Why Vienna tops the rankings of the world’s most livable cities is about attitude as much as anythingFor the mild-mannered “Zettlpoet” Helmut Seethaler, The Good Life entails pasting tiny poems on Vienna’s trees and subway stations, defending his right to do so in the Austrian Supreme Court, and raising three children. He has earned little via his poetry hotline,...
In Vienna, with so much arts and culture, design may seem like an afterthought. In fact, it's all around us, shaping how we live, eat and dressThe starched fabric rustles as it’s straightened, a tapeline whizzes – all you hear is your own shallow breath. The deliberate touch of rough, needle pricked hand steadies you and, after a few...
Exploring the Austrians’ love for travelingIn early 2009, five months pregnant, I listened in astonishment as my Austrian guy announced he needed to travel to Tibet for a project that involved mountain climbing. I reported this to my British friend Dave.Dave looked at me skeptically. “Austrian dude. Pregnant woman, climbing the Himalayas … Isn’t that Seven Years in Tibet?” I gasped. It was...
The LGBT scene has experienced a surge of acceptance in Austria, but it took a while to get here and equality is not yet a reality.Tall and tan and young and handsome, the boys crowding the two floors of the Why Not club disco, hidden away in Vienna’s Tiefer Graben, eagerly await the Eurovision fanfare. The atmosphere is joyous and...
