Naschmarkt, 2022

There have been markets here for centuries, but it became the Naschmarkt only in the early 1900s, with Otto Wagner's urban renewal efforts. We visited in 2010 and 2012, and twice now in 2022, once on one of our Jugendstil walks, and then on Saturday morning, for the flea market. The Naschmarkt is still our gold standard for a street market, both for food and flea market goods. Our visits this year came at the end of the season, or beyond, and Saturday's visit was in the rain--we're that dedicated--so there was considerably less to see than in high summer in 2012. But it was still wonderful.

Setting a seasonal tone at the food entrance

For the first half kilometer it's food of every conceivable description,
and a few cafes, restos, stands...

Pesto cheese, anyone?

Draw you own fruit vinegars

Abundant but expensive seafood...oysters $5 each: each

Now we are back Saturday morning, hoping the rain will hold
off just a bit longer...it didn't

If the market gets boring (never!) there are always beautiful
buildings to look at

It's not really that cold; here and elsewhere Europeans seem to 
like wearing their heavies whenever the temps drop below 60

In a really nice glass stand

Being tempted with a beautiful 1906 decanter;
fortunately, Vicki has become quite adept at using
the internet to spot possible copies, fakes...and this
one has been copied too often to risk...

Obviously a former owner had been rubbing the tip for good luck...

This space (and many others) available; memories of selling at the
Palo Alto High School flea market once...

Innovative raingear

Largest parsnips ever, so far

Tons of Turkish/Syrian goodies

We decided to have lunch at a resto under
a heated awning, an Argentine steak 
house; but not steak, pimped or not

Vicki's Wiener Schnitzel

My cioppino, one of the best ever (Italy's not that far away)

Vienna Out-Takes, 1

 Scenes, incidents, curiosities, etc., that did not fit the narrative thread...

At an auto parts store near us, a vending machine
that sells motor oil

Neighborhood book box on a bicycle

Really is a bicyclists' town

Vienna bicyclists are not as numerous as Berlin's, but they are
equally observant of bike lanes, traffic laws, etc.

Most every patch of grass has one of these; €50
fine for not picking up your doggie's droppings

Back in 2012, it was only €36

Extra large anti-pigeon spikes

No, it's not a CIA torture facility...

It's a Thai fumei massage facility

Yes, there will be a post on extraterrestrial alien from outer space
caryatids...

Another view of the Uniqa building... I Googled
"Dancing House Vienna" and sure enough it came
up

Peyronie's disease also affects stanchions

At one of the university buildings we happened to visit

Gummy Bear store

Special wine for RVers

They're not allowed to call it "Budweiser" in this land where the
real and original Budweiser is available; just "American Bud"

Plague Monument, 17th century...not the Big One
nor the more recent one

Lots of excellent signage all around; sometimes in
English, too

Hand-made sardine shop...another micro-niche market

Tow-car for our next RV

Vienna Out-Takes, 2

 More incidents, curiosities...

Interesting variety of pedestrian traffic signals

Most of the public sculpture is of the Empire, neo-classical, statues
and monuments; but there is occasional contemporary stuff

Vienna River, its walls much tagged

Not your usual imbecilic tagging though: here's a political/economic
statement...the state printing money

Here, obviously, someone is working on a Klimt

Vicki and I are park bench connoisseurs--it comes with age--and
we have sampled park benches all over the world--and no place
compares with Vienna's park benches' quality and quantity...this
line goes on as far as the eye can see, and it's just one lane in a huge
city park

Great promise, died way young

The Waltz King

Extremely rare dorsal view of the Waltz King

The "can't miss" toilet (in a park public toilet)
the bowl is nearly 3 feet across; the seat is suspended
way above the bowl, but descends into place at the
flick of a switch; designed by a female?

At one of the Wagner subway stations...the subway cops are
waiting to nab any riders who can't produce a valid ticket--such 
as the couple on the right

At one of the waltzing venues

St. Charles church, over the top Baroque we did on a previous
visit 

Including this abomination

Apparently the only piece of music you have to know in order
to be a professional musician in Europe...Vivaldi's Four Seasons,
played in at least 10 venues nightly in every European capital;
no exaggeration

Just as I was snarking on this, we come upon this sad reminder
that Vivaldi ended his days in Vienna, last month's flavor, apparently,
dying a pauper

Vienna's answer to the Portsmouth Sinfonia?