Japanese Garden in Schönbrunn

Ohayou!*

within the Schönbrunn Palace Gardens there is a corner they designed like a Japanese garden. 

In case you want to visit this spot at Schönbrunn: you'll find it right behind the huge glass house, known as Palmenhaus Schönbrunn.

"Japanese Garden" in Schönbrunn

Not that I am the most educated expert when it comes to Japan and gardens but this time you have to believe me: this (obviously quite interesting garden design) is a poor copy of anything Japanese.

See the small water pipe? (front, left)? A few years ago this pipe behaved like it was supposed to: a small water drop dripped down, then another one, and then another one and after a looong while, where was so much water in the small bassin that it caused a piece of wood to lose its balance and the water poured onto a lower level and the pipe began top drip one drop after the other. Now THAT's what I call a Japanese garden pipe gem. But this? Nah. The once adored, super cool Zen-water pipe no longer is. Instead the did ... what? Something weird.

So I did what I had to to lift my mood. I turned away, 180° to be precise. And look what I found:

You, who know me well, you see this and read my thoughts, right? ;-))

Have a good start into this new week!
Paula

*Japanese for "good morning"

DIY coffee pot cozy - reinvented design

Hello!

You remember my original DIY coffee pot cozy?

The last year has been successfull in terms of nice minimalism hacks.

Not long ago, I came up with the idea of a reinvented DIY coffee pot cozy design which works without the clothespin.

Those of you who had the pleasure the time to watch a woman get dressed get wrapped with cloth which ends up in a kimono, will easily see, where this comes from: from Japan.

Wrapping a woman with cloth, wrapping a coffee pot with cloth ... it's obvious!

        

A woman who wears a kimono somehow has this humble appearance. I guess that's part of the kimono-idea: wrap her up so she can't move freely.
There was never the risk of a freely wandering coffee pot at the Paula Residence, still I appreciate the humble look. This coffee pot is meant to serve us and it serves us well.

A Modern Tea-Ceremony

Sakura Sencha from Kyushu; teapot and bowl by Japanese ceramics-artists, available at Isetan, Tokyo; Semmeln from Spar; tap water from Rax and Schneebeerg (= spring water from the alpine region close to Vienna).
I know, the bowl is actually a matcha-bowl, anyway I don't mind sipping my morning sencha from this bowl, just like french would sip their latte.
Enjoy your drinks! 
Paula

PS: I hope the new header photo does not scare you. It was taken after a friend's wedding. I had been invite to take pictures of the couple in the park after the wedding and had to wear the wellies since I kept climbing around in the really wet grass and bushes to find the best angles for some unforgettable wedding-photos of the couple. My first reaction to the photo was "hey, that's really cute!"


Sakura Sencha Tee von Kyushu; Teekanne und Schale von japanischen Keramikkünstlern, erhältlich im Kaufhaus Isetan, Tokyo; Semmeln vom Spar; Leitungswasser aus der 1. Wiener Hochquellwasserleitung aus dem Rax- und Schneeberggebiet.
Ich weiß - die Schale ist eigentlich für matcha-Tee, egal, ich schlürfe meinen Sencha-Frühstückstee daraus, in der Tradition wie Franzosen ihren Latte aus der Schale schlürfen.
Genießt eure Drinks!
Paula

PS: Ich hoffe das neue Header-Foto verschreckt euch nicht. Ein Freund, dessen Hochzeit ich fotografiert hatte, hat es mir unlängst geschickt. Ich musste in Gummistiefeln herumhirschen, weil ich im nassen Gras und in den Büschen die besten Blickwinkel suchte, um das entzückende Brautpaar zu fotografieren. Als ich das Fotos erhielt, war meine Reaktion "Hey, das ist aber ein nettes Foto das er da gemacht hat!"

Sleeping in Takayama

This heater stands in the corner of a room in a former temple in Takayama, Japan. Four years ago we slept a few nights in that room. After a few hours the heater would go out and the next morning the room would be chilly. This was 2007. One year ago, we were so sure to visit Japan again this fall. We will go there again in the hopefully not too far future. Japan never felt further away, out of reach. I read that tourism collapsed down to 50% of what it used to be.

With Japan it's a mystery to me: all the people I met who went there fell in love with Japan. So there must be a lot of people like me, missing what used to be far away but still within reach, at least within 12 hours flight and a bit of saving in advance.

Japan and the japanese lifestyle has accompanied me ever since Mr Paula moved into my apartment. We share a mere 610sqm, a place, that used to be occupied by me alone for years, now belongs to 2. At my age women usually buy there first home, coming with impressive mortgage fees or they rent a place 3times the size of our apartment. Maybe it is my love for the japanese lifestyle, that I appreciate the limits this small space provides. And believe me: nothing enables the change towards a minimalist lifestyle more than limited space. Even though you might be surprised, how many hoarders do live in their tiny houses in Japan, boxes piled up to the ceiling, sometimes even blocking the windows.

Returning to the beginning of this late night posting: My former colleague at work who left one year ago and I used to play this somehow intimate game: Shortly after the onset of winter, when temperatures dropped by 20° within a week, we sat at home on our sofas in the evenings, covered with blankets, cold noses, no heating. Because we somehow wanted to prevail over the beginning of a long winter that lied ahead. In the morning we used to ask the other one if one had finally given in and switched on the heating. Reaching November was an easy challenge for the two of us. This year everything feels colder than it used to. I am not sure if I will make it til mid-October.

Have a good night and stay warm!

It's all in the Genes!

Niece at work, tons of butter in the mix

I could not believe my surprise yesterday: My niece shouted out "Ah, the princess and the pea!" *giggling*.the moment she glanced the piled sofa-pillows (without any bears on top). And she crawled on the pillow-tower, threw herself around and laughed " But I can't feel the pea! But I can't feel the pea".
This was exceptionally nice,watching my sister's youngest child and thinking "yes, it's all in the genes."

Picture taken from an earlier posting, the posting explains my excitement over the expression of my niece.

Yesterday we had a girls day "in" at my apparment. Mr Paula was away for the weekend and after taking family-portrait-photos at my sister's family (for christmas-cards), I invited my niece and my former Japanese teacher Y to my place. We baked "Vanillekipferl" the very old fashioned way:

First we peeled the almonds, so the Kipferl would be impeccable blanche like porcellaine!

The photos were taken by Y with her camera except the ones that show her. Thank you Y!!!
Then came the grating, oh my hand turned red, so hard to do by hand!

I enjoy this stage of the process the most!

I enjoyed it so much, I actually climbed in the chair! No, just kidding, I tried to capture an anonymous photo of Y, so I could publish it here.

Y rolls the hot Kipferl in Vanilla-Sugar what turns them into "Vanillekipferln".

Gambare!

Niece ended up dancing a "Gambare"-dance in the kitchen which was very entertaining!

Have to go now and to clear the final load of the washing machine! Meanwhile Mr Paula returned and enjoys the Vanilla-scent. Who wouldn't?

Have a good start into the new week!

Finding a Japanese Mountain around the corner

Horray!
Finally a new posting.

In my last posting I "promised" to show you some mountains from the south of Vienna. Here they are. We went on the top if the Ray, a "Hausberg" 1 hour from Vienna.

Let me explain how I found the Japanese Mountain in the South of Vienna. The ingredients are:

the way we went up on the top (passive mode with a transportation system)
the masses that went up on the top
the trail everyone follows, similar to the trail up Mt Fuji
the fog that arrived in the late afternoon
and of course: the deciduous forest on autumn colours.

enjoy the trip!

We were not the only with this plan. It took us over 1 hour to get up with the cabin and 2 hours to get down.

They handed out numbers similar to the system in government agencies ;-)
So we had lunch at the bottom of the mountain.

Finally, cabin 29, which was ours went up!

My favourite picture from this short trip.

The rock face was "covered" with freestyle climbers and and safeguarded climbers.

Suddenly Mr Paula beamed himself into the Rocky Mountains. At least I imagine the Rocky Mountains looking like this!

Oh, I almost forgot, the "Hochquellwasser" = spring water, which originates from high mountains which is our tab water in Vienna, originates right here!

So when you come to Vienna, don't bother buying bottled water in plastic bottles but try the tab water. It comes straight from these limestone mountians!

Conclusion after this "artificial nature experience": I rather not get up to the top but hike there. I missed somehow the nature-experience.

The contents actually date back from Oct. 10. This was the sunny sunday when Vienna voted for a new city government.
Almost one month later I can tell, it is going to be the first red-green coalition in Vienna. Which is actually good news after those decades of an absolute red (socialist) majority for the City of Vienna.

The reason I have been offline was due to work:
I have been away for a project related to my 2nd job.
After that my first job's boss sent me on vacation (it simply looks better in the balance sheet when employees spend their vaacation time before Dec. 31. Well, I must say I happily followed the order and spent one week abroad. I went back to the favourite place you probably already know. Recent pictures to seen here soon!

You probably know, but I tell it anyway: I enjoy posting and taking pictures. During my vacation I took a lot of "blog pictures". Mr Paula understands.

extremly

I was extremly happy, back then, when the sales assistant at ISETAN department store / Tokyo boxed my pot and the cups.

My home is surrounded by construction sites. A heavy springtime-rainshower washes clean the air and layers my windows:



Extremly dirty they are.

Perfect japanese pottery and dirt on the windows - a world of yin and yang

Hokkaido around the corner

these traintracls in the woods remind me of Hokkaido. though I have never been to Hokkaido.


This former Grandhotel still waits to be kissed awake again. Poor Südbahnhotel. I pitty your present time. And dream of your past.