Down Under

Finally I made it! I went Down Under to spend some time discovering this multifaceted continent and its neighbouring island New Zealand for the first time in my life. Therefore I took a one-month timeout and of course one could even spend more time here and won't seen everything. I decided for some hotspots that seem the most interesting for me: Sydney, New Zealand (north island), Brisbane, Gold & Sunshine Coast, Fraser Island, Ayers Rock and Great Barrier Reef. Maybe I'll do the other parts another time.

Well, what to tell so far. After travelling for more than 24 hours I arrived in Sydney. I moved from summer to winter, from 35°C to 10°C - which is quite convenient to get a cool-down. Actually its late winter here and days still end very early, around 5-6 pm its already dark here. During my stay this should change remarkably. Hopefully.

Sydney Opera House

People #65

Austria/Vienna, Prater

People #60

Austria/Vienna, Alsergrund

People #59

Austria/Vienna, Meidlinger Hauptstrasse

People #58

Austria/Vienna, Café Meinl

People #57

Austria/Vienna, Café Ritter Ottakring

People #56

Austria/Vienna, Café Prückel

People #55

Croatia/Zagreb, Hairstylist

Do the Marathon

This year again I participated in the "Vienna City Marathon" and went for the half distance run. Still 21,0975 kms to go for. Even without a consequent training for weeks in advance - I only did some sessions - I improved my last half marathon result by more than 15 minutes. Due to great weather conditions I passed the finish line at Heldenplatz after 2:00:32.

I'm really satisfied but to be honest in the end I'm a little bit "angry" about 33 seconds I could have been faster to finish within two hours. Anyway, there'll be another chance to make a faster run next year. And I'm seriously considering to go for the full distance: 42,195 kms making my "once in a lifetime idea" come true. 

I think it's the monotonous movement that makes me falling into a kind of trance after a while. You don't register anything around you, just listen to your music and the reoccurring step and breath rhythm waiting for the endorphine rushing through your body - really an impressing moment.

After the training and the competition itself I am really looking forward to go for some rounds in the neighbouring park just for fun, without any time and pulse control.

Austria/Vienna, Prater

People #54

Austria/Vienna, Hofburg Palace

People #53

Austria/Vienna, Prater Sports Facilities

People #52

Austria/Vienna, Central Cemetery

People #51

Austria/Vienna, Central Cemetery

People #50

Austria/Vienna, Central Cemetery

People #49

Austria/Vienna, Central Cemetery

People #48

Austria/Vienna, Central Cemetery

People #47

Austria/Vienna, Augarten

People #46

Austria/Vienna, Augarten

People #45

Austria/Vienna, City Hall Park

Liquid gold (in black)

What makes it that difficult for a lot of coffee brewers to serve well prepared coffee? Unfortunately sometimes I really have to think of where to go for a good Espresso or Cappuccino - even here in Vienna, the so-called "Capital of coffee".

I'd rather call it the "Capital of coffeehouses". There is a large number of great places: old traditional cafes as well as new stylish coffee shops and espresso bars. But if you take a closer look on the quality of the black brew in the cup this number dramatically shrinks to just a few places where coffee is made the right way.

Finally it's the consumer who decides where to go. If more customers would (and could) tell the landlords what they think about the offered coffee's quality the situation will change. So you better become more selfconfident and disclaim a bad coffee. You'd also do it with a corky wine.

As a consequence, it's time for some basics - but I won't tell you too much. First to avoid frustration (otherwise you fear to never again find a good coffee place) and second to motivate you to attend one of the offered coffee trainings for private persons in the lately opened "Vienna School of Coffee" in Vienna's ninth district.

What makes an Espresso an Espresso? Per definition it's a short and intense coffee drink made of a minimum of 7 gramms of fresh and finely ground coffee, extracted with hot water at a temperature around 90°C and 9 bar water pressure. After 20-30 seconds of extraction you can enjoy 30ml of pure coffee taste. Delicious.

For those, who don't like the intense coffee taste could go for a Cappuccino (an Espresso as base topped with solid, thick milk froth - at least 1 cm - in a bigger cup) or for a "Melange", a typical Viennese coffee drink (again an Espresso as base topped with liquid, creamy milk froth - a "milky coffee with a little froth").

Enough with the definitions, but what makes a good Espresso a good Espresso? Check out at the "Vienna School of Coffee", get familiar with coffee quality and perfect preparation and learn more about the taste of good and also bad examples (and the reason for).

USA/New York, Café Gitane (a great place)

Fancy diet

Is this a new diet? Do the PEOEAH-style and get ready for your bikini shape.

USA/Los Angeles, Subway

Tough times

Not the best time to be a catholic ...

Bulgaria/Sofia

Photographers #05

Me

Take a ride

It's really convenient that Vienna offers rental bikes at low fee. Whoever wants to go from one point to the other by bike can choose from one of the numerous bikes offered. In 2009 bikers did an impressing mileage of 1,317 million kilometers with the citbikes. As it's highly used sometimes it's hard to get one.

Austria/Vienna (no citybikes)

People #44

Austria/Vienna, Burgtheater

Happy Easter

Why do people color eggs for the Easter season? Well, it looks nice.

 Austria/Klagenfurt, Inner City

Happy Easter

Some season greetings for the upcoming easter holidays.

Austria/Styria

Some milk a day keeps the doctor away

It seems to be paradox that I - who doesn't like pure milk at all - spend more than 10 litres a day. I also need around 4 kg of coffee beans on average. Call me a coffee addict or just a barista trainer.

 Croatia/Zabok, Barista Training

People #44

Austria/Vienna, Café Zartl

The future is loud

Measurements have shown that playing kids are as loud as a hoover or car traffic and nearly as loud as a landing aircraft. But how come that for some kids' noise is more annoying than the other sounds?

For me in general all uncontrollable noises are annoying like loud music from others' earphones or mobile phones, snot-snorting, tipping with fingers on tables and above all whistling. Aren't the soundmakers not aware of annoying their neighbors? Or why don't the annoyed tell them to stop?

Nobody does? Well, then I'll start and tell'em: SHUT UP!!!!

Austria/Vienna, Siebensterngasse 

Valet Parking

One of the good things about having sold my car is that I don't have to care about parking anymore. The hours of cruising through the neighbourhood looking for a space are over.

Cologne seems quite innovative to build new parking space.

Germany/Cologne, Cologne Fair

Clock Change

Don't forget to change your clock this night exactly at 2:00 am on Sunday, March 28th. Enjoy your sleep as this night is an hour shorter than the others.

Germany/Hamburg, Pier

People #43

Croatia/Zagreb

People #42

Croatia/Zagreb

People #41

Croatia/Zagreb

No clue?

Germany/Berlin

People #40

Austria/Vienna, Am Hof, Verbund HQ

It's a coffee world

Finally it's done: all works in the "Vienna School of Coffee" have been done - may the trainings begin.

Three coffee freaks created a place where beginners, professionals and private coffee lovers learn more about coffee, techniques, machines and sensor system. Individual courses are offered as well as consultancy and cup tasting. Different ways of coffee extraction can be learned - on semi automatic espresso machines, filter machines, aeropress, mokka pots and many other.

The Vienna School of Coffee is an open house on fridays and saturdays where everybody is invited to come around and get to know the school itself, the team and various coffee single origins.

Austria/Vienna, Vienna School of Coffee

Spring Cleaning

March 20th - 6:32pm: spring has officially begun. Thus its the best season to the end winter with the spring-cleaning. All the stuff we put in the storage, cellar or attic since last spring, all the things we thought about a senseful use some time. Is this hoarding really a natural human behavior? But why ... 

Austria/Vienna, Donaukanal

Photographers #04

Have you ever seen a japanese tourist asking someone to make a picture of him or her?

Austria/Salzburg, Staatsbrücke

People #39

Croatia/Zagreb, Pedestrian Zone

Market share

Another city - another market. Whenever there's some time, I love to walk through the city passing by the green market. Zagreb's daily market also includes a fishmarket. Not the easiest situation for everyone, one has to stand the fishy smell.

But a fishmarket is the real market with puffers doing a real tough job. Getting up very early, working under strenuous conditions and the smell all day long. Maybe they don't notice it anymore. Hopefully.

Croatia/Zagreb, Market

People #38

Croatia/Zagreb

Refreshing spring

Now spring's really coming - finally. Time for some refreshment.

Italy/Siena, Fountain

Vienna by night

Another product of our common night photo tour. F***** cold, but nevertheless great fun.

Austria/Vienna, Burgtheater

People #37

Austria/Vienna, Am Hof

Photographers #03

Austria/Salzburg, Staatsbrücke

Happy Birthday

25 years ago something happend what hardly anybody had dreamed about to come true: the end of the Soviet Union. By accident.

It was Mikhael Gorbachev who (only) wanted to reform the country with "perestroika" and "glasnost". But with this step the beginning desolvment of the large nation began as a consequence. Meanwhile there's hardly anything left of Gorbachev's approach to the west and turn the country into a modern civilization.

Italy/Florence

People #36

Austria/Vienna, Josefstadt

Fancy some culture?

What is the best time for cultural events? Every minute. There's no need for going to the opera, attending a play in a theatre or reading the latest novel. Behavioral culture for example is always seasonable.

Austria/Vienna, Subway exit