Flânage in Vienna
Apr. 18th, 2013 08:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nanila posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
flaneursLast week when we were in Vienna, Humuhumu (my five month old daughter) and I decided to do a spot of flânage. We hopped on the #2 tram from Volkstheater and headed out of the centre of the city. The tram took us past an oddly-shaped mirrored building, below which I’d taken the photo of the dense graffiti by the Danube canal that features in the community icon. I made a mental note of the stop and when we turned around, disembarked there to visit the spot.
Then I remembered that the KunstHausWien was within walking distance and that my cousin had told me of an exhibition of New Yorker Saul Leiter’s photography and painting there. Humuhumu and I found our way to it by dint of my memory and helpful signage. She fell asleep halfway around the exhibit, which allowed me to sit and watch a little of his video biography. I caught the bit where he was talking about why he loved street photography. Here is what he said (may not be verbatim, but is close):
“I like walking, not go anywhere in particular, just to walk. The French have a word for it. I think it’s flâneur or flânage or something like that.”
I thought it was a strange and lovely coincidence.
[Image of a bald baby in a purple snowsuit on her mother's lap, riding the #2 tram in Vienna.]
Buses: Just the airport bus. Will endeavour to bag more next year.
Trams: 1,2,6,71,D
U-bahn: U1, U2 (end to end), U3, U4 and U6. There is no U5, for reasons which are not entirely clear. The U-bahn is a delight to travel on. Every station is accessible from street level to platform via lift, meaning persons pushing babies in prams, carrying large quantities of luggage or occupying wheelchairs need not dither at the entrance, wondering if they can actually use it. It runs on time, is safe and is relatively clean.
Then I remembered that the KunstHausWien was within walking distance and that my cousin had told me of an exhibition of New Yorker Saul Leiter’s photography and painting there. Humuhumu and I found our way to it by dint of my memory and helpful signage. She fell asleep halfway around the exhibit, which allowed me to sit and watch a little of his video biography. I caught the bit where he was talking about why he loved street photography. Here is what he said (may not be verbatim, but is close):
“I like walking, not go anywhere in particular, just to walk. The French have a word for it. I think it’s flâneur or flânage or something like that.”
I thought it was a strange and lovely coincidence.
[Image of a bald baby in a purple snowsuit on her mother's lap, riding the #2 tram in Vienna.]
Buses: Just the airport bus. Will endeavour to bag more next year.
Trams: 1,2,6,71,D
U-bahn: U1, U2 (end to end), U3, U4 and U6. There is no U5, for reasons which are not entirely clear. The U-bahn is a delight to travel on. Every station is accessible from street level to platform via lift, meaning persons pushing babies in prams, carrying large quantities of luggage or occupying wheelchairs need not dither at the entrance, wondering if they can actually use it. It runs on time, is safe and is relatively clean.
