{At Vienna’s Zentralfriedhof cemetery among fake plastic flowers and decomposing famous composers... I’ve never felt more alive}
.
Zentralfriedhof, which has become a real tourist attraction in Vienna, is the city’s largest and most famous cemetery where "personalities" such as Ludwig Van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Johan Strauss and more modern illustrious figures found their last resting place here.
.
The cemetery houses inter religious sections, it’s so interesting to jump from a culture to another: Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist (the first in Europe), it contains Russian Orthodox burial grounds and plots dedicated for the use of various Orthodox churches, and even a Mormon cemetery
.
I’m definitely inviting you to put Vienna main cemetery in your “things to do when in Vienna“ and come visit one of the most densely populated dead cities in the world.
This place - as many historical and monumental cemeteries- will make you feel amongst the stillness of history and you'll appreciate several interesting sculptures, overgrown mausoleums, and other sights that make it worth a visit
.
smartip ▶️ buy a map at the entrance gate and rent a bicycle to easily explore the huge site
{One beautiful skill we have as human beings is the capability to take a different perspective}
.
“Traveling automatically change the way you view yourself, the world and the people around you”
.
“Moving out and taking on new adventures will easily make you a better person, enrich your life and turn yourself into a wiser person”
HAHAHA
Bar talks.
The way you are, your perspective on others and what surrounds you can only change when you consciously work to free your mind from your ego, values, your current state of mind, social constructions and finally be able or at least try connect to others and self.
Traveling takes a bit of effort than an airplane ticket or an Instagram pic taken in an exotic place.
Take your blinders off if you can
.
.
.
📌 Visited “Beauty” a fascinating exhibition project by @stefansagmeister and @jessicavwalsh in Vienna, hosted at the Museum of Applied Arts, available through March 31, 2019. A multimedia and interactive display which investigates why people feel attracted to beauty, how they can deal with it and prove that beauty is not only ornamental, but beautifully designed objects automatically improve their purpose and functionality. I enjoyed this journey through product design, graphic design, architecture and urban planning! It’s good spending some time wandering around mesmerizing objects, colors, lights and artworks rather than another Christmas market.
In the pic, Sagmeister & Walsh “Color Room” 😍
{Vienna: combining conservative architecture with an unconventional urban edge}
The gigantic and quite romantic “castle” you see in the picture is a landmark in Vienna city center, that probably many of you been in Vienna did not happen to notice as it’s a bit away from tourist attractions. Anyway though looking as a fairy tale building, in fact this place was first built as a barracks. Rossau Barracks are today the headquarters of Austria's Ministry of Defence (strangely enough, the Ministry of Defence also covered Sport until 2018) but the Kaserne - barracks in German - is also a historic reminder of the 19th century architecture and also the turmoil in the middle of that century. It was built following the Austrian Revolution of 1848 when government wanted to protect the inner city from the proletariat revolts. It was then known as the Kronprinz-Rudolf-Kaserne.
The building has had plenty of varied uses during its history: part of it has been used as apartments for the homeless, part as a garage and part as a museum for a renowned Austrian infantry regiment.
It was then handed over the Vienna police after WW2, who now share it with the Ministry of Defence and part of the Vienna City Council.
Quick fact: The barracks was the subject of a painting by Hundertwasser called “Lände mit Rossauerkaserne” painted in Vienna in 1944.
The huge building rises between Schlickplatz and the #donaukanal quay and from down the banks you get a nice perspective of the barracks. The Donaukanal banks are also a perfect place for a nice stroll. The concrete walls aligning the #danube canal are like one long blank canvas, inviting underground artists to make their mark. Bridges and walkways are covered with splashes of color! For some of the best and most interesting works, check out the stretch between Schwedenplatz and Schottenring.
Extra tip: for nightlife lovers, down on the towpath of the Danube canal, you can find the #flex a leading indie venue and club since the ‘90s. You can experience all kinds of electronic music, its also famous for hosting small concerts from rap, indie rock, hip hop and all other kinds of music that will make you want to jump around a whole lot
{futuristic pompousness}
I’ve always been fascinated by contemporary architecture though I grew up in Rome, a city we all know doesn’t have a special inclination for contemporary/futuristic architecture; maybe my interest has something to do with the fact that I grew up in the most contemporary neighborhood of Rome, the EUR district, maybe it helped me a bit to have a deeper insight on more modern stuff..who knows! Anyway...when I’m visiting other cities I always try to put together some sightseeing and urban exploration to see new designs and technologically advanced buildings. And Vienna always gave me much gratification in this regard, this city knows definitely how to combine the old and the new.
I share with you some pics I took few days ago of the library and learning centre by @zahahadidarchitects one of the buildings that make up the new campus at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien) where the most distinctive feature is Zaha Hadid's 28,000-square-metre building and its large black volume perched over the roof and cantilevers out across a public square at the main entrance.
This structure houses the main library, as well as function rooms, cafe, and is clad externally in glass fibre-reinforced concrete panel. You can enjoy a walk around here, have a drink in one of the WU campus cafeterias and go poking inside the Zaha Hadid spaceship building!
Posting here again after 5 months of unplanned silence, despite so many new discoveries, new adventures, new meetings that I could have shared...BUT you know sometimes offline life do not merge with online life ➖➕
It’s been quite natural I have to say, as if I were suddenly tired of this media, tired of posting, tired of your posts and “lives” through a screen, through a filter, tired of your strategies, advertising, your daily “ode to self”, of you creating your own corner of influence.
I was probably sick of myself being here.
Social media provided a global connectedness, they say it has given us as individuals more control over our and others’ lives and how we express ourselves. But that is not working for me probably.
I’ve seen and learned so much from the troubled world outside in the past 5 months, and though I need social media for my travel blogging life, I’ve learned and appreciated working behind a screen, developing strategies, developing proposals and synergies, not necessarily been on the front line, not necessarily being here and share content.
So if being absent from social media - especially when you’re a travel blogger or writer - may be perceived as a non-professional behavior, I experienced that if your ideas and values are quality oriented and creative enough, you are free to be away from here, if you want to.
And honestly this place and its inhabitants won’t miss you.
Let’s stop overthinking now, I'm finally at ease and happy to come back here and share some thoughts and beautiful photos with you of all the nice places I happen to discover. 📸 Took this pic at Copenhagen airport few weeks ago; Kastrup is one of Europe's busiest airports, with a flight taking off every 2 minutes 🛫
Love this neon installation...could be my life motto #thejourneyison
Le feste di avvicinano e mentre orde di turisti si apprestano ad assaltare le città tedesche per i loro mercatini, io a Colonia ho trovato il luogo ideale, sfavillante quanto basta, per rifuggire dal tram tram e mescolarmi con la gente del posto: è il quartiere belga di Colonia! Scopri perchè mi ha rapita…
La mia attrazione per gli antichissimi cimiteri non è nuova, mi capita spesso di riservare una visita a questi luoghi, quando sono in una città che ne ospita uno degno di nota. Apprezzo il loro fascino selvatico, mai macabro.
Vorrei tornare più spesso ad Heidelberg, mi fa ritornare studentessa e rispolverare il fascino delle città universitarie, dove tutto trasuda cultura: c’è l’università più antica della Germania (del 1386), ci sono le Accademie, poi non dimentichiamo che Heidelberg nell’ottocento fu uno degli epicentri della cultura romantica, c’è un centro storico che è una bomboniera, un castello, i parchi, il ponte vecchio ed un fiume, il Neckar. E poi c’è la notte, oh, la notte!
Sempre più spesso sentiamo il bisogno di lasciarci alle spalle un po’ di civiltà, siamo alla ricerca di silenzio, in fuga dal caos delle città, il lavoro e la vita di tutti i giorni. Se ti stuzzica l’idea di andare in un luogo solitario per smarcare la routine e provare l’ebbrezza della tranquillità e del contatto con il mare e della bellezza, un po’ alla Robinson Crusoe, allora Roter Sand è la parola. Continua a leggere 
