#Vienna Ring Road

[fitzrove]

The Crown Prince Rudolf Tour of Vienna

Hey, you - yes, you! Travelling to Vienna? Too much of a hipster to want to devote your trip to Mozart or Sisi things? Or just looking to expand your horizons even while you're doing the more traditional tourist stuff? Look no further than here :D I'm going to take you through some of the Rudolf things you can do in Vienna. (And some Elisabeth das Musical things as well.)

General Tips

Stuff you may find very useful to have:

- A public transport day/week ticket for the entire time you're in Vienna. Vienna public transport is generally awesome because of the short intervals (3-10 minutes during weekdays for most lines), and you can get pretty much everywhere by bus, tram, the underground (U-Bahn) and S-train, all of which are included in the Wiener Linien ticket.

- An international student card if you're a student under 26. I have an ISIC card and in some countries it doesn't qualify you for all discounts, but in Vienna, it works everywhere. You can save a lot of money on museum and theatre tickets! There's also something you can get called the Vienna City Card which gets you discounts as well, but you would have to calculate whether it would be worth it to pay for the card (depends on how many places you intend to visit and if they're covered by the discount). I didn't get it because I was interested in a very narrow scope of things (= Rudolf).

- Change in Euros. You can pay by card basically everywhere, but for souvenirs that cost less than 10 euros, it just feels more convenient to use cash/coins (and from what I gather, a lot of people do use cash to pay in Austria compared to Finland :D)

- There are combo tickets like the Sisi Ticket (Schönbrunn + Hofburg Sisi Museum and Silberkammer + Möbelmuseum) if you want to do all of the museums that it covers. I didn't get any of those because again, Rudolf priorities, but if you do end up doing that combo, definitely get the combo ticket instead of separate ones!

Now onto the actual tour stops. We shall start from the city centre and work our way through the city from there.

1. Hofburg / Rudolf's Apartments

The whole Hofburg area is super cool and imposing, so I definitely recommend going there just to walk around - it's completely free. You can also take tram 1 towards Prater Hauptallee from the opera to the Schwedenplatz & back (which I did) to observe the palace from the Vienna Ring Road, which takes you past many gorgeous buildings, including those of the Hofburg (and the Wiener Eistraum, a famous skating rink that features in the Affaire Mayerling musical, complete with its trauma-inducing snowman). But don't only do the overview, it's really super cool to actually wander around the palace area!

The most interesting area of the palace is the Schweizerhof. When you enter the palace through the big entrance on Michaelerplatz (idk if it's the main entrance but it's probably the most tourist trappy one) and walk through the "tunnel" (my English architectural vocab is failing me) to the main courtyard (Innerer Burghof), the smaller Schweizerhof courtyard will be on your left. From there, you can enter the Hofburg Chapel / Hofmusikkapelle (which has very limited opening hours due to it being an important practice and performance site for the Vienna Boys' Choir; it's open to tourists Monday and Tuesday from 10 am to 2 pm & Friday 11 am to 1 pm) for free (once you have entered the courtyard, it will be on your right) and sit there listening to some nice choral music. It's very quiet and off the beaten path imo, so it's very nice.

But the main point of interest on the Schweizerhof is, of course, Rudolf's apartment, located on the left side of the courtyard on the second floor (I think). You can't go in because it now houses the offices of the State Monument Office (Bundesdenkmalamt), but you can peer up at the windows >:D

2. Augustinerkirche

The Augustinerkirche is a stone's throw away from the Hofburg (4 minute walk), so it's very easy to get to once you're already there. Just go out through the Schweizerhof exit (directly in front of you if you've just entered the small courtyard from the main Burghof; visible in the photo above) and exit to the Josefsplatz (the plaza in front of the Austrian National Library). Walk across the plaza, past the statue of Kaiser Joseph II, and enter the church from a door on the west side.

The Augustinerkirche is where Sisi and FJ got married, but less famously, it's also the site of Rudolf and Stéphanie's wedding. You can go in for free and guided tours are forbidden within the church, so it should be quite quiet and peaceful. Opening hours 8 am to 5:30 pm (Mon, Wed, Fri) / 8 am to 7:30 pm (Tues / Thurs) / 9 am to 7:30 pm (Sat / Sun), though be aware that the church is in active use by the parish so sometimes services may be taking place.

3. Kapuzinergruft

The Kapuzinergruft is a three-minute walk away from the Augustinerkirche. Just proceed down the Josefplatz until it turns into Augustinerstraße, go past the Theatermuseum, make a few turns (Google Maps will help you with this better than I can) and you're there. You can enter the crypt for 7 euros (student) / 8 euros (adult). The price of the ticket ensures that it's quite quiet, at least on winter weekdays - I basically had it to myself for ~20 minutes. Remember that it's a graveyard, so you should avoid making any kind of ruckus while there. You can see the graves of many famous Habsburg personalities, but what obviously interests us most is Rudolf. His grave in the Franz Joseph vault is pretty hard to miss accidentally.

Do consider bringing him something. It doesn't have to cost anything (and perhaps you shouldn't spend a lot of money given that mementos are regularly cleared away. I think pretty rocks work as well as anything), but it's a nice gesture.

4. Theatermuseum

The Theatermuseum is very close to the Capuchin Crypt, so you can easily proceed there directly if you want to. It doesn't have much to do with the historical Rudolf, but right now (Feb 2023) it has the original 1992 costume sketches for Elisabeth displayed in the Mozart to Falco exhibition. In the museum gift shop you can buy the 2004 blue Elisabeth Vienna cast album (Lukas Perman as Rudolf) for 13 euros (cheap!), as well as the 2005 Vienna Elisabeth DVD & the 2016 Vienna Mozart proshot DVD and official CD. They are quite expensive (~16 euros for the Mozart CD and 30 euros for each of the dvds iirc) and not really cheaper than what you could find while online shopping imo, so I didn't buy them.

5. Raimundtheater

We're making a pretty large jump across town :D The Raimundtheater, operated by the VBW, is the leading musical theatre venue in Vienna. In the theatre you can do the following Rudolf-related activities:

- Buy Elisabeth merch (a wide variety of things from VBW productions from the last 10 years; when I went they had the 2012 and 2019 CDs, iirc 2022 as well, and the 2012 libretto. Basically anything you can find in the online VBW gift shop will be here.)

- Buy the Rudolf: Affaire Mayerling CD and DVD (don't) (XD)

- See a show in the theater where Elisabeth 2012 happened

- As long as Rebecca is playing: Meet a Rudolf/Young Hungarian Nobleman (choose your pick from u/s Vienna 1992 and/or u/s Vienna 2012) at stagedoor 😎 You can also meet several Elisabeths and Franz Josephs and watch Mark Seibert run away from his fans at lightning speed.

You should definitely join the VBW Musicalclub to buy last-minute tickets for 22 euros (available 2 hours before the show starts), especially if you're alone. The membership is 17 euros a year but just one good last-minute ticket will make it worth it. I sat in seats worth 120 euros in the 5th and 6th rows (stalls) and paid only 22 euros each for them, plus the membership. You need a bit of luck but it's definitely worth it, especially on less busy weekdays. The visibility from category C and D seats, at least those on the balcony, isn't amazing - you miss some action even from seats where it isn't indicated that there's limited visibility.

6. The Crown Prince Apartments at Schönbrunn

The crown jewel of the experience, in my opinion. >:] Take the U4 from the centre and get off at Schönbrunn station. Once you enter the main courtyard of the castle (on which the war crime that was the Elisabeth Konzertante Aufführung was committed), head for the entrance seen on the left corner of the main facade. If you go straight ahead once you enter the building, you will find a small unassuming door. This is the entrance to the horribly kitschy Schönbrunn Virtual Reality experience. It's also the entrance to Rudolf's apartment.

Watching the 24-minute VR film is pretty okay. It looks cool, even though it's not a great film for people who already know the history. (We only see Rudolf for a few seconds on the carriage to Mayerling, and then darkness, a whisper of "mother, forgive me" and two gunshot sound effects. Gross. Lucheni has more screentime than Rudolf and he's depicted as a whistling cartoon villain living in a rat-infested apartment.) I did learn new things about the early history of Schönbrunn, which was nice. But the important thing is that after the film you get to walk around all the rooms (at least if it's not super busy) and look at Rudolf's apartment!!! Only the bedroom is off-limits. It's not known what each of the rooms' function was (except that the first room you enter was his living room), but it's really cool to look at the 18th century bird murals, which were ludicrously expensive to create and took 7 years to complete (by only one artist and then his student when he passed away). The apartments were Empress Maria Theresa's favourite part of the castle because they were hot in winter and cool in the summer.

The VR tour only costs 8.50 (student) / 9.50 (adult) as an add-on to a regular Schönbrunn ticket. Definitely do that! The regular tickets (Grand Tour and Imperial Tour, and some combos that are available in the summer) get you a nice tour of the first floor of the castle, with Sisi and FJ's apartments and the glorious Spiegelsaal. I would get the Grand Tour because it's 18 extra rooms for only a marginal increase in price. I'm too lazy to google the prices rn and they might change in the future, but it was something like 20ish euros.

After the tour you can buy merch at the gift shop. Sadly, the Rudolf merch is limited to two postcards - one a photograph of him as a young boy and another a hunting clothes portrait photo from 1888. I think the latter one is super cute so I bought it :D You can also buy a Sisi themed nail file 💀

That concludes my Rudolf Tour experience. XD There are additional things you could do that I don't have personal experience of, so I'm listing them briefly here.

Things you could also do but I didn't do (and why I didn't do them)

- The Sisi Museum / Imperial Apartments at Hofburg. I read online that the apartments aren't very different from those at Schönbrunn, and I don't have a great interest in Sisi, but you could do this if you want to. Like in Schönbrunn, FJ has pictures of all of his children in his apartment, which is cute.

- Imperial Treasury/Kaiserliche Schatzkammer in Hofburg. I didn't particularly care xD It's on the Schweizerhof so easy to pop into while going to see Rudolf's Hofburg apartment if you want. Not free.

- Silberkammer - another which is next to the Sisi museum afaik. Again, didn't care xD

- Paniglgasse 19. This is a now-random building that once contained the apartment Rudolf bought for Mizzi Kaspar, his favourite mistress. You can go stand outside it if you're in the Wieden area (underground stop Karlsplatz) anyway to see the famous Karlskirche or the VBW main office / Theater an der Wien. The latter is being renovated so there's nothing to see but I did it anyway. I didn't go to Mizzi's apartment because I found the area a bit weird to navigate and was tired at that point of my day :D

- The Museum of Natural History / Naturhistorisches Museum. The mineral collection contains some geological objects of interest from Rudolf's private collection, as does the ornithological collection. There's a pair of white-tailed eagles on display that were shot by him on Jan 22, 1889, only nine days before his death. I realised too late that I should go and missed it - maybe next time. Tickets 16e (adult) / 12e (student/reduced).

- The Hofmobiliendepot / Imperial Furniture Collection / Furniture Museum. I was going to go because they had some Rudolf stuff (... including the bed he died in, which I find a bit gauche to display), but I was too tired after Schönbrunn and skipped it. Located at Andreasgasse 7, served by the U3 underground line. Student ticket 10,50 / adult 11,50.

- The Kronprinzengarten in the Schönbrunn grounds. It's named so because it's located right outside Rudolf's apartments, so going there will give you a view of the outside of his place & his yard, basically. Definitely pop over if you can, it's very practical to do if you're in Schönbrunn anyway! The gardens were closed for the winter when I was in Vienna. You can get a Schönbrunn Classic Pass (from April 1 onwards) to do the castle Grand Tour and visit all of the Schönbrunn gardens.

Thanks for reading :D Hope you have fun and please bring Rudolf all the rocks

[scotianostra]

James Craig Annan the pioneering Scottish photographer was born on March 8th 1864 in Hamilton.

The second photographer today, we Scots though are more familiar with Annan’s work, and that of his father Thomas.

James Craig Annan learned photography from his father, he joined the family business T. & R. Annan & Sons, in 1883. In 1883 Annan accompanied his father to Vienna, Austria to learn the photogravure process from its inventor Karl Klic. The Annan’s purchased the rights to the process and brought it home.

In 1887 after the death of This father, James took over the portrait side of the business as well as direction of the photogravure printing. His brother John ran the commercial side of the business. In 1889 the firm T. & R. Annan & Sons became the photographers and photogravures to Queen Victoria.

In the 1890s Annan made prints of the negatives taken by the duo David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson and produced photogravures from these negatives. The much travelled Annan photographed in the northern Netherlands and in 1he travelled to the north of Italy, there are also pics online of his photographs of Toledo and Granada in Spain. 

Annan was elected a member of the pictorial photography group the Linked Ring, London in 1894 and in 1904 he  became the first president of the International Society of Pictorial Photographers (‘Pictorial Photography in Britain’). 

James Annan died of carcinoma of the stomach at his home, Glenbank House, 1 Beechmount Road, Lenzie, Dunbartonshire, on 5thJune 1946 and two days later was buried in the Auld Aisle cemetery at Kirkintilloch. 

It was not until the late 1970s that interest in his work revived. Yet at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, when photography was fighting for recognition as an art in its own right, he was ‘universally conceded … to be “one of the ablest, the most gifted, most artistic of the really great pictorial photographic leaders of the times’

I think the internet again meant James Annan’s work was recognised by a larger audience, not just those that have an interest in photography, and anyone who follows Scottish history, especially that of Glasgow, will know of his work.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 5.10

Holidays

American Planetarium Day

Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day

AWS Smart Business Day

Bad Breath Day (UK)

Bear Witness Day (Canada)

Children’s Day (Maldives)

Clean Up Your Room Day

Confederate Memorial Day (NC, SC)

Constitution Day (Azerbaijan, Micronesia)

Dia De La Madre (Mexico)

Ependymoma Awareness Day

Fight Day (Japan)

Finger Face Puppet Day

Five & Dime Day

510 Day

Flower Festival (Azerbaijan)

German Shepherd Day

Golden Spike Day

Home Guard Day (UK)

Human Kindness Day

Indian Arrival Day (Jamaica)

International Day of Argania

International Monty Python Day

Library Legislative Days

Maid Day (Japan)

McHappy Day (Canada)

Mother Ocean Day

Mother’s Day (El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico)

Move for Health Day

National Bonsai Day

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National Cactus Day

National Canine Companion Graduation Day

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National Day of Action Against Anti-Asian Racism (Canada)

National Lipid Day

National Mangrove Day (Thailand)

National School Nurse Day

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National Tree Growing Day (Kenya)

National Washington Day

Native American Day (Indiana)

Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day

One Day Without Shoes

Pastele Blajinilor (Memory/Parent’s Day; Moldova)

Resistance and Liberation Day (Lebanon)

Ring Day

Royal Ploughing Ceremony (Thailand)

Skunks Born Day

Stay Up All Night Night

Tag des Buches (Book Day; Germany)

Thrift Day (French Republic)

Tower Technician Appreciation Day

Trust Your Intuition Day

Whacking Day (The Simpsons)

Windmill Day

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Food & Drink Celebrations

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National Liver and Onions Day

National Shrimp Day

World Poultry Day

Independence & Related Days

Constitution Day (Micronesia)

Hashima (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Romania (from Ottoman Empire, 1877)

2nd Friday in May

Child Care Provider Appreciation Day (a.k.a. Provider Appreciation Day) [Friday before Mother's Day]

Dia de la Madre (El Salvador) [2nd Friday]

Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks A Voice [2nd Friday]

Flashback Friday [Every Friday]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

International Professional Drivers Day [2nd Friday]

Military Spouse Day [Friday before Mother's Day]

Miniskirt Day [2nd Friday]

Mother’s Day (Guatemala; Women Employees only) [2nd Friday]

Mother’s Day (Mexico) [2nd Friday]

National Public Gardens Day [Friday before Mother's Day]

National School Communications Day [2nd Friday]

Shades Day [Friday closest to 5.15]

Working Mother’s Day [2nd Friday]

World PICU Day [2nd Friday]

Weekly Holidays beginning May 10 (1st Full Week)

National Public Gardens Week (thru 5.19) [Begins Friday before Mother’s Day]

UN Global Road Safety Week (thru 5.14)

Universal Family Week (thru 5.16)

Festivals Beginning May 10, 2024

BBQ & Barrels (Owensboro, Kentucky) [thru 5.11]

Canadian Tulip Festival (Ottawa, Canada) [thru 5.20]

Canby Brewfest (Canby, Oregon) [thru 5.11]

FedCon (Bonn, Germany) [thru 5.12]

Genuss Festival (Vienna Culinary Festival; Vienna, Austria) [thru 5.12]

Lexington Craft Beer Week (Lexington, Kentucky) [thru 5.19]

McAlester Italian Festival (McAlester, Oklahoma) [thru 5.11]

Mesick Mushroom Festival (Mesick, Michigan) [thru 5.12]

Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival (Portland, Tennessee) [thru 5.11]

Norfolk & Norwich Festival (Norwich, UK) [thru 5.26]

Piney Woods Wine Trail Festival (Lindale, Texas) [thru 5.11]

Rochester Lilac Festival (Rochester, New York) [thru 5.19]

Shepherds Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival (Lake Elmo, Minnesota) [thru 5.12]

Smoke on the Lake BBQ Festival (Acworth, Georgia) [thru 5.11]

Texas Crab Festival (Crystal Beach, Texas) [thru 5.12]

Vintage & Vino (Queen Creek, Arizona) [thru 5.12]

The WhiskyX (Boston, Massachusetts)

Feast Days

Alphius, Philadelphus and Cyrinus (Christian; Martyrs)

Antonius, Archbishop of Florence (Christian; Saint)

Aurelian of Limoges (Christian; Saint)

Calepodius (Christian; Saint)

Catald (a.k.a. Cathal; Christian; Saint)

Comgall (Christian; Saint)

Damien of Molokai (Christian; Saint)

Desmond MacNamara (Artology)

Feast of the Wedding of Shiva & Meenakshi (India; Everyday Wicca)

Fido (Muppetism)

Galepodius (Christian; Martyr)

Gordian and Epimachus (Christian; Martyrs)

Hannibal (Positivist; Saint)

Incense to Bring Love Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Job the Patriarch (Roman Catholic Church, pre-1969 calendar)

John of Ávila (Christian; Saint)

John Holmes Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Konstantinos Parthenis (Artology)

Lemuralia, Day 2 (Ancient Rome; Dedicated to Eradicating Malevolent Spirits of the Dead)

Lofn’s Blot (Pagan)

Mutant Awareness Day (Pastafarian)

Paul Wunderlich (Artology)

Rosalia (Ancient Roman Memorial Day)

Solangia (Christian; Virgin & Martyr)

Tin Hat Day (Chinese Goddess of the North Star; Hong Kong)

Wolverine Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lemuria (Day 2 of 3; Ancient Rome) [Unlucky to Marry]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [22 of 37]

Premieres

Alligator Crawl, recorded by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven (Song; 1927)

All Things Bright and Beautiful, by James Herriot (Novel; 1975)

The Cider House Rules, by John Irving (Novel; 1985)

Cold Comfort Farm (Film; 1996)

Computer World, by Kraftwerk (Album; 1981)

Dorsai!, by Gordon R. Dickson (Novel; 1959)

Farm Frolics (WB MM Cartoon; 1941)

Feather Bluster (WB MM Cartoon; 1958)

Fish Follies (Phantasies Cartoon; 1940)

The Flowers of Buffoonery, by Osamu Dazai (Novel; 1935)

For a Few Dollars More (Film; 1967)

Gatsby (Film; 2013)

Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (Novel; 1990)

Guntram, by Richard Strauss (Opera; 1894)

The Hot Rock, by Donald E. Westlake (Novel; 1970)

In Dutch (Disney Cartoon; 1946)

I Shot the Sheriff, recorded by Eric Clapton (Song; 1974)

Last and First Men, by Olaf Stapledon (Novel; 1930)

Lovesexy, by Prince (Album; 1988)

The Man Who Fell to Earth, by Walter Tevis (Novel; 1963)

Misunderstanding, by Genesis (Song; 1980)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Film; 1975)

The Muppets Mayhem (TV Series; 2023)

Murder in the Mill-Race, by E.C.R. Lorac (Novel; 1952)

Patriotic Popeye (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1957)

The Pink Panther: Pink at First Sight (DePatie-Freleng Animated TV Special; 1981)

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (Film 2019)

Porky’s Ant (WB LT Cartoon; 1941)

The Professor and the Madman (Film; 2019)

Rabbit Transit (WB LT Cartoon; 1947)

Rio, by Duran Duran (Album; 1982)

The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien (Novel; 1978)

Sock a Doddle Do (WB LT Cartoon; 1952)

Tolkien (Film; 2019)

Twister (Film; 1996)

Under the Counter Spy (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1954)

Up the Down Staircase, by Bel Kaufman (Novel; 1964)

Weezer (a.k.a. The Blue Album), by Weezer (Album; 1994)

Today’s Name Days

Gordian, Isidor, Liliana (Austria)

Ivan, Job (Croatia)

Blažena (Czech Republic)

Gordianus (Denmark)

Aina, Aini, Ainike, Aino, Ainu (Estonia)

Aina, Aini, Ainikki, Aino (Finland)

Solange (France)

Damian, Gordian, Isidor, Liliana (Germany)

Simon, Simonas (Greece)

Ármin, Pálma (Hungary)

Alfio, Antonino, Cataldo, Miro, Quarto (Italy)

Maija, Mairita (Latvia)

Putinas, Sangailė, Viktorina (Lithuania)

Asbjørg, Asbjørn, Espen (Norway)

Antonin, Częstomir, Izydor, Jan, Symeon, Wiktoryna (Poland)

Simon (România)

Viktória (Slovakia)

Damián, Juan (Spain)

Esbjörn, Styrbjörn (Sweden)

Cormac, Cormick, Gordon, Job, Joby, Jobina, Max, Maximilian, Maximus, Maxine, Maxwell (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 131 of 2024; 235 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 19 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Saille (Willow) [Day 27 of 28]

Chinese: Month 4 (Ji-Si), Day 3 (Jia-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 2 Iyar 5784

Islamic: 2 Dhu al-Qada 1445

J Cal: 11 Magenta; Foursday [11 of 30]

Julian: 27 April 2024

Moon: 8%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 19 Caesar (5th Month) [Paulus Aemilius]

Runic Half Month: Ing (Expansive Energy) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 53 of 92)

Week: 2nd Week of May

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 21 of 31)

Calendar Changes

Ing (Expansive Energy) [Half-Month 10 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 5.28)

[live-the-fangirl-life]

i would love if you'd shared everything that might be in aelin's list in a world away, all the dream places she wants to go or already went ��🥺

First of all - I am so sorry it’s taken me so long to answer this ask 😭

Second - this list is in no way complete. I could probably double it if I gave it some more time (and maybe I’ll edit this post and add some later) but I wanted to answer this ask.

Third - some things listed are cities, some are attractions, some are landmarks or monuments…it’s really a mix of everything. And some major landmarks that cover more than one country are only listed once.

A World Away

So, without further ado, please enjoy

Aelin’s Incomplete and Ever-Adapting World Travel List ✈️

Antarctica

Argentina

Iguazú Falls // Patagonia // Rainbow Mountains // Buenos Aires

Australia

Melbourne // Sydney // Gold Coast // Great Barrier Reef // Adelaide

Austria

Vienna // Salzburg // Hallstatt

the Bahamas

Belgium

Bruges // Brussels

Belize

the Great Blue Hole

Bhutan

the Himalayas

Bolivia

Salar de Uyuni

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Stari Most Bridge // Mostar

Brazil

Rio de Janeiro // Christ the Redeemer // Amazon Rainforest // Lençóis Maranhenses National Park // Sao Paolo

Bulgaria

Cambodia

Angkor Wat

Canada

Niagra Falls // Vancouver // Banff // Toronto

Chile

Easter Island // Torres del Paine National Park // Marble Caves

China

Great Wall of China // Beijing // Shanghai // the Summer Palace // Potala Palace // Tianmen Mountain // Reed Flute Caves // Zhanye Danxia

Costa Rica

San Jose

Croatia

Dalmatian Coast // Diocletian's Palace // Krka waterfall park // Plitvice Lakes // Zagreb

Cuba

Havana

Czech Republic

Prague

Denmark

Copenhagan

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Quito // Galapagos Islands

Egypt

Cairo // The Great Pyramids & Sphinx // Nile River // Valley of the Kings // Luxor // Aswan

England

London // Thames River // Stonehenge

Estonia

Tallinn

Fiji

Finland

Helsinki

France

Mont-Saint-Michel // Louvre // Eiffel Tower // Alsace Lorraine // Paris // Notre Dame // Sacre Coeur // Versailles // Nice

French Polynesia

Bora Bora // Tahiti

Germany

Munich // Berlin // Black Forest // Oktoberfest // Neuschwanstein Castle

Greece

Santorini // Athens // Parthenon // Roman Agora // Acropolis // Mykonos // Oia // Fira // Corfu // Meteora

Greenland

Hong Kong

Tsim Sha Tsui

Hungary

Budapest // Capitol Hill // Bath Houses

Iceland

Reykjavik // Northern Lights // Egilsstaðir //Ring Road // Blue Lagoon // Vatnajökull National Park // Kirkjufell // Húsavík // Akureyri // Thingvellir National Park

Italy

Roman Colosseum // Amalfi Coast // Florence Duomo // Venice at Carnival // Piazzale Michelangelo // Cinque Terre // Pisa // Venice // Pompeii // Milan

India

Taj Mahal // Varanasi & Ganges River // Golden Temple // Agra // Mumbai // New Delhi

Indonesia

Bali // Komodo Island // Blue Flames at Ijen Volcano // Jarkarta

Iran

Hall of Diamonds

Ireland & Northern Ireland

Cliffs of Moher // Giants Causeway // Galway // Blarney Stone // Trinity College // O'Neills // Belfast // Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge // Cobh

Isreal

Dead Sea // Jerusalem

Jamaica

Japan

Tokyo // Mount Fuji // Wisteria Gardens // Osaka // Kyoto

Jordan

Petra // Amman

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Maasai Mara National Park // Lake Victoria

Kyrgyzstan

Luxembourg

Madagascar

Avenue of the Baobabs

Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur // Batu Caves

the Maldives

Male

Malta

Valletta

Mexico

Cabo // Teotihuacán // Chichen Itza // Cabo // Yucatan Peninsula // Mexico City

Mongolia

Gobi Desert

Morocco

Casablanca // Hassan II Mosque // Marrakesh // Chefchaouen // Sahara Desert

Myanmar

Bagan's Temples

Namibia

Nepal

Mount Everest // Kathmandu

the Netherlands

Amsterdam // Van Gogh Museum // Tulip Festival

New Zealand

Auckland // Queenstown // Kawarau Suspension Bridge // Milford Sound // Tongariro National Park // Hobbitton // Dark Sky Sanctuary // Waitomo Caves

Nigeria

Lagos

Norway

Oslo

Panama

Panama City

Peru

Machu Picchu & Huayna Picchu // Lima // Aguas Calientes // Andes Mountains // Huacachina

Philippines

Palawan // Manila

Poland

Krakow

Portugal

Lisbon

Romania

Russia

Moscow // St Petersburg

Rwanda

Volcanoes National Park

Saint Lucia

Samoa

Saudi Arabia

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi

Scotland

Edinburgh // Loch Ness // Inverness // Glasgow // Scottish Highlands

Singapore

Marian Bay Sands

Slovenia

Lake Bled

South Africa

Capetown // Johanessburg // Isle of Elephants

South Korea

Seoul // Jeju Island

Spain

Barcelona // Madrid // Sagrada Familia // Mosque of Cordoba

Sweden

Stockholm // Sweddish Lapland

Switzerland

the Alps // Bern // St Moritz

Tanzania

Mount Kilimanjaro // Serengeti

Thailand

Bangkok // the Grand Palace // Phuket

republic of Türkiye 

Cappadocia // Istanbul // Hagia Sophia // Pamukkale

Turkmenistan

Darvaza gas crater

Turks & Caicos

United Arab Emirates

Dubai // Burj Khalifa

United States

Grand Canyon // San Fransisco // Honolulu // Kauai // New Orleans // New York City // Seattle // Portland // Los Angeles // Antelope Canyon // MOMA // Las Vegas

Vanuatu

the Vatican

St. Peter's Basilica // The Vatican Museum // Sistine Chapel

Vietnam

Ha Long Bay // Hoi An // Hanoi

Zambia

Victoria Falls

[p-isforpoetry]

"The Waste Land" - What the Thunder Said by T. S. Eliot (read by Fiona Shaw)

V.

After the torchlight red on sweaty faces After the frosty silence in the gardens After the agony in stony places The shouting and the crying Prison and palace and reverberation Of thunder of spring over distant mountains He who was living is now dead We who were living are now dying With a little patience

Here is no water but only rock Rock and no water and the sandy road The road winding above among the mountains Which are mountains of rock without water If there were water we should stop and drink Amongst the rock one cannot stop or think Sweat is dry and feet are in the sand If there were only water amongst the rock Dead mountain mouth of carious teeth that cannot spit Here one can neither stand nor lie nor sit There is not even silence in the mountains But dry sterile thunder without rain There is not even solitude in the mountains But red sullen faces sneer and snarl From doors of mudcracked houses                                      If there were water   And no rock   If there were rock   And also water   And water   A spring   A pool among the rock   If there were the sound of water only   Not the cicada   And dry grass singing   But sound of water over a rock   Where the hermit-thrush sings in the pine trees   Drip drop drip drop drop drop drop   But there is no water

Who is the third who walks always beside you? When I count, there are only you and I together But when I look ahead up the white road There is always another one walking beside you Gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded I do not know whether a man or a woman —But who is that on the other side of you?

What is that sound high in the air Murmur of maternal lamentation Who are those hooded hordes swarming Over endless plains, stumbling in cracked earth Ringed by the flat horizon only What is the city over the mountains Cracks and reforms and bursts in the violet air Falling towers Jerusalem Athens Alexandria Vienna London Unreal

A woman drew her long black hair out tight And fiddled whisper music on those strings And bats with baby faces in the violet light Whistled, and beat their wings And crawled head downward down a blackened wall And upside down in air were towers Tolling reminiscent bells, that kept the hours And voices singing out of empty cisterns and exhausted wells.

In this decayed hole among the mountains In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing Over the tumbled graves, about the chapel There is the empty chapel, only the wind’s home. It has no windows, and the door swings, Dry bones can harm no one. Only a cock stood on the rooftree Co co rico co co rico In a flash of lightning. Then a damp gust Bringing rain

Ganga was sunken, and the limp leaves Waited for rain, while the black clouds Gathered far distant, over Himavant. The jungle crouched, humped in silence. Then spoke the thunder DA Datta: what have we given? My friend, blood shaking my heart The awful daring of a moment’s surrender Which an age of prudence can never retract By this, and this only, we have existed Which is not to be found in our obituaries Or in memories draped by the beneficent spider Or under seals broken by the lean solicitor In our empty rooms DA Dayadhvam: I have heard the key Turn in the door once and turn once only We think of the key, each in his prison Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison Only at nightfall, aethereal rumours Revive for a moment a broken Coriolanus DA Damyata: The boat responded Gaily, to the hand expert with sail and oar The sea was calm, your heart would have responded Gaily, when invited, beating obedient To controlling hands

                                   I sat upon the shore Fishing, with the arid plain behind me Shall I at least set my lands in order? London Bridge is falling down falling down falling down Poi s’ascose nel foco che gli affina Quando fiam uti chelidon—O swallow swallow Le Prince d’Aquitaine à la tour abolie These fragments I have shored against my ruins Why then Ile fit you. Hieronymo’s mad againe. Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata.                  Shantih     shantih     shantih

Source: The Waste Land Full poem

[inkvoile]

Who is the third who walks always beside you? When I count, there are only you and I together But when I look ahead up the white road There is always another one walking beside you Gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded I do not know whether a man or a woman —But who is that on the other side of you? What is that sound high in the air Murmur of maternal lamentation Who are those hooded hordes swarming Over endless plains, stumbling in cracked earth Ringed by the flat horizon only What is the city over the mountains Cracks and reforms and bursts in the violet air Falling towers Jerusalem Athens Alexandria Vienna London Unreal

—from The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot

[beardedmrbean]

1. Daily Brussels-Vienna night trains to run from end 2023

While the Nightjet night train between Brussels and Vienna only runs three times a week now, it will make the journey every night from the winter of 2023, announced its operator the Austrian ÖBB train company. Read more.

2. 'Keep your hypocrisy': Ukraine rejects Russian ceasefire offer over Orthodox Christmas

Ukraine has rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's offer of a 36-hour ceasefire over Orthodox Christmas on 6 and 7 January, Belga News Agency and Reuters have reported. Read more.

3. What to do in Brussels this weekend: 7 – 8 January

As most Christmas markets in Brussels and across Belgium are coming to an end this week, this weekend brings you club nights, exhibitions and a plant fair on the agenda this weekend in the Belgian capital. Find our favourites below. Read more.

4. On This Day... in 1861: Birth of Victor Horta, architect and Art Nouveau pioneer

On 6 January 1861, Victor Horta – Belgium’s most celebrated architect and one of the trailblazers of the Art Nouveau movement – was born in the Belgian city of Ghent. Read more.

5. Brussels creates new stretch of cycle path on Small Ring Road

Slowly but surely, the Brussels-Capital Region is transforming its Small Ring Road from a city motorway into a city boulevard as a new stretch of the city's infamous ochre-coloured cycle path has been created in the north of the city centre. Read more.

6. Brussels bakery again hides gold coins worth €500 in Epiphany cake

For many, January 6 is associated with Epiphany, the Christian festival celebrating the day when, according to the Bible, the three wise men Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar visited the manger of baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Read more.

7. Hidden Belgium: The best art bookstore in Brussels

The best art bookstore in Brussels has moved. It used to occupy a beautiful Art Nouveau building facing the Eglise de la Sainte-Trinité in Ixelles. Now it is located in a more modest interior close to Place Flagey. Read more.

[onmymasa22]

Wash clothes

Play guitar, play piano

Epilate, get ready for shabbat, mani pedi,

Clean bedroom, get rid of stuff, vaccume, sweep, mop, dust

Wipe down bathroom

Go through food in kitchen- fridge, cabinets

barefoot, sit quietly, stroll aimlessly listening to music, dont drink alchohol or do drugs

All nighters, skinny dipping, sunburns, windows down, oversized tees, flipflops, sunrises, sunsets

, fluffy socks, woven cardigans, spa music, sheer curtains, soft blanket, lavender scent,

feel the earth under my feet

Play board games

bake glittergelpens

Dance

Draw

Paint

Photography

Sit outside in the sunshine

Play guitar, piano

Listen to music

Read, poetry

go for a walk

Go to a cafe

Buy flowers

Bookstore

See a play

Face mask Facial

Wash sheets and pillows, drink water, deep clean bathroom and cabinets, shower, skincare routine. Deep clean bedroom, get rid of clothing, accessory or object that doesnt serve me

Eat hommade food

Clean out pantry and fridge of old food

Vaccume sweep mop dust

Buy flowers, start defuser

Go to bed early

clean you room, bag up what u dont want, garvage, strip your bed, empty underwear drawer into laundry, get stuff to make clothes smell nice.

Music:

Chart of 5ths

To know which key we are in

Learn major scales

Learn minor scales

Learn the fretboard

Learn the chart of 5ths

Diatonic circle of 5ths

Excersize

Run and strength training 2 times a week

Menstural cup

My excersize goal

Get past the difficulties running, that i begin to enjoy it with endorphins.

Become strong and look chiseled- six pack, nice arms, nice legs.

Good technique:

Stability, targeting the right muscles, control insentric- the way up and down, deep stretch.

Controled ecentric

Arms, legs, butt, stomach

Art museum

Beach

Comedy show

Drive in movie

Escape room

Fine dining

Go carting

Horseback riding

Ice skating

Jazz concert

Kareoke

Lazer tag

Mini golf

Netflix and chill

Outdoor camping

Planitarium

Quick date

Road trip

Spa day

Tacos

Urban city explore

Vinyard

Waterpark

Zip lining

Mona lisa smile

Goodwill hunting

Crossing delancy

Mystic pizza

Booksmart

When harry met sally

Autumn in new york

Dead poets society

Sweet november

Legands of the fall

Stepmom

Election

Sweet home alabama

School of rock

St elmos fire

Dan in real life

Meet mr black

Catch me if u can

All that jazz

Papergirl of paris

Love and gelato

Love and luck

Still life

Love and olives

Under the tuscan sun

The enchsnted april

Remarkably bright creatures

Summer wifh july

Conversations in love

Dear emmie blue

Gold in the days of summer

Summer friends

Brushing off buisiness (funny romcom)

Truth and beauty

One italian summer

Elysian fields

The postcard from italy

Tom lake

Summer love

Normal people

11 minutes

Love and other words

A little life

The nightingale

Happy place

Tom lake

Beach read

The summer pact

Summer on the island

Rome- perfume, glassescase

Amsterdam- perfume, gallerypostcard

Paris- perfume, vogue, totebag

London- mugs

Madrid- nuxe lipbalm and oil, soap containers

Greece- shells, ring

Greece- toofacedbronzersticks

Prague

Barcelona

Budapest

Germany

Stockholm

Prague

Portugal

Florence

Tuscany

Vienna

Versailles

Scotland

Ireland

Painting

Reading

Baking

Photography

Piano

Guitar

Sculpting

Totebag pencilcase pencils pens sharpener eraser sketchbook acrylics acrylicpallette brushes brushsoap watercolors naturalbrushes spraybottle jar brushcase

Totebag oilpaints acrylicpaints pencils brushes palette paletteknife brushsoap brushsoapbox sketchbook pens

Totebag pencils pens sharpener eraser sketchbook exactoknife scissors maskingtape

Guitar piano

Ink caligraphypen icecubetrays wineglasses drinkingglasses bottleopener

[mountedhistory]

Libra cities, some thoughts ♎︎

I was looking at a map today, and noticed how you in many cases can see which influences a city is under.

Libra rules round things, sweet things, beautiful things, and harmony. Here are four cities known throughout the world for their beauty. Notice how they all have one thing in common: they are structured in rings in stead of square quarters, or main roads criss-crossing all over the place. There is a clearly defined city centre. Beijing and Vienna are doubly so, as both China and Austria have a strong Libra influence in their charts, with Russia having Pisces and France having Leo as their sun or rising signs.

In addition to having the Ringstraße (Ring road) in Vienna, Vienna is also famous for its ferris wheel, which was the largest in the world for many decades. Fun fact; in Norwegian we call it a Paris wheel, even though it did not originate in either of those places.

I must add that in my personal experience, and in that of the founding dates I can find for Vienna, the city is Libra-Scorpio. Loads of things happening underground, death, bunkers, secret societies, monasteries and the like. But with a charm and harmony above ground that can't be other than Libra.

In Beijing's Forbidden City, you will find the Hall of Supreme Harmony, The Hall of Preserving Harmony, and The Hall of Central Harmony, which form the outer court of the palace complex.

Moscow is another clean, well-structured and beautiful city with a ring road. It is famous for its art galleries, luxury shopping and café culture just like Vienna and Paris. In addition, one of its top attractions are the Seven Sisters skyscrapers, Libra being the ruler of the 7th house of the Zodiac.

Lastly, here is a picture I took in Vienna. Justitia, keeper of the scales, ready to judge us all.

If you know more Libra cities, please add them! 👇

[brookston]

Holidays 5.10

Holidays

American Planetarium Day

Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day

AWS Smart Business Day

Bad Breath Day (UK)

Bear Witness Day (Canada)

Children’s Day (Maldives)

Clean Up Your Room Day

Confederate Memorial Day (NC, SC)

Constitution Day (Azerbaijan, Micronesia)

Dia De La Madre (Mexico)

Ependymoma Awareness Day

Fight Day (Japan)

Finger Face Puppet Day

Five & Dime Day

510 Day

Flower Festival (Azerbaijan)

German Shepherd Day

Golden Spike Day

Home Guard Day (UK)

Human Kindness Day

Indian Arrival Day (Jamaica)

International Day of Argania

International Monty Python Day

Library Legislative Days

Maid Day (Japan)

McHappy Day (Canada)

Mother Ocean Day

Mother’s Day (El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico)

Move for Health Day

National Bonsai Day

National Brand Day (China)

National Cactus Day

National Canine Companion Graduation Day

National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day

National Clean Your Room Day

National Day of Action Against Anti-Asian Racism (Canada)

National Lipid Day

National Mangrove Day (Thailand)

National School Nurse Day

National Ship Via Rail Day

National Small Business Day

National Tree Growing Day (Kenya)

National Washington Day

Native American Day (Indiana)

Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day

One Day Without Shoes

Pastele Blajinilor (Memory/Parent’s Day; Moldova)

Resistance and Liberation Day (Lebanon)

Ring Day

Royal Ploughing Ceremony (Thailand)

Skunks Born Day

Stay Up All Night Night

Tag des Buches (Book Day; Germany)

Thrift Day (French Republic)

Tower Technician Appreciation Day

Trust Your Intuition Day

Whacking Day (The Simpsons)

Windmill Day

World Day of Social Communications

World Facilities Management Day

World Lupus Day

World Orienteering Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Chocolate Fish Day (New Zealand)

National Liver and Onions Day

National Shrimp Day

World Poultry Day

Independence & Related Days

Constitution Day (Micronesia)

Hashima (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Romania (from Ottoman Empire, 1877)

2nd Friday in May

Child Care Provider Appreciation Day (a.k.a. Provider Appreciation Day) [Friday before Mother's Day]

Dia de la Madre (El Salvador) [2nd Friday]

Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks A Voice [2nd Friday]

Flashback Friday [Every Friday]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

International Professional Drivers Day [2nd Friday]

Military Spouse Day [Friday before Mother's Day]

Miniskirt Day [2nd Friday]

Mother’s Day (Guatemala; Women Employees only) [2nd Friday]

Mother’s Day (Mexico) [2nd Friday]

National Public Gardens Day [Friday before Mother's Day]

National School Communications Day [2nd Friday]

Shades Day [Friday closest to 5.15]

Working Mother’s Day [2nd Friday]

World PICU Day [2nd Friday]

Weekly Holidays beginning May 10 (1st Full Week)

National Public Gardens Week (thru 5.19) [Begins Friday before Mother’s Day]

UN Global Road Safety Week (thru 5.14)

Universal Family Week (thru 5.16)

Festivals Beginning May 10, 2024

BBQ & Barrels (Owensboro, Kentucky) [thru 5.11]

Canadian Tulip Festival (Ottawa, Canada) [thru 5.20]

Canby Brewfest (Canby, Oregon) [thru 5.11]

FedCon (Bonn, Germany) [thru 5.12]

Genuss Festival (Vienna Culinary Festival; Vienna, Austria) [thru 5.12]

Lexington Craft Beer Week (Lexington, Kentucky) [thru 5.19]

McAlester Italian Festival (McAlester, Oklahoma) [thru 5.11]

Mesick Mushroom Festival (Mesick, Michigan) [thru 5.12]

Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival (Portland, Tennessee) [thru 5.11]

Norfolk & Norwich Festival (Norwich, UK) [thru 5.26]

Piney Woods Wine Trail Festival (Lindale, Texas) [thru 5.11]

Rochester Lilac Festival (Rochester, New York) [thru 5.19]

Shepherds Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival (Lake Elmo, Minnesota) [thru 5.12]

Smoke on the Lake BBQ Festival (Acworth, Georgia) [thru 5.11]

Texas Crab Festival (Crystal Beach, Texas) [thru 5.12]

Vintage & Vino (Queen Creek, Arizona) [thru 5.12]

The WhiskyX (Boston, Massachusetts)

Feast Days

Alphius, Philadelphus and Cyrinus (Christian; Martyrs)

Antonius, Archbishop of Florence (Christian; Saint)

Aurelian of Limoges (Christian; Saint)

Calepodius (Christian; Saint)

Catald (a.k.a. Cathal; Christian; Saint)

Comgall (Christian; Saint)

Damien of Molokai (Christian; Saint)

Desmond MacNamara (Artology)

Feast of the Wedding of Shiva & Meenakshi (India; Everyday Wicca)

Fido (Muppetism)

Galepodius (Christian; Martyr)

Gordian and Epimachus (Christian; Martyrs)

Hannibal (Positivist; Saint)

Incense to Bring Love Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Job the Patriarch (Roman Catholic Church, pre-1969 calendar)

John of Ávila (Christian; Saint)

John Holmes Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Konstantinos Parthenis (Artology)

Lemuralia, Day 2 (Ancient Rome; Dedicated to Eradicating Malevolent Spirits of the Dead)

Lofn’s Blot (Pagan)

Mutant Awareness Day (Pastafarian)

Paul Wunderlich (Artology)

Rosalia (Ancient Roman Memorial Day)

Solangia (Christian; Virgin & Martyr)

Tin Hat Day (Chinese Goddess of the North Star; Hong Kong)

Wolverine Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lemuria (Day 2 of 3; Ancient Rome) [Unlucky to Marry]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [22 of 37]

Premieres

Alligator Crawl, recorded by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven (Song; 1927)

All Things Bright and Beautiful, by James Herriot (Novel; 1975)

The Cider House Rules, by John Irving (Novel; 1985)

Cold Comfort Farm (Film; 1996)

Computer World, by Kraftwerk (Album; 1981)

Dorsai!, by Gordon R. Dickson (Novel; 1959)

Farm Frolics (WB MM Cartoon; 1941)

Feather Bluster (WB MM Cartoon; 1958)

Fish Follies (Phantasies Cartoon; 1940)

The Flowers of Buffoonery, by Osamu Dazai (Novel; 1935)

For a Few Dollars More (Film; 1967)

Gatsby (Film; 2013)

Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (Novel; 1990)

Guntram, by Richard Strauss (Opera; 1894)

The Hot Rock, by Donald E. Westlake (Novel; 1970)

In Dutch (Disney Cartoon; 1946)

I Shot the Sheriff, recorded by Eric Clapton (Song; 1974)

Last and First Men, by Olaf Stapledon (Novel; 1930)

Lovesexy, by Prince (Album; 1988)

The Man Who Fell to Earth, by Walter Tevis (Novel; 1963)

Misunderstanding, by Genesis (Song; 1980)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Film; 1975)

The Muppets Mayhem (TV Series; 2023)

Murder in the Mill-Race, by E.C.R. Lorac (Novel; 1952)

Patriotic Popeye (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1957)

The Pink Panther: Pink at First Sight (DePatie-Freleng Animated TV Special; 1981)

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (Film 2019)

Porky’s Ant (WB LT Cartoon; 1941)

The Professor and the Madman (Film; 2019)

Rabbit Transit (WB LT Cartoon; 1947)

Rio, by Duran Duran (Album; 1982)

The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien (Novel; 1978)

Sock a Doddle Do (WB LT Cartoon; 1952)

Tolkien (Film; 2019)

Twister (Film; 1996)

Under the Counter Spy (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1954)

Up the Down Staircase, by Bel Kaufman (Novel; 1964)

Weezer (a.k.a. The Blue Album), by Weezer (Album; 1994)

Today’s Name Days

Gordian, Isidor, Liliana (Austria)

Ivan, Job (Croatia)

Blažena (Czech Republic)

Gordianus (Denmark)

Aina, Aini, Ainike, Aino, Ainu (Estonia)

Aina, Aini, Ainikki, Aino (Finland)

Solange (France)

Damian, Gordian, Isidor, Liliana (Germany)

Simon, Simonas (Greece)

Ármin, Pálma (Hungary)

Alfio, Antonino, Cataldo, Miro, Quarto (Italy)

Maija, Mairita (Latvia)

Putinas, Sangailė, Viktorina (Lithuania)

Asbjørg, Asbjørn, Espen (Norway)

Antonin, Częstomir, Izydor, Jan, Symeon, Wiktoryna (Poland)

Simon (România)

Viktória (Slovakia)

Damián, Juan (Spain)

Esbjörn, Styrbjörn (Sweden)

Cormac, Cormick, Gordon, Job, Joby, Jobina, Max, Maximilian, Maximus, Maxine, Maxwell (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 131 of 2024; 235 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 19 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Saille (Willow) [Day 27 of 28]

Chinese: Month 4 (Ji-Si), Day 3 (Jia-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 2 Iyar 5784

Islamic: 2 Dhu al-Qada 1445

J Cal: 11 Magenta; Foursday [11 of 30]

Julian: 27 April 2024

Moon: 8%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 19 Caesar (5th Month) [Paulus Aemilius]

Runic Half Month: Ing (Expansive Energy) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 53 of 92)

Week: 2nd Week of May

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 21 of 31)

Calendar Changes

Ing (Expansive Energy) [Half-Month 10 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 5.28)

[probestentours11]

Explore 10 Romantic Places in Europe Honeymoon Packages

Embarking on a honeymoon in Europe is a dream come true for many couples, with its charming cities, breathtaking landscapes, and rich history providing the perfect backdrop for romance. If you're planning your post-wedding getaway, our Europe honeymoon packages offer an unforgettable journey through some of the continent's most romantic destinations. Here, we unveil 10 enchanting places you won't want to miss. 1. Paris, France: Begin your European honeymoon in the City of Love, Paris. Take a leisurely stroll along the Seine River, admire the iconic Eiffel Tower illuminated at night, and savor gourmet French cuisine at quaint bistros tucked away in charming neighborhoods in our Europe honeymoon packages. 2. Venice, Italy: Lose yourselves in the timeless beauty of Venice, where winding canals and historic palaces create an atmosphere of romance at every turn. Glide along the Grand Canal in a gondola, explore hidden alleyways hand-in-hand, and share a kiss beneath the Bridge of Sighs. 3. Santorini, Greece: Experience the magic of Santorini, with its whitewashed buildings perched on cliffs overlooking the azure waters of the Aegean Sea. Watch the sunset from Oia's famous viewpoint, indulge in fresh seafood at seaside tavernas, and unwind in a private villa with a panoramic view. 4. Prague, Czech Republic: Discover the fairytale charm of Prague, where cobblestone streets, medieval architecture, and romantic bridges create a picturesque setting for your honeymoon. Explore the Prague Castle, stroll through the Old Town Square, and enjoy a candlelit dinner in a historic cellar restaurant. 5. Amalfi Coast, Italy: Fall in love all over again on the Amalfi Coast, where dramatic cliffs, colorful villages, and crystal-clear waters combine to create a paradise for honeymooners. Drive along the scenic coastal road, swim in secluded coves, and savor limoncello overlooking the Mediterranean. 6. Vienna, Austria: Immerse yourselves in the grandeur of Vienna, known for its elegant palaces, classical music, and vibrant café culture. Attend a performance at the Vienna State Opera, take a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride through the city center, and indulge in decadent pastries at a traditional coffeehouse. 7. Cinque Terre, Italy: Escape to the idyllic villages of Cinque Terre, where colorful houses cling to cliffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea. Hike along scenic coastal trails, sample freshly caught seafood in quaint trattorias, and toast to your love with a glass of local wine at sunset. 8. Dubrovnik, Croatia: Explore the medieval charm of Dubrovnik, with its ancient city walls, marble streets, and stunning Adriatic Sea views. Walk hand-in-hand along the city walls, dine al fresco in a hidden courtyard, and take a boat ride to the nearby island of Lokrum for a secluded beach picnic. 9. Lake Bled, Slovenia: Experience the romance of Lake Bled, a picture-perfect destination nestled in the Julian Alps. Take a traditional wooden boat to the island church of Assumption, ring the wishing bell together, and hike to Bled Castle for panoramic views of the emerald-green lake below in our Europe honeymoon packages. 10. Barcelona, Spain: Conclude your European honeymoon in the vibrant city of Barcelona, where art, architecture, and culture collide. Marvel at the whimsical designs of Antoni Gaudí, stroll along the tree-lined streets of the Gothic Quarter, and unwind on the golden sands of Barceloneta Beach. In conclusion, our Europe honeymoon packages offer an unforgettable journey through some of the continent's most romantic destinations. From the iconic landmarks of Paris to the hidden gems of the Amalfi Coast, each stop promises moments of magic and memories to last a lifetime book your Europe honeymoon packages.

[fitzrove]

1, 5, 15 for musical asks!

Thank you so much for asking!!!

1. What is your current favourite musical, and is it different from what it was at the end of last year?

Ahhhh it's so hard to pick :D I think objectively (how insane the themes make me and have made me for a long time) it's probably TdV, but right now (3:28 am on December 28th) it's LOTR because I've been listening to it on loop for like 2 weeks ajsjfjhk. Like it's kinda flawed but I love the music so much and it's giving me major nostalgic feels. Last December I think it was Elisabeth (or maybe TdV tbh, that one's hard to displace) but I think Elisabeth is maybe my 3rd favourite now so there's not a huge change :D

5. Did you see any live musicals this year? What did you think of them?

Yess, I saw a whole bunch of them!! Highlights include Rebecca (Vienna), Cabaret (Finland), Evita (Germany), Wicked (London) & Les Mis (London). I really liked Cabaret and Evita (both were staged in innovative ways), had fun and appreciated the casts at Wicked and Rebecca (both were staged in uninnovative ways XD) (ahdhgjgj half joking), but Les Mis kinda sucked (I couldn't see anything because I had a cheap balcony seat and a guy with a big head sat in front of me) ajdjgj. But the cast there was amazing so it's not like it was a complete waste!!!

In total I must've seen like 20+ pieces of live theatre ahsjjf, but some of it I can't reveal here because I'm not open online about where I'm living in Germany. I'm really hyped to be living there, though, because good and speedy train connections are making next year seem very very promising!!!

15. Infodump to me about a musical!

Oooh idk which one... :D Maybe something I haven't talked about on this blog a lot before but I really enjoy: The Lord of the Rings (2006/2007/2023)!!

I first listened to this one in like 2017, because I liked the books/movies and discovered that it existed. Mostly I played Lothlorien on loop because it's an amazing song and there's an actual proshot video of it on youtube and Laura Michelle Kelly as Galadriel is really sparkly and pretty. Then I listened to the rest of the album and the music is just great all over!!! It's done by AR Rahman (composer, multi-instrumentalist, winner of a million awards for film soundtracks mostly in Indian cinema), Värttinä (Finnish folk band - most famously creators of Ievan polkka) and Christopher Nightingale (don't know much about him ahdhf). The Finnish folk influence is especially audible in the songs of the elves, they have real ancient cattle call vibes sometimes (in a good way xD). But my favourite songs are actually the more story-based and cinematic ones that I'm drawn to attribute to Rahman, as well as the soaring instrumental sections. So I would rank my fave songs (yes, all of them are favourites):

Lothlórien

The Road Goes On

Now and For Always

Wonder

The Cat and the Moon

Star of Earendil

The Final Battle

The Song of Hope

That's most of the main songs actually ahdhfgjgk.

The show is flawed, like I mentioned before; for someone who doesn't know the story from the LOTR books or movies it would get confusing pretty quickly, and because of the size of the cast it's hard to get insight into many of them in such a limited timespan (Boromir and the elves other than Arwen and Galadriel fall especially flat). But I love the music soooo much and I'm so excited that it was produced again in 2023, and in such a cozy and compact way too (it was done in a 200-seat theatre with an actor-musician cast as a semi-immersive production). The London cast recording is on Spotify, everyone should listen to it!

[digitalandy]

MAK, Vienna

Located in a huge old building on the ring road of the city, this museum offers a set of different exhibitions and permanent collections all centered around applied arts. Beautiful all the fin de siecle furniture with a great collection and set up of chairs and then the build up of traditional rooms of the 19th centuries.

Beautiful a large work from Klimt that was decorating a dining room in Brussels.

Also, modern exhibitions on I.e. the sustainability of the fashion industry, are shown together with new video artists.

Beautiful the huge modern space in the back where an exhibition of ceramic and textile art is proposing big works from different artists.

[mostly-history]

Franzen Ring (Vienna, 1918 - 1930).

[viennacalls]

Vienna Ring Road (Ringstraße) - Old Photograph 

The Austrian Parliament building during its Construction