There is currently an exhibit of liturgical textiles and metal objects at St. Stephans. To see it, take the stairway up as you leave the cathedral.
The exhibit is called '500 Jahre Paramente und Vasa Sacra'. Most of the objects on view seemed to be from the 18th century, but the earliest is probably 15th century, and there are also vestments from the Pope's recent visit, and even an unfinished chausable. My favorite piece was a 'Jugendstil' Chausable from 1900.
The exhibit itself is free, and a small brochure with details of some of the pieces and small pictures is available for a donation.
BTW this small exhibit area under the organ is a lovely place to view the cathedral from, as you are raised, and get a much larger view of things than you can from the main floor. Don't forget to see the creche while you are in this, or any other church at this season.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Thursday, December 18, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
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!
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!
Friday, October 24, 2008
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!
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!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
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.
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.
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