Yesterday: a Blumen selbt schneiden or ‘cut your own flowers’ field, with an honor-system money box.
There were lots of calendulas and cornflowers, but only a few red poppies left in the Sommerblumen mischung or summer mix row. In the next couple of weeks, we’ll have gladiolus and dahlias.
We were up there.
Looking down here.
Last week, we were in Vienna and climbed the south tower of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
My husband loves climbing these high towers. I do not — being both a little afraid of heights and a little claustrophobic. However, lured by the promise of a great view, I almost always follow him up. And I always think, after about 30 steps, how this is absolutely the last tower I will ever climb. . . at least this year (I’ve climbed two this year). . . at least in this city.
The view from the watch room (343 steps up) was tremendous. A night watchman actually occupied the room until 1955. If he saw a fire in the city, he would ring the tower bells.
Looking southeast, I spotted this pretty courtyard garden and took a few pictures.
After the climb down, we went around the corner, looking for the Mozart House (Mozarthaus).
We went through a passageway off Singerstraße and found ourselves in the same courtyard seen from above.
It was not the Mozart House, but the seat of the Grand Master of the Order of the Teutonic Knights of St. Mary’s Hospital in Jerusalem (or Deutscher Orden).
The Order has been associated with this site since 1204. The present building dates from the second half of the 18th century.
Mozart did briefly live on the premises from March to May 1781 — and Johannes Brahms from 1863 to 1865.
From one window on the courtyard, you can get a peek into the Sala Terrena, a frescoed room next to the chapel and the oldest concert hall in Vienna.
Mozart played there, and it now hosts the Mozart Ensemble Wien several days a week.
(Streifzug means ‘foray,’ ‘ brief survey,’ or ‘ramble.’)
The cut-your-own sunflowers that I photographed last week are now blooming.
(Streifzug means ‘foray,’ ‘ brief survey,’ or ‘ramble.’)
Like every flower, she has a little
theory, and what she thinks
is up. . . .— Frank Steele, from “Sunflower“
Streifzug means ‘foray,’ ‘ brief survey,’ or ‘ramble’ (if my online German/English dictionary does not deceive me).
These photos are from yesterday’s ramble or, more specifically, bike ride.
The sign says, “Only paid-for flowers make friends*/joy.” Sonnenblumen are sunflowers. These are not quite open yet.
Blumen Selbt Schneiden or ‘cut your own flowers’ signs — with honor-system money boxes — are not uncommon sights alongside fields in the Stuttgart area. These long rows were beside a walking/biking/farm access path near our neighborhood.
(On the same ride, I also passed a house with a sidewalk shelf of already cut flowers in jars and a coin box.)
The fields around the rows of cut-your-own flowers are filled with wheat, beans, corn, and grass for hay.
Also, as you can see, our weather has much improved since Wednesday. Temperatures are now well into the seventies.
*See the comments here about the translation.
enclos*ure 