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?

Bosch's Last Judgement Triptych

We had our fifteen minutes with it, by ourselves, before a video-team arrived. At the Prado, you sometimes have to elbow your way in just to spend a minute with The Garden of Earthly Delights. At the Academy the Last Judgement is just standing there on a podium, in a large vacant room, fully opened, no big barrier, no glass, no bullet-proof shield. I suppose you really could touch it if you were that kind of person. Anyhow, we had our fifteen minutes, luxuriating in the myriad scenes and mysteries, took some pix, and moved on, very pleased with our experience. Oil on wood panel. Dendrochronology suggests it was not created before 1482. As always, click to enlarge.

Sorry about the glare; there was no way around it in a naturally-lit
room

Left panel: at the top God, then battling angels, the bad
angels being cast out and turned into devils

Meanwhile, back in the Biblical paradise, Eve being created

The Bad Apple thing

And the Expulsion (into the dark forest...)

Central panel: God/Jesus/Holy Spirit assisted by
Mary and John, judging; the few who are saved are
right up there with them in the bluish mandorla/
bubble...paucitas salvandorum, multitudo damnadorum...
few saved, many damned, as they said way back then

So you'd think the central panel would be mostly about judging
and the assorted acts that get you saved/damned...

But no, Bosch gets us right into punishment

Piercing was really big back then too

Fun slide to Hell

Then, in the right panel, things get really bad

Parting image

As advised in a previous post, always look on the back side of
the wings for the grisaille images; these are what is seen except on
the special occasions when the whole triptych is opened

St. James, wandering

St. Bevo, being charitable

Me, doing my thing