STL DPB ON THE ROAD - STREET PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIENNA

 

Stock im Eisen-Platz, Vienna, outside St. Stephen's Cathedral. We have only one brief day in this interesting, vibrant city.  We'd love to come back with more time, but we wonder if age and spines will rule out future trips like this.         

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - MELK ABBEY

I usually limit myself to one photo. However, yesterday we went to Melk Abbey, situated on a hill over the Danube in Austria and I was pretty impressed. I can't begin to explain its history and architecture here, so if you want to learn about this Baroque blockbuster, I suggest you go here: https://www.stiftmelk.at/en/ .

My Catholic elementary school made us learn Roman numerals. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the year over the gate is 1718. Corrections welcome.

Vienna today.                     

 

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - OX BOW ON THE DANUBE

 

In America, a river ox bow is an area where a river forms almost a complete loop, not quite cutting off the neck to form an island. There are lots on the lower Mississippi, which are quite striking to view from the air. There is one on the Danube, passing through beautiful scenery of low hills, forest and farmland.           

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - TWO DEMONSTRATIONS IN REGENSBURG

 

After devouring our sausages in Regensburg Sunday afternoon, we went out to the street to find a large and loud group of young women and their supporters marching through town. The themes were feminism, consent and, to use an American expression, enough of mansplaining. I doubt that Google Translate got all the subtleties, but the orange and green sign means something like "unsolicited advice from strange men," and the black on orange "protection is not a privilege, but a right."

Around the back of the cathedral, there was a smaller group who were apparently supporting the old Iranian monarchy. I think that is the pre-Islamic Revolution flag, and I heard the name Pahlavi mentioned. I wonder what they hoped to accomplish.                                  

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - IN GERMANY, THEY EAT SAUSAGES

 

Long bus ride yesterday from Prague into Germany, where we stopped at the charming small city of Regensburg. One thing everybody does there is go to this tiny place known in English as The Sausage Kitchen. This is all they got. You get a plate with a few of these things on sauerkraut, sweet mustard on the side and rye rolls. Everyone was warned in advance: there are no options here for vegetarians or  gluten-free people. Just old school.                  

A DAY LATE AND A KORUNA SHORT

 

I'm bloody exhausted so maybe I'll add to this on the bus to Germany tomorrow. We passed by the hall where the Prague Symphony plays. Leonard Slatkin, who was music director of the St. Louis Symphony for many years and is now conductor laureate, was conducting the orchestra for two nights immediately before we arrived. The koruna, or crown, is the unit of Czech currency. Plans to join the eurozone are in progress.                 

STREETSIDE PRAGUE

 

We're here, and floored by jet lag. For now, a  phone shot just outside our gorgeous art deco hotel. More to come when the brain is functioning.