mere seconds!

"Slow Food"
was not "invented" in Vienna either,
there simply was no need to,
Viennese meals
are by definition
a celebration of slowness

in the best sense of the word:
taking more time than is usual or necessary,
not moving too quickly,
but proceeding at a low leisurely speed pace!
(That old saying about
"words not hurting"
does not always apply,
especially not in Vienna,
where "fast" and "speed" should be used
with the utmost care only -
they are best left to traffic reporters
and disk jockeys
!)

Photographed by Merisi
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Lerchenfelder Strasse to
Neubaugasse Durchhaus *)
7th District
(Neubau)

*) Durchhaus: Austrian for a passage way
through one or more buildings
-
The Lerchenfelder Durchhaus
cuts through a whole city block.

View of the Durchhaus
from the entrance
at Lerchenfelder Strasse
Don't forget your bike!

*

Photographed
and first published
May 2009

Images and Text
© by Merisi

15 comments:

  1. OMG! What a great surprise! I've lived there, in an apartment at stiege 2 of that Durchhaus, for two weeks last winter. Best time of my life, in Vienna... Thank you for taking me there today!!!

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  2. So bright, clean and happy.

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  3. Lady Titanio,
    it is such a lovely place, I can imagine that you enjoyed living there!

    Tess Kincaid,
    I agree, I love walking through there! :-)

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  4. Merisi, your Government should put you on their tourism payroll, because you do such a fantastic job at promoting such a beautiful country. After viewing these photos, I'm dying to visit! All the best :)

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  5. Anonymous14 June, 2011

    That restaurant (Kristian's Monasteri) is really tempting with its natural pergola... playing light-and-shade through your eye/lens !

    I can imagine myself right there having breakfast or "waltzing slowly"
    with my husband in the evening...
    Marie-Noëlle

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  6. Azra,
    merci!
    I am afraid they would not be too happy about an outsider intruding on their turf! ;-)
    It makes me happy, though, to hear you say that. Happy for all those kind Viennese, from all walks of life, many of different countries of origin, who have welcomed me with open arms and kindness and helped so much making me feel at home here.

    Marie-Noëlle,
    you should take your husband to Vienna! ;-)

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  7. I´ve been living in this district for almost 2 years and walked often by this passage. It has so much atmosphere! In summer absolute lovely :)
    I like the play of shadows on the road!

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  8. mon dieu!!
    101 different varieties of JAM!
    OH NO!!
    Has the night train to Vienna left yet?
    NY -> Vienna VITE!!

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  9. In another life, I shall meander through the cafes of Vienna and sit for hours with my elbows on the table.

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  10. Such serene, timelessly beautiful photos.
    Thank you, once again.
    I love the encroaching light, in the last picture.

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  11. Looking again..the light is very different in Veinna...very leger
    This must be the best time of year to visit..?

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  12. Thank you all! :-)

    Carol,
    it may well be, but then, blue skies regale even in winter the city with brilliant light.

    Meanwhile, with sun is shining and I am ensconced behind the desk, hammering away at the keyboard .... so much to do, so little time left ... I shall have to pull a few all-nighters ..... *sigh*

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  13. ahhh! This is what I miss the most about Vienna! That air of leisure that simply permeates the city--it's contagious and practically impossible to not slow down in Vienna. You just have to stop in wonder of all this city has to offer! These pictures are beautiful. Thanks for keeping Vienna a real place for me, it feels like so long ago I was actually there.

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  14. I think I could spend a week in Vienna just visiting the coffee shops.

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