Unreasonable

Shopping has ceased to excite me for quite a while. Spending money on the High Street just doesn't add up. In other words, THIS is not what I've expected to get after four years:

ugh. kaput GEOX shoes in their fourth year (shoelaces removed)

You think I am old fashioned, thinking that trainers can last longer than 4, 5 years?

You think, luxury goods have spoiled me, that I am expecting too much, f.e. better ageing? In the end those so called luxury goods don't seem to be that luxurious after all.

Calculated by "cost per wear" this pair of BALLY trainers was cheaper than any pair of shoes you find in bargain bins on the High Street.

BALLY trainers in their 19th year

Yes, I can see what you can see: these shoes do look quite old. Probably because they ARE old. :-) But: they are intact! No holes, even the shoelaces made it up to their 19th year.

Conclusio: I will remain loyal to the high end stores. The standards of luxury brands have probably declined over the past decades and that a future pair of BALLY trainers will probably not make it to its 10th anniversary. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  *shrugging shoulders* Time will tell.

Meanwhile I will focus a a new product group:

  This well curated choice did take me about 10 months. LOL 

Those 10 months were a pleasant sensory journey.

Apropos time will tell: over the past 5 years the steel crown aka timekeeper as pictured below has undergone various stress test: walks in the soaking wet Scotish Highlands, off-road tracks on dusty Siberian islands. Not to forget long bicycle rides on cobble stone roads on a daily basis.  

Cost per wear: declining on a steady basis

In the long tearm any cheaper alternative would probably add up, too.

Those nice Junghans Max Bill watches? I don't see them working on my wrist after 5-10 years, due to my physical demanding lifestyle. Renewing them they would force me to return to the stores, on a frequent basis. Yes, I call every 5 years a frequent basis. ;-))  ... which leads me back to the beginning of this posting.
 

Oh, not to forget: Being a fan of timeless, classic styles helps, too. Big time!. 

Remarkable Heritage

En passent, while riding my bike, this housing complex caught my eyes. It is a remarkable estate which dates back to the late 1920's. It was the time between the wars, when the so called "Red Vienna" offered housing space for a vast number of people in Vienna - approx 63.000 aparments have been built during those years.

Social housing in Vienna, a remarkable heritage, dating back to the late 1920's

The city of Vienna looks after those estates, not long ago they funded a project for keeping records, very useful for curious people (in German only). Those large housing complexes carry names, just like large ships. The one above is named Somogyihof, after the Hungarian writer Béla Somogyi (1868–1920)

Brick facade with a capital X

The reason why I stopped, went back a few metres and took some photos is the way the architect Heinrich Schmid jun. worked with the bricks. It is not common in Vienna. In Hamburg the decorative (klinker) brick facades are a familiar sight in the "Kontorviertel", a district where you find old office buildings, a district I am very fond of.

Not exactly "Kontorviertel" but still: bricks, Hamburg, LOVE! aka "Speicherstadt" (09/2013)

Good to know there is still a lot waiting for me to be discovered in my home town city, within environmental friendly bicycle-riding distance. What a win-win.


Happy discoveries to you,
Paula

PS: I'd like to continue on this path: posting twice a week. Keeping my fingers crossed, with a capital X.  

New Season

Hello!

Here I am, returning to my homebase: the good, old reliable blog.

I have been exploring the world of Social Media and I've enjoyed twitter. BUT: in the end it's always the blog which serves as an excellent archive, contrary to twitter, when searching for a certain photo, forwarding stories to friends or browsing through memories.

This blog has always served as a "Best of", at least to me. No matter how outdated blogging is in 2016, it feels right to pick it up and continue where I stopped.

Speaking of favourite places: a few weeks ago I went down South, the lake disctrict in Carinthia is just 330 km from Vienna.

Evening at Lake Ossiach, first day of the vacation, before tanning ;-)

I have visited Carinthia many times for many years, having walked on many frozen lakes. The Carinthian lakes are excellent skating "rinks":

Silbersee, Villach, Carinthia on New Years Day

This time I went there during the summer season, for the first time in ages. You can imagine my excitement. No, you can actually see my excitement:

Evening swim after a hot day at the literature festival. Lake Afritz, Carinthia, Austria

During the vacation the "40th Festival of German-Language Literature" happened to take place in Klagenfurt.

Very entertaining. Readings and the following discussions, seriously: big time entertainment. The festival takes place at the regional broadcasting studio and outside, in the garden in front of the studio building.

Stairway to literature heaven/hell*

 *depending on text & jury

Put "nerdy" in one picture? This! People listening to literature, 32° in the shade

Me, having an excellent time

Reading and re-reading at the beach the following days

Exclusive beaches in July (high season starting 2 weeks later)

The Wörthersee (Lake Wörth) is famous for ....

... its bright turquois water.

Happy people, nothing to complain about :-)

Free public beaches are rare in Carinthia, but they do exist. To my surprise many villages around the Wörthersee – the lake which is known for luxury and decadence – offer various free public beaches. 

The following photo demonstrates the wide range of colours and character those lakes in Carinthia provide: from tropical water (Wörthersee, above) to emerald green, mountainous forest lakes, such as Lake Vassach in Villach:

Another free public beach: Lake Vassach in Villach.

Enjoy your weekend!
Paula