Christmas Rush in Vienna

Had you noticed - the streets and shopping centres are more crowded than normal in the afternoons? It will only get worse the next few days, so get used to it.

But by the evening of the 24th the bustle will be over. So get yourself prepared for it. The next three weeks are a challenge for the person in the household who has to do the shopping and food preparation.

All stores are, of course, closed for the Sundays (in 2008/9 21.12, 28/12. and 4.1) . There are also a number of public holidays (25.12, 26.12, 1.1, 6.1) and two days with shortened shopping hours (24.12, 31.12). Also, a lot of stores will close for a few days in there for 'inventory'. For the exact opening times of your favourite supermarkets, check the signs on the doors.

What this all adds up to is that you want to do a big shop on Monday or Tuesday. Save Wednesday for a small trip for the thnigs you really want fresh. Expect the stores to run out of things like milk and cream fairly early and to be overrun. The positive side of this is that tempers that have been getting shorter and shorter lately seem to have flipped on Christmas Eve. Everyone is wishing happy holidays, and seem to mean it. It wouldn't be Christmas without that last shop for me. Whatever you don't have by Wednesday afternoon has to wait for Saturday. By now a lot of people are out of Vienna, so although smaller shops might be closed, the big ones are back to more normal traffic.

A big shop on Monday or Tuesday in preparation for New Year's Eve is also in order. This time there will also be stands open everywhere with fireworks and good luck items. The rush on the 31st isn't as bad as on the 24th. After all, this time shops will already be open again on both Friday and Saturday. But don't forget that Tuesday is Epiphany, and that shops are closed again.

What are the special items that your Austrian neighbors are buying? Christmas Eve is a traditional fast day with feast character. So the big item is Carp for Christmas Eve. There is a lot of poultry available. Turkey, Goose, duck, are all on offer. New Year's Eve is also fish, more the smoked varieties. I love smoked eel, and usually only find it around now. For various informal type meals there are special sausages and liver pates. I love the one that has cranberries in it. Venison sausages and hams are also around more than usual.

Exotic fruits and vegetables have gotten a lot easier to find than they used to be, so the extras are not as obvious. Do check out the special dates. Yes, they are worth the extra price.

You have certainly noticed all the baked goods and sweet tree decorations on offer since October. Lebkuchen, Speculatiaas, and Vanilla Kipfeln are a must for most households. Bought if they haven't baked themselves. Mohn- and Nussstrudel are available year round, but are also more enjoyed for the holidays. These are poppy seed or nut filling wrapped in a sweet yeast dough. Then there all all the various Stollens - also yeast breads with a lot of 'stuff' in them, or the Italian Panetonne. The fruitbreads are much less sweet than the cakes that the English-speaking world enjoys. Usually a lot of dried fruits with just enough regular bread dough to hold them together, with or without a white dough around the outside.. 'Kletzen' are dried pears, and are an essential ingredient in one variation. After Christmas, a lot of this goes on sale at half price. Pick up more on the 27th if you want to keep your tree full. (They also make great surprises for college kids to take back to their dormmates. They don't know you bought them reduced.)

You will also find your door bell ringing more often in the next few weeks. The postman will be delivering some things in person - he expects a tip this time of year. The garbage people do too, if you have a house. Tie an envelope to the garbage can. They do almost twice the work over Christmas as they do the rest of the year. Don't forget them. (Do make sure boxes and regular paper get recycled. fancy gift paper does NOT belong in the Altpapier containers. I use cloth gift bags. A lot less work!) Also the Chimneysweep may come by to offer you good luck in the next year - which he wants a tip for. The three kings will come by after the new year. They are collecting for Caritas (The Roman Catholic charity that does a lot for the needy both here and around the world). If you ask for it, they will inscribe their initials above your door with chalk, to give a blessing on the house for the coming year.

Traditionally, the day to take your tree down is the 6th. There are collection points all over the city. The trees are chopped up and burned for electricity. I'd give you the URL for looking up your nearest one, but in my experience there are a lot more than the website shows.

Winter Fun

To be quite honest, when outside gets white, I consider getting under the covers with a good book, but for those who are less intimidated by the way it looks outside out windows today:

There are lots of sledding slopes in Vienna. The one I know best is in the Pötzleinsdorfer Schloßpark. When there is a good day with snow on the ground just watch the streets and trams near you to find out where to go. The 41 tram is often filled with children and sleds this time of year off to the final stop for snow fun.

Then there is skating:
If you skate you have probably found the main rinks already. After Christmas there will also be an open air rink in front of the Rathaus. It's fun, and gets bigger every year. All the rinks have skates to rent, and you can get your skates sharpened at the skate rental window. (Yes, at the Rathaus, too. Times and prices vary.)

But if you like skating on natural ice, and it gets cold enough, take your skates to the Alte Donau. Out our way there is also skating on some of the smaller side arms of the Danube. Please play it safe, and only go on the ice where there are lots of other skaters. The city has started discouraging using the Alte Donau, but it can be lots of fun, as long as you beware thinner ice under the bridges.

For a day trip outside of Vienna, we like going to Neusiedlersee with our skates. Check in the internet first to see which towns have approved the ice for skating. I'll try to post again if and when we get good ice. If they have, there will probably be stalls selling hot drinks and renting skates. Not great skates, but if you don't have your own it's something. I really much prefer being able to go long distances and chose my own direction to circling constantly with others. Conditions can be different in different areas.

Christmas Markets are Coming

Yes, it's that time of year again, and if you wonder if you can get up the right feeling for Christmas markets in November, and with the relatively warm temperatures, I would just like to remind you that you won't get near the stalls on weekends in December, so go now for the shopping, and in December for the atmosphere.

The classic one in front of the Rathaus is open from November 15 - December 24. You almost have to do this one. The tree is up already, and came from Schneeberg.

The Schönbrunn market is open from November 22 - December 26. This makes a nice outing on the day after Christmas if you haven't made it there earlier. Also keep an eye on their schedule of music. www.weihnachtsmarkt.co.at They have really nice traditional craft ornaments here, and we also enjoy the snacks on offer.

I am particularly fond of the small one on Freyung. November 21- December 23

Spittelberg is another favorite, with some artistic flair. November 15 - December 23.
Note that this one doesn't open until 14:00 (2PM) during the week.

But there are lots more, and you can fiind out about ones near you on http://www.wien-vienna.at/freizeit.php?ID=418

It's also worth keeping an eye out in your neighborhood for small ones in a local parish or school. These can be fun, and they will have handmade items very different from those at the big markets. The Community Center out here in Essling has a very nice one. (December 15 - 18 is the last weekend for this one.) If you come, be sure and stop at the cart of the smoked trout seller. I have to find out this year where to buy his fish the rest of the year!

There are also a number of good ones that run for only one or two weekends outside of Vienna.

Grafenegger Advent is well known for both good shopping and for theatre and music. This year it's from December 5 - 8, so go to the website, get yourselves some concert tickets, and make a real day of it.

The same weekend is the market at Schlosshof. Steven and I went last year and really enjoyed doing his shopping.

And of course the UN Women's Guild Bazaar at the Austria Center on December 6 from 10-17. International gifts, food, and flair under one roof.

Luckily the 8th is a holiday, or we would have to miss some of these!


Do you have other favorites? Share them with me and other readers in a comment!

All Hallows coming up

In the US most people know Halloween, and are only vaguely, if at all, aware that it is the night before 'All Hallows', now known as All Saints Day, which is followed by All Souls Day. That is not the case here.

Although Halloween is beginning to be observed - and cutting jack-o-lanterns has become a popular Fall activity - that is very recent.

The Austrians really do take All Saints and All Souls seriously. It is considered to be an obligation to make sure that the family grave(s) are in good shape before the holiday, and visited then with wreaths and candles.

Have you visited any cemeteries in Vienna? I am very fond of the Neustift cemetery, but there are a lot of other local ones, as well as the big 'ZentralFriedhof'. If you haven't been, it is high time you did. Each family has a plot, usually with several people buried at different depths. The plot can be covered with a stone, but more common is to have a small lawn or flowers growing in it. In some areas you will see people come regularly to care for their plot; in other areas it is more common for a gardener to be hired to take care of the work.

At any time you will find fresh graves with the funeral wreaths piled high on some graves, candles burning on others, and people walking the paths. There may be a funeral going on in the cemetery chapel. But at this time of year, the fog gives the gravestones a mystical atmosphere, and if you pass by in the evenings just at All Saints you will see all the candles burning. Do take time to do so!

Photo Marathon

An interesting idea for those with cameras : take part in Vienna's Photo marathon next week.

The idea is simple. You sign up in advance, telling them what sort of camera you have. Next Saturday you show up and are given a roll of film or a chip and a list of 24 topics. Now you have 12 hours to shoot pictures for those topics (in order) and hand your film or chip back in. There are prizes for the best pictures, but the real fun is in participating.

This is a chance to look at Vienna outside your usual box.

Or try it just for yourself, either here or on your next vacation. Set yourself a list of topics in advance (maybe with others) and see how it changes the way you see your surroundings. Mobile phone cameras cannot be used in the official one, but get a contest going between your kids if they have camera phones. Who can get the best (most original) picture of 'Animals in the city' or 'The souvenir I would have bought'. Or ' _______-eye perspective of a tourist attraction.' 'Food I wouldn't have seen anywhere else.'

Anyway, I am eager to find out what topics we are going to be assigned.

Streetcar changes

In the next week or so there are going to be a few changes to the streetcar system in Vienna. Basically, lines 1 and 2 are going to absorb the current lines 65, J, and N. You ought to have a look at the new schedules before getting on one of those lines. You might think you were going around the Ring, and find yourself off in some other part of town. Hopefully these changes will mean that people will have fewer changes, and it will be easier for them to change to the U-Bahn, but there will no longer be a line that goes all the way around the Ring.

Over the next year further changes will affect the D and 71 trams. At present it is only planned that the D will be renamed 3, but the 71 will become another tram that goes around part of the Ring instead of ending at Schwarzenberg Platz.

Vegetables galore

We live on the outskirts of Vienna, and one of the big advantages is that we can get fresh, cheap, non-standard vegetables relatively easily.

One of the reasons I haven't been blogging this summer is the amount of time I have spent in the garden. Most of my vegetables are in raised beds with large amounts of compost from our local Mistplatz. All that stuff that gets dumped in the Biomuhl containers gets composted centrally, and is then available free when you take your recyclables to the Mistplatz. Ours tends to run out occasionally during the peak garden work seasons, but it is still a great deal. Take containers with you and shovel in as much as you can transport. Even if you don't have a garden, you can grow great lettuce and herbs in window boxes kept fertile with generous servings of compost. We were in Iceland for over two weeks in June, and when we got back I hardly knew where to start on the garden - the vegetables had turned into a jungle. Wonderful problem to have!

But we have also been enjoying a lot of fruits and vegetables that I haven't grown. the flat outlying districts of Vienna are full of market gardens. The cheaper ones tend to be hard to find, have limited hours that their stands are open, and have small variety. However when you are carrying away bags of tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, and cabbages for a fraction of the supermarket price... Others specialize in things you can't get in the supermarkets. Gärtnerei Bach (22. Contiweg 165) has tiny inch long cucumbers full of flavour as well as the big ones, several varieties of chilies, white eggplants, purple potatoes and carrots (and normal ones), bags of mixed salad greens that haven't been gassed, bags of mixed veggies for soup. One green house is full of various scented geraniums, and in the spring they sell plants for the garden - flowers and various unusual edibles, too. Speaking of flowers, their bouquets are lovely as well, even if you stick to the standard floral ones. But I saw one of vegetables last week that I loved.

The Gutshof of the Schottenstift in Breitenlee has apples most of the year and other fruits in season. If you can't make it out to the 22nd district, they also sell the apples at the 'Klosterladen' at Freyung downtown.

If you want artichokes, there is a place in Raasdorf, just outside of Vienna that specializes in them. (Harvest is August-September.) The same town is full of stands selling strawberries and asparagus in the Spring. But for less exciting vegetables, almost any farm town you drive through will have signs outside the houses announcing what the farmer has to sell. Follow up on one and you may find a lovely little shop with much more than the sign promised, or a table at the entrance to a barn with two or three containers of raspberries with price labels. You never know until you stop and look.

We are in the harvest festival season, and many towns have already had a harvest festival, but many more are still going on this weekend, and the next few weekends. Tomorrow (September 28, 2008) is the harvest festival at Schlosshof. They promise to have stands of regional specialties. I will be very disappointed if I don't find at least one producer to follow up on. Next weekend is the Fall festival at Adamah , an organic grower and importer that also runs a box service. Once a week you can have organic food delivered to your home. Go out on Saturday or Sunday (October 4-5, 2008, 10:00 - 18:00) and have a look.

Garten Tulln

On Friday a friend and I made an excursion to the new Garden Exhibit in Tulln. Tulln is the Garden city of Eastern Austria. This new Exhibit is really a collection of gardens set up to teach and inspire people to do more with their gardens.

You walk along a path past (or through) gardens designed with various purposes in mind. Some concentrate on herbs and vegetables. Others have glorious flowers. Some are mostly rock and gravel. Some are for relaxing, others allow children a place to be active, others have ways for adults to exercise bodies and minds.

If you watch Universum on Austrian television, these gardens may look familiar. There was a program on how the people involved made the natural garden and the very formal garden with sculptures and a labyrinth next door to each other.

Kittsee Museum - last chance!

I would like to refer everyone to my old post about the lovely museum in Kittsee.

http://marthajeanne.blogspot.com/2007/04/eggs-and-more-at-kittsee.html

I have just read that it is closing at the end of September. I fully intend to get back there this year. I recommend that you do so as well. It may be a long time before the items on display there can be seen again.

Medieval Fun

It has been raining since Sunday. Pouring and pouring. Today was supposed to be still cloudy with some rain, but we woke up on this holiday morning (Fronleichnam, Corpus Christi) to bright sunshine. Jerry and I checked the internet until we found a fun excursion. Burg Lockenhaus has a Medieval Festival this weekend. We walked around the camp of those participating, visited the booths, watched dancing and music, and ate lunch. In the camp I saw two women working with card weaving looms. I have been meaning to get back into card weaving, so this will be an added incentive.

I decided that the stairs of the burg were too much for me, so we did not visit the whole castle, but apparently it is well worth visiting. It belonged to the Templars at one point, and the 'cultic room' has various symbols that have not been satisfactorily explained. Both general tours and specifically Templar ones are offered (at least in German). The festival is on until Sunday, May 25. There is also a Medieval festival going on in the Boehmischer Prater this weekend, if you would prefer not to leave Vienna.

When we had had enough of the crowds we drove on to the nearby Naturpark Greifenstein. We walked up to the Aussichtswarte (Tower) on the Hungarian border. And I do mean up. The forest road leads through needle trees up to the top of Burgenland's tallest mountain. OK, not all that tall, but a fair climb from the parking lot. The last thing I really wanted when we got to the top was to climb stairs, but when Steven said that there was a lovely view, I compromised and made it up the first flight. He was right. It was lovely looking out onto the Hungarian plain.

Around here it seems to be the newest thing to make walls and towers of wire cages filled with rocks. Generally I don't get the point, but this one fascinated me. The tower is filled with different kinds of rocks, and each one is labeled. As we hiked up the path we met up with big chunks of the various rocks with explanations of what kind of rock it is, where it can be found near the park, and how it was created. In case you are wondering, most of the rocks we saw are metamorphized sedimentary rocks. The explanations are in German, Hungarian, and English.

This area was once under an ocean, and some of the rocks include fossil shells. For those of you learning German, a local joke:

Wir haben Muscheln gesucht am Alpenostrand.
(We looked for shells on the ______.)

The joke is that Alpen-ost-rand is the standard word for the eastern end of the Alps. As you saw above, this is the Eastern end of the mountains. Normally you would look for shells on a 'Strand', a beach. If you divide the word differently you get the Alpeno-strand, a favorite holiday destination for Viennese who cannot afford an expensive vacation. ('Balkonia' is another.)

Early summer in the Danube National Park

The weather was so lovely on Monday, that we felt we wanted to get out into it. The open air part of the Orth Information centre for the National Park has enclosures with turtles and watersnakes. There are frogs galore, and the central pond contains various fish. Here you see a window of the underwater observation room. In the background is the 'insect hotel'.

There are various places for children to play: a willow tunnel made to look like a snake and an enormous nest full of straw. But the children we saw were mostly as busy as we were trying to count the turtles, and catch sight of the snakes.

On Monday the biggest surprise was the amount of noise the frogs were making. We actually saw them bubble up their cheeks to call out.

Other exhibits show how to recognize the signs that larger animals have passed, and what happens when they have passed away. Yes, the aroma coming from that side path is a dead animal. Road kill is brought in at intervals and allowed to decay. There are pictures to show the progression.

Many of the plants are labelled, and a ranger took the time to point out to us one that is often mistaken for Wild Garlic. Well, they both have wide leaves in the spring, but I doubt that I would mix them up. Good thing, too. The Baerlauch, or Wild Garlic had a lovely flavour in the spring before it blossoms, and has become a real hit in recent years, I often pick it. The Herbstzeitlose, or Autumn Crocus blossoms in the fall, and is VERY poisonous. Apparently there is no antidote. I found that its leaves were much more like tulips than like Baerlauch. Another reminder not to eat plants you aren't really sure of.

After learning about the animals to be found in the park you can also walk out from the Schlossinsel onto a trail that leads down through the park to the Danube. Or else drive down to the Danube, and walk along it for a way. There is an excursion restaurant at the Danube, or an organic food snackbar in the Schloss (run by Biohof Adamah). We had been meaning to visit the Mill Ship on the Danube one of these days, but at least for now will have to give up on that, as it sank this winter. They are working at raising it again, so maybe by the end of the summer. A ferry for pedestrians (and I think bicycles) is available as well.

We have bought a family season pass to the Schlossinsel in Orth, so you will hear more about what goes on there as the summer progresses.

On your way back to Vienna, you will probably want to stop at one of the many Bauernhof shops or stands offering asparagus, which is at the height of its season, or strawberries, which are just starting.

Drehorgelfest

Next weekend there is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy Spring in Vienna. 'Drehorgel' (calliopes, hurdy-gurdies, what-ever you want to call them) from around Europe meet in the Böhmischer Prater. They play there from 14 - 18 on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

This is a lovely amusement park, more old-fashioned and family oriented than the real Prater. We don't have small children anymore, but still enjoy the ambiance and the mini and micro golf courses. There are also several Gasthäuser.

Parking is limited in the area, and do pay attention to the signs, not just where others are parked. You will have to walk almost as far from your car to get in as from the public busses. Check the Anfahrtsplan on the website to find your best approach.

Schlosshof and Plant markets

I wrote about Schlosshof a year ago: http://marthajeanne.blogspot.com/2007/05/outings-schlosshof-and-burg.html

Jerry and I went back on Saturday. He had a new camera, and wanted to try it out on both plants and architecture. I enjoyed walking in the gardens.

Saturday was nice as there weren't a lot of people around, in spite of the glorious weather. If you are interested in the animal parade, that will be on Thursday (1 May). It was fun so you may meet us there. There is a special garden weekend with plant sales at the end of May. We bought season tickets, so you may see us there, too. It's worth noting that the season tickets are on sale until the end of May. This makes sense - go more times and pay less. At present the season ticket is aobut the same as 2 1/2 trips. Later it will up to 3 1/2 trips.

To get there, either travel out Route 3 through Gross Enzersdorf on the North side of the Danube, or to Hainburg on the South side and cross the Danube there. In either case, there are brown signs pointing the way. There is a bus shuttle from Vienna on weekends and holidays. You can find more information about the palace and activities there at http://www.schlosshof.at/en/index.html

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With May coming, it's time for those of us with gardens to buy plants and seeds. I assume you know about the big garden stores in Vienna. But there are several other places to get special plants next weekend. One is Arche Noah. This is part of the 'alternative life-style scene' so food there is more vegetarian and whole than sausage and grilled chicken. There will be lots of exhibiters on Thursday. Less going on Friday through Sunday.

For special varieties of Tomatoes try Stekovics in Frauenkirchen, Burgenland.

You can also go to Tulln and combine visits to several large garden centers with the new Garden Show. I haven't been there yet, well of course not - it opens on Wednesday, but the advance information makes me curious. Tulln is well known for its gardens and garden centres, so this is bound to be worth seeing.

Orchids and Rainforests

Wait a minute! Isn't this a blog about Vienna, Austria? What's this about orchids and rainforests? Well that's what Jerry and I saw on Saturday, and not only in Vienna, but just down the road from us in Hirschstetten. For those of you to whom Transdanubia might as well be on the border of Siberia, Hirshstetten is one of the exits off the Sueosttangente once you have crossed the Prater Bridge. The 22nd district is made up of several former villages, and the main street of Hirschstetten (Deer place) could be any farming village North East of Vienna - until you get far enough that you can see around the corner to the Coptic Orthodox Church. Go past it (left at the end of the village) and right after the cemetery on the left is the entrance to the parking for the Blumengaerten Hirschstetten. This is where most of the plants are raised for the various gardens of the City of Vienna. We once visited the greenhouses on a special occasion. That is usually not possible, but the Palmenhaus can be visited. The central part of it is kept at rainforest conditions. The signs all say to be sure to close all doors because of free-living monkeys. We didn't see them, but between the wonderful collection of plants we also a variety of terrariums holding a lovely iguana, turtles, a squirrel-like creature, giant snails, frogs, and other creatures. There was also a pool with koi, some of which were quite large. The side areas were not as hot or as humid, and had different vegetation.

Right now (Until Sunday, February 10) most of the visitors were going right instead of straight into the Palm house. A ways back, in one of the greenhouses is a lovely orchid exhibit. There were a vast assortment of all colours and shapes of orchids, and a few other tropical plants. Exhibits by botanical gardens and orchid clubs alternated with stands by garden shops that specialize in orchids, and a large proportion to those leaving the exhibit had bought a plant, orchid earth, fertilizer, or something of the sort. I like growing herbs and vegetables, but I don't do as well with flowers, even in the garden, and houseplants just don't survive, although I was almost temped by the cacti labeled 'winter hard'. But I've also done a fair job of killing cacti before. I might have been tempted by the vanilla plants if there hadn't been a long explanation posted about how difficult it is to turn the green pods into the brown sticks we buy. However it was fascinating to spend time looking at all the flowers, and breathing in the various aromas in the greenhouse.

Other Palm Houses in Vienna that can be visited are at the Hofburg and Schoenbrunn palace. The one at Schoenbrunn has been in the news recently. A few years back it was renovated. No expense was spared in replacing the old glass. At the same time it was decided that as the 'Sisi Palm', the largest they had and very old, needed repotting, it would be easier to plant it down into the earth, rather than to find a pot the right size for it. Well, the plant seems to have liked that, as it has had a growth spurt, and has now reached the top of the building, and threatens to break through. If you want to see this plant, you have to hurry, as in a few weeks the Palm House will be closed for a day or two to allow the gardeners to cut it down. They will first cut off all the leaves, then remove the trunk a meter or so at a time to be sure not to damage any of the other plants.

Laxenburg Park

Saturday was a lovely day, and we wanted to get out into the sun. This time we headed to Laxenburg, just South of Vienna. The park there is a nice size for a family walk.

The gardens and buildings date from the 18th century. The large pond has a castle on the island in the middle. This is the way a castle ought to look - and medieval ones never do. Steven was interested to see that skating is possible on the lake if it gets cold enough. Yes, it would be fun to skate around the castle. In the summer there is a boat rental and apparently the bridge we crossed on is replaced by a ferry. Tours are available of the castle, and there is also a cafe there - in the summer.

In the rest of the grounds we saw a tourney ground - apparently used, as jumps were set up inside. We saw deer in the woods, and horses with riders in a meadow. There were a variety of statues, ruins, a 'Greek temple' and similar things to see all along the paths. One couple was feeding the ducks from one bridge, and we saw swans on the pond. At least one of the fallen trees was labeled 'Kletterbaum'. Most of the visitors seemed to be young families. The paved paths with only gentle slopes are well suited to pushing baby carriages. Young children had lots to look at while walking. We came across a large playground, with lovely looking chairs to lie back on and relax in all around the playground, but the children seemed to be everywhere else in the park, and not there. There were also signs for minigolf, but we didn't get to that corner.

To get there by car either drive out Laxenburgerstrasse from Sued Tiroler Platz or take the Suedautobahn to Wiener Neudorf and turn left. As you drive through the town signs for Parking 1 will take you right to the entrance. There is free parking both outside and inside. Adults pay a small entrance fee, but children are free - even above the age limit if they are school children.

The library

Saturday, Steven and I went to the main Vienna library. If you haven't discovered it yet, try it out. In fact, you have probably seen it. You know that modern brick building between the inner and outer guertel roads with the long staircase going up the outside? That's it.

The library is easily reached by U-bahn: It is above the U6 station Urban Loritz Platz - Stadthalle. To drive, take the Guertel around. There are a limited number of Kurzpark spots. Alternatively you can park in the garage of Lugner City and walk across the bridge. Both can be reached from the outer Guertel. Stay left for the Kurzpark places in the parallel lane or right for the garage.

To borrow books or other media you will need a card. This costs a small amount for adults, but is free for children. With the card you can borrow books for four weeks. Other media: videos, DVDs, CDs, CD-roms cost an additional Euro for two weeks. Overdues cost .60 per week. However, with the possibility of renewing online, you shouldn't really have overdues very often, unless you get carried away and borrow the full 25 items you are allowed at once.

The collection of English language fiction was recently greatly enlarged. For non-fiction, the books are mixed into the rest of the collection. There are quite a few books in English in the science and technology section, and there are usually some on display. There are also a fair number of children's books in English. DVDs, of course, are usually multi-lingual, but the video section also has several in English. You can check the catalog either at the library or at home on-line. I also like to check out the section of books on Vienna and Austria to learn more about things we have recently visited. Here nearly everything is in German, but even if you don't read German you might want to borrow books of historical pictures of your district. Of course needlework patterns are usable whatever language the book is written in. Books of music are also there, including those with practice CDs. Whatever your instrument or genre, you will find something to play or sing.

If you don't have internet at home, there is the possibility to go online at the library. Steven does this during school vacations, as we keep his computer off the web. The library is also a great place for people watching. It is one place where you really do believe the figures that 30% of those living in Vienna are immigrants.

Starting Vienna blog

So far I have included posts about Vienna and outings nearby in my needlework blog, marthajeanne.blogspot.com, but it seems to me that it might be easier to keep them separate. So I have started marthajeanne-vienna.blogspot.com for those posts.