The Melear-o-Sphere

142/365

2011-06-01T18:00:00.000+02:00

Someone was excited to show off her painted nails.

141/365

2011-06-01T11:00:00.000+02:00

I picked the wrong day to bike up to Schönbrunn to find a nice quiet place to read. Most of us there simply found shelter as the rains opened up just enough to keep us at bay.

140/365

2011-05-31T18:00:00.000+02:00

The Naschmarkt is always full of color and life. And delicious things that I always want to eat.

139/365

2011-05-31T10:09:00.000+02:00

A nightly walk with a visiting friend took us by the imposing Parliament.

138/365

2011-05-25T11:00:00.000+02:00

Along Vienna's Ring, you have a choice of Funny Noodles or Happy Noodles.

I like mine Funny.

137/365

2011-05-24T21:00:00.000+02:00

LMB's new basil plant is doing just fine under my care in its new home.

136/365

2011-05-24T15:00:00.000+02:00

Even the back-side of the Kunsthistorisches Museum is impressive.

135/365

2011-05-24T11:00:00.001+02:00

Rainy days bring out the best umbrellas.

134/365

2011-05-21T10:23:00.000+02:00

Architectural sculpture is everywhere.. The one above is part of the Stephansdom, and the one below is across the street from TL's apartment.

133/365

2011-05-20T17:00:00.002+02:00

An experiment with an iPhone app that is new to me, which allows you to take 360-degree panoramic shots. This one was taken inside the beautiful Maria am Gestade church, after a failed attempt the day before....

132/365

2011-05-20T10:00:00.000+02:00

A vocabulary shot for all our wedding guests coming in July. To avoid any embarrassing situations, you should know which of these you are.

131/365

2011-05-19T20:00:00.001+02:00

Every once in a while I break down and go to typical American restaurants here - McDs is better, I swear! - but despite Subway being directly across the street from the opera (closer than it is in Houston, as LMB pointed out), I've only been here twice. The first time I went, I realized that I didn't know how to say all the ingredients auf Deutsch. ("Paprika" is green pepper, btw. "6-inch" is 6-inch.)

Their chip selection is imported from England.

Cheese and Onion - not my first choice, but ok.
Prawn Cocktail - what?
BBQ Ribs - sounds like BBQ....but meatier.
Smoky Bacon - has bacon in it, it must be good. I got these.
Missing from the selection - Roasted Chicken. I swear, I got those last time.

Did you notice the Prawn Cocktail? Seriously?!?

130/365

2011-05-19T15:00:00.000+02:00

I remember learning to conduct Le nozze di Figaro at Empire Cafe in Houston. Ok, not exclusively there, but let's just say that their coffee helped fuel the learning process. Just as the Wienerschnitzel and Bier at this tree-lined locale have fueled my continued forays into Wagner.

129/365

2011-05-19T10:00:00.000+02:00

I love all the cobblestones around here, but it's easy to forget just how much there is until you're walking with LMB...who happens to be in heels and not liking all the challenges this terrain presents.

128/365

2011-05-18T22:00:00.000+02:00

There's never a shortage here of statues of people on horseback. The light behind it, however, is unusual in that I don't always catch it. I'm usually in rehearsals that straddle the golden hour of light, but now that summer is almost upon us, it's getting easier to catch it as I head home.

127/365

2011-05-18T17:00:00.000+02:00

This is what happens when LMB leaves. We all sit in a daze, waiting until she comes back.

Thankfully, this time it's only a matter of days....

126/365

2011-05-18T13:00:00.001+02:00

On our way home from a night of "high"-culture at the Konzerthaus, we happened upon the Austro-Pop festival taking place in front of the Karlskirche. Think South by Southwest....but with a lot more German.

125/365

2011-05-18T10:00:00.000+02:00

It's fun to double date. Even if it means just hanging out until one of us finishes with rehearsal and then watching said person scarf down left-over pizza and being totally happy for it.

124/365

2011-05-17T22:00:00.000+02:00

We went to the Albertina museum to check out their great Blaue Reiter exhibit, but I never knew that their Prunkräume were so impressive as well. Even your more "modern" museums are steeped in elegance, Vienna.

123/365

2011-05-17T17:00:00.003+02:00

Good friends are always a good reminder that you can laugh, talk seriously, gossip, catch up, share amazing desserts topped with whipped cream, and quote random tv shows that you know they'll get.

It's even better if your friends come in this awesome orange color. (Thanks, iPhone.)

122/365

2011-05-17T11:00:00.001+02:00

LMB had been searching for a flower box to put on our windowsill, but to no avail. So, I was extra aware of what the neighbors had, and where they might have purchased such a thing. Luckily, we found one before LMB left that seems to be working. Now we just need to steal these flowers....

121/365

2011-05-17T00:06:00.000+02:00

The street entertainers in Vienna are almost as fixed fixtures as the sights around them. Just this past weekend, I recognized the living statue that I remember seeing in the fall coming out of the bathroom in full gear at Starbucks.

I also saw this guy months ago, under much colder and windier circumstances, trying his best to entertain the folks with his act. Clearly, he had no problems on this particular day.

120/365

2011-05-16T22:00:00.000+02:00

Clearly NOT Bossy Cat, but the lovable and pliable Madame Grisou LaBelle die Schöne. LMB and I were guests post-DG for an American tv-series marathon. We were happily exposed to new series, reminded of how great Six Feet Under is, and introduced to delicious midnight porridge. Meanwhile, the pretty one above avoided a plethora of soft blankets in favor of a nice, "comfortable" cardboard box to rest her head.

119/365

2011-05-16T20:00:00.000+02:00

I'm always dodging these or the cars that they try to constrain on my way down the Mariahilferstraße.

118/365

2011-05-16T17:00:00.002+02:00

This fine instrument and I became real friends the week of Giovanni rehearsals and the performances that followed. It wasn't my first time playing recits here, but it felt different. Maybe it was simply sitting directly in the middle of the orchestra. Maybe it was doing it with the Music Director on the podium. Maybe it was doing Mozart IN Vienna. But sitting in performances with the first stand of first violins immediately to my left and the thundering cellos and violas to my right was a real lesson in the power and depth of the orchestra here. They play ALL of the repertoire, from opera to symphony to chamber music to Star Wars (seriously click on that link - you won't be sorry), and they do it every night. Not every single one of them, not even for the same show - in our 4-performance run, we had different concertmasters each night, and a different conductor the last night - but they all KNOW how this music goes. It was a lesson in how the repertoire is truly living and breathing - never the same, never perfect in the same places, never predictable. And yet, when the beautiful, heart-stopping moments come (and they always do in this pit), they're surprising and real.

There's a different premium placed on the music-making here that comes with a certain ease of execution and the frequency of being before the public. It's sort of like laying down the gauntlet before each other and the public to be better than you think you are. It's about taking risks. As David Lang recently wrote about the excitement of live performances of both baseball and classical music:

It really comes down to risk. We revel in the risk inherent in the clash of competing ideas and options, before time evens them out into a few straight, orderly narratives. The game, the concert, the experience in front of us — the chance to experience greatness is a risk.

And it was fun to be, literally, in the middle of it all.

117/365

2011-05-16T10:00:00.000+02:00

Easter flowers that remained beautiful for a full week after.

116/365

2011-05-15T19:00:00.000+02:00

Yep. Real, bona fide gelato. You should be jealous.

115/365

2011-05-15T17:00:00.001+02:00

No, it didn't snow in April. This is some sort of cotton or pollen or something European that I don't even know about that was everywhere in the air near the Prater. We met our wedding photographer there on the Monday after Easter (an official holiday) to take some engagement photos, and it was packed with people.

LMB got so tired of holding hands and smiling that, when it was all over, she was obviously confused.

It's a good thing we got some good shots earlier:

(Photo by Pink Pixel Photography!)

114/365

2011-05-15T14:00:00.000+02:00

Wandering through the streets of Vienna turns out to be one of our favorite pastimes, especially after a delicious Easter Brunch. I've been by this several times, but had never stopped to see exactly what it is. Turns out it's the famous Ankeruhr ("Anker clock"), in which 12 historic figures (including Papa Haydn), make their way across the bridge.

113/365

2011-05-15T12:00:00.000+02:00

Easter brunch means that I get to watch LMB make her mom's famous braided loaf. And then eat it. (Not Pictured.)

112/365

2011-05-15T10:00:00.000+02:00

A beautiful spring free day translated into my first trip to the famous Zentralfriedhof ("Central Cemetery"), where, as one website put it, "the great composers go to decompose." You'll find memorials to Mozart (though he's not technically buried there), Brahms (see above), Hugo Wolf, Schubert, J. Strauss, Jr., Schoenberg, Salieri, and Ligeti, to name a few.

It's also simply a peaceful place to wander through.

111/365

2011-05-15T01:00:00.000+02:00

We went in search of the magical mushrooms that converted LMB to be a Mushroom Eater, but settled for beer and cheese instead. Oh well.

110/365

2011-05-14T23:00:00.000+02:00

Someone needs a fresh coat of paint.

109/365

2011-05-14T20:43:00.000+02:00

This city is best explored in great spring weather, with a side of gelato, and this woman by your side.

108/365

2011-05-01T23:59:00.001+02:00

Babies follow me everywhere, apparently.

107/365

2011-05-01T18:50:00.000+02:00

I'm starting to equate trips back to the States with shopping. Some things are just easier (and cheaper) to find, shoes being one of them. DSW hasn't made it here yet, and this pair was too good to pass up...especially since LMB and the New Oregonian own the women's equivalent of them already.

Another thing to come back with? Anything Reese's and (preferably) bite-sized.

106/365

2011-05-01T11:30:00.001+02:00

Making our way back to Vienna involved a midnight - 7am layover in Chicago (thank you Hilton for your soft beds within walking distance), a flight to NYC, and a 10am-5:30pm layover there before catching the direct flight home. I think we had visions of taking in the city with a Roman Holiday-like verve, but the weather conspired against us. Instead, we hid out, ate fancy cookies, and headed to the airport early.

105/365

2011-04-30T17:00:00.001+02:00

Despite our baby-kraziness, we had a few things to do in the "heart" of Vegas, including eating Kripy Kreme donuts, avoiding obnoxiously drunk people on the street at noon, and pausing just long enough to snap this photo among the Easter wonderland at the Bellagio.

104/365

2011-04-30T13:00:00.000+02:00

We definitely miss this smile.

103/365

2011-04-29T21:38:00.000+02:00

My sister and bro-in-law waited until Josee was born to find out if she was a boy or girl, which didn't stop my family from buying gender "neutral" clothes. Once she was born, however, the floodgates were opened, and believe it or not, this is about a third of the clothes we chose from each of the days that we got to dress her.

102/365

2011-04-26T11:00:00.001+02:00

The Tuesday while we were there was my sister's first day back to work, and I think both she and Josee were happy when she came home.

101/365

2011-04-25T21:28:00.000+02:00

Favorite things about Josee:

Crying like a squeaky toy
Having no control over her arms but always waving them wildly and freely
Crazy hair
Falling asleep in the most awkward positions
Falling asleep in the swing chair, though fighting it the whole time, and in an awkward position
Hiccups
Snuggling with her head on your chest
The clothes
The smiling
Tiny fingers and toes
Burping (and other unabashed bodily functions)
Happiest drinking a bottle
Bringing family members together

100/365

2011-04-25T12:12:00.000+02:00

Day 100 of this project coincided with LMB and I meeting our perfectly adorable 6-week-old niece, Josee (or Jo-C, if you're cool enough). Having only seen her sleeping via Skype, it was inspiring to get to know her and to watch my sister and brother-in-law be first-time parents.

99/365

2011-04-23T23:35:00.001+02:00

The perfect cure for a long trip and early on-set jet-lag? The perfect child* and the perfect child-like spirit.

I was up at 6:15 am Vienna time to finish packing (read: folding clothes that finally dried), greeted the nicest house guest, LP, at 7:10am, showered, and left for the airport at 8am. A "short", uneventful flight led me to NYC, just in time to meet LMB at the end of her HD broadcast, with me looking very much the worse for wear to meet everyone I know or should ever know at the Met. A shower and a quick cab ride later, we were eating a delicious mac-'n-cheese, burger-filled dinner and sipping cocktails across the table from the delightful scene above.

Next up was reaping the benefits of being on Mike Birbiglia's email list and LMB's foresight - seeing his show!! - which turned out to be the perfect solution to keeping me awake past 8pm.

*The title of "Perfect Child" was soon squeezed out by the Most Perfect Niece in the World. Pictures to come the rest of the week.

98/365

2011-04-23T22:11:00.001+02:00

I promise to cut down on the Bossy Cat photos, but when I pack for a trip, she knows. She knows she can't go with. She knows that I'll find her in my suitcase when I go through security and she'll have to take the subway home. ALONE. And no one will be there to tell her when to go to bed and get her out of the bed at 1pm. And then she'll demand absolute attention for no less than 3 days when we return.

97/365

2011-04-23T20:28:00.000+02:00

During performances (in the right weather), they open up the balconies at the opera which bring you closer to the sculptures that grace the iconic façade, the perfect half-moon....and the advertising across the street.

96/365

2011-04-23T14:38:00.000+02:00

The only time I ever even think about taking a cab is coming from the airport when we have approximately 6,000 bags and a cat in tow.

95/365

2011-04-22T16:40:00.000+02:00

There's a real sense here that the opera belongs to and is for the people to much the same degree that opera might seem only for "certain" people in the States. The interest in it is evident on the nightly news, headlines in the papers, and the attention a performance gets when it's broadcast live on TV. Opinions about productions, directors, singers, and conductors run deep and are not always favorable, but the dialogue is there. Ultimately, it's this sense of cultural identity that will always maintain the art form here, in good times and bad, that doesn't feel luxurious, but absolutely vital.

94/365

2011-04-21T19:07:00.000+02:00

Occasionally part of my job is to sit in on performances to make sure all goes smoothly, and I get to share some of the most exciting seats in the house. An almost equal view of the audience, the stage, and the amazing orchestra, it makes it difficult not to marvel at this theater.

93/365

2011-04-20T20:45:00.000+02:00

Spring in the Stadtpark. Nothing better.

92/365

2011-04-19T21:33:00.000+02:00

Taken on a Caturday and with the windows wide open, Bossy Cat enjoyed simply being in the sun.

91/365

2011-04-16T04:00:00.001+02:00

I've walked by this building many-a-time, and the giant birds always seem to freak me out a bit. But c'mon, it is just a library for a university. No big deal, right?

90/365

2011-04-16T01:00:00.000+02:00

A view of an often-used, slightly messy kitchen table, ready to help out with the next meal cooked.

89/365

2011-04-15T22:00:00.001+02:00

Looking up on street corners.

It's a wonder that my slightly irrational fear of being run over by a street tram hasn't come true yet.

88/365

2011-04-15T18:00:00.000+02:00

It amazes me that these are the official work horse pianos of the STOP. I first played a gorgeous one in Omaha, Nebraska, of all places, when I was in college and have always loved their sound.

That was my first response when LMB asked how I knew the name. My second, in an attempt to be cool, was Tori Amos. LMB still gives me a hard time.

87/365

2011-04-15T12:00:00.000+02:00

Ok, a Papa Smurf statue in Vienna feels weird by itself, but this was the second I had seen in less than a week.

86/365

2011-04-15T06:00:00.000+02:00

Spring has definitely sprung in Vienna. It has been a relief to see buds replace the rain and feel the city come alive again.

85/365

2011-04-15T02:00:00.000+02:00

These mice continue to have a life of their own, especially at night.

84/365

2011-04-14T22:00:00.000+02:00

A look up the Kärtner Straße, where BK and McDs are unavoidable. Immediately to the right of this photo is a SBux, and soon to go in down the street: Forever 21.

83/365

2011-04-14T17:00:00.001+02:00

A little corner of my sky.

I can't say that without thinking of this.

82/365

2011-04-14T13:00:00.001+02:00

The joys of shopping around for wedding reception venues. Mmmm....

81/365

2011-04-14T00:00:00.000+02:00

It's hard to avoid mountains of chocolate and candy here.

Much easier to avoid children's games of body experiments.

All much better when friends come to town.

80/365

2011-04-13T22:40:00.000+02:00

Someone special got a little something special from Vienna.

79/365

2011-04-13T18:45:00.000+02:00

Time to hop back on the horse of this 365 project, because, though I haven't blogged, I've still been taking pictures. I'm currently in Vegas, enjoying some downtime with the cutest niece ever – pictures to follow, of course.

As I mentioned here, I had to finally make my way inside the beautiful Karlskirche. The first thing you notice is the scaffolding which houses the elevator which takes you up to the level of the cupola.

From there, you can climb the stairs above and make it to the very, very top of the church. While doing this, I could have sworn I felt the scaffolding shake, but thought, no, no way. But yes, yes way, I was right. The view from above is ok, but the trip back down is even more fun.

My favorite, was noticing this sign:

"Running and jumping are dangerous. Yelling is UNcool!"

Some other faves:

78/365

2011-03-24T13:00:00.003+01:00

One of my favorite daily routines is the one at the end of every night. I announce (to myself and Bossy Cat) that it's time for bed, turn out the lights in the living room, and head to bed. Within two or three minutes, Bossy Cat will leave whichever princess perch she happens to be on to give me something like the look above: "Are you sure?" And then find her way to her blanket and settle in for the night.

77/365

2011-03-23T13:00:00.009+01:00

One of the first things I remember reading about moving to Vienna (and still joke about) was advice for socializing: "Expect there to be heavy smoking." While, yes, smoke is more unavoidable here than it tends to be in the States (it IS Europe, after all), I think we dodged a bullet with a law that went into effect shortly before we arrived. Public spaces (restaurants, cafés, bars) must declare to be either smoking or non-smoking OR have a designated spaces for both. So, it's easy now to avoid being shut in with the notoriously famous Austrian smoking habit.

But when KK invited me to hear the Mountain Man play with a blues band literally just up the stairs from where I live, I had to brave the smoke and go. This is a place I walk by to get my Vapiano fix, that barely has any windows, and features a sketchy midnight - 1 a.m. happy hour.

I was not disappointed. Smoke abounded, we watched as shots were plentifully doled out by the box-full, and MM and the band rocked the house.

76/365

2011-03-22T13:00:00.002+01:00

Cold and rainy are not part of my definition of spring, but they, too, soon passed.

75/365

2011-03-21T13:00:00.001+01:00

Where the magic is stored.

74/365

2011-03-20T11:49:00.000+01:00

A slight detour on the way home takes me by this beautiful church - the Karlskirche - which I have yet to see from the inside. Today I might correct that.

73/365

2011-03-19T16:52:00.000+01:00

One reality of having wonderfully high ceilings is schlepping out the giant ladder to change light bulbs. The Bossy Cat just waited for me to come back to the couch.

72/365

2011-03-18T13:00:00.001+01:00

Indeed.

71/365

2011-03-17T13:00:00.007+01:00

Beautiful weather last weekend prompted me to dig these bad boys out and start running again. 4 walk/runs later, and I'm still sore...but happier for it.

70/365

2011-03-16T13:00:00.002+01:00

I don't think I'll ever get used to how beautiful this building is.

69/365

2011-03-15T13:00:00.000+01:00

Just another night at work....

68/365

2011-03-14T13:00:00.002+01:00

You can tell that this city has been bursting for Spring at every seam. Last week, even though it was just as cold as it has been for a while, you could find people lounging in parks, you saw restaurants optimistically putting out furniture for their outdoor spaces, and in Sports Experts, you found a huge supply of bikes, dreaming of warmer weather.

That weather finally came this weekend, and it has been so rewarding in a way that I haven't experienced in at least 8 years. The patience and hibernation of a winter is finally giving way to new beginnings. FINALLY.

And perhaps related, I keep stumbling upon film shoots. The first was at the neighborhood Cafe Sperl, where there was a piano quartet performing for cameras before I left for a show and still going AFTER I came home. Granted, all you can see here are the lights they positioned outside, but take my word for it, it was pretty cool.

67/365

2011-03-13T20:00:00.001+01:00

A side view of the statue that is part of the Papagenotor at the end of Papagenostraße, which is all that remains of the original Theater an der Wien building that was the brain child of Schikaneder (the original Papageno).

66/365

2011-03-13T13:00:00.001+01:00

Goethe's back.

65/365

2011-03-12T23:04:00.000+01:00

It's been wonderful to leave for the late-afternoon rehearsal session and still have light.

64/365

2011-03-10T14:15:00.001+01:00

Eager to get out of the apartment, I wandered up the Mariahilferstraße and found this church lurking down the street.

63/365

2011-03-09T18:10:00.001+01:00

Sent from heaven in the form of bacon-wrapped, cheese-filled sausage, its name is Bernerwurst.

With a side of mustard, of course.

62/365

2011-03-08T13:00:00.000+01:00

Last week was the annual opera ball, which many would say is the culmination of the ball season in Vienna. The photo above was taken on stage the afternoon of the actual event, and the transformation of the theater was a sight to behold. This long dance floor was installed over the level of the seats in the audience and made it possible for hundreds of people to dance.

TL, EL, and I watched it on TV from the comforts of home, while eating pizza and homemade popcorn. I had briefly thought about going, but in the end, I was happy to get an overview of how massively elegant the whole thing is. You can catch part of it here.

61/365

2011-03-07T13:00:00.002+01:00

Oh, how she likes to sit for her portraits.

60/365

2011-03-06T13:00:00.004+01:00

One's photo collection of Vienna would not be complete without at least something of Mozart. I'm not exactly sure what he's doing here, but I'm guessing he's turning a page and spreading joy throughout Vienna.

59/365

2011-03-05T13:00:00.001+01:00

It's the international "Make way for a man in a hat with his awkward daughter in tow" sign.

58/365

2011-03-04T13:00:00.001+01:00

I'm looking forward to when the season here feels like it's all downhill. Right now, it's kind of kicking my butt.

57/365

2011-03-03T13:00:00.007+01:00

In just about every museum here, I find myself in awe of the buildings themselves as much as the collections. I left the house to actually see the collection of musical instruments housed in the former Hofburg palace. There they have just about anything you'd want to see, including a piano that was a gift to Robert and Clara Schumann for their wedding that then got passed down to Brahms. As you do.

Directly connected to that museum was a rather large collection of armor, and how could I NOT wander through it, right? You see a lot of fake horses, metal, and helmets like this:

And then you have these views of the building itself. Just ridiculous.

56/365

2011-03-02T13:00:00.003+01:00

Darn, I had to run down to the Naschmarkt for some thyme because the grocery store didn't have any. This place will always make you hungry and crave things you've never even heard of...and then a spice to go with it.

55/365

2011-03-01T13:00:00.004+01:00

I always envied Canadians and their money, with their Loonies and Twoonies – what they call their $1 and $2 coins. It seemed so convenient and easy. The $1 Susan B. Anthony coin has never, ever caught on in the US, and the only time you see one is when you get change back from the machine at the post office.

The Euro also has only €1 and €2 coins and no equivalent bills. Which I love...for the most part. Sure, you end up with a LOT of change, but before you know it, you have 21€ (or close to $30) in your pocket. What's funny, is that I never noticed the writing on the side of the €2 coins (see above, on the left) until taking this picture. It's good to be observant....

54/365

2011-02-28T13:00:00.002+01:00

You never have to walk too far to find statues here. This is one of about 4 along the Gumpendorfer Straße, near the aquarium.

53/365

2011-02-27T13:00:00.001+01:00

Sometimes even the construction here catches my eye, in the right light.

52/365

2011-02-26T13:00:00.003+01:00

The nice lady who watches over my street.

And gives me the judgmental, evil eye when I walk to Vapiano.

51/365

2011-02-25T13:00:00.001+01:00

I found LMB's wedding shoes. Sure, they're in a Viennese goth store, but she's going to love them, right?

50/365

2011-02-24T13:00:00.001+01:00

One of my favorite corners of the STOP, off of one of the rehearsal rooms at the tippy top of the front façade.

49/365

2011-02-23T13:00:00.002+01:00

One of my favorite subway (U-Bahn) stops here – the Volkstheater. I can leave the opera, take the tram, connect here, and be at the best grocery store in 10 minutes, if I hit it all just right.

48/365

2011-02-22T13:00:00.003+01:00

Old school lights, shining on the statues on and off of the Ring.

47/365

2011-02-21T13:00:00.002+01:00

Merry Christmas!

Wait....What? Oh right. These are our somewhat belated (but planned!) Christmas presents to each other – our wedding bands. They were easy to pick out – they match LMB's engagement ring (also pictured above) – and now they're bought, sized, made, and in my grubby little hands. LMB had her engagement ring re-sized as well, as the winter cold made it glaringly obvious that they had sized it a little too large.

46/365

2011-02-20T13:00:00.002+01:00

This technological wonder is our washing/drying machine, in one not-so-compact unit. It took LMB, a German-English dictionary, and a deal with the devil to figure out how to make it work, but it's become routine now. For most things, I turn the far right knob to "B" and push the left button on. 2 hours later, I have clean, wet laundry. Either I hang it up to dry, or I then turn the far right knob to "F" or "J" and then turn the timer knob (on the far left) to my desired drying time...based of course on the number of kilograms I have.

As if I know.

45/365

2011-02-19T13:00:00.000+01:00

You'll find me waiting most evenings on this corner at some point, and like all the good Viennese around me, we wait for the red person and bicycle to turn green. It's not that we won't jaywalk, it's just the exception to the rule. It's funny how after a just a few months here, anything else (like the chaos in the streets that is Florence) feels wrong.

44/365

2011-02-18T13:00:00.001+01:00

The phone in our office is straight out of the props department....from 1940.

43/365

2011-02-17T21:00:00.000+01:00

Trick candles and real rum marzipan balls on top of this delicious cake make for a real birthday party in my book. Even if it wasn't mine.