25 February 08
(Shot from inside a moving train)

One of the famous playplace for kids, Praterstern. The big Riesenrad (Ferris/Giant wheel) has become a Viennese icon much like the London Eye or Tokyo's Big-O or the Singapore Flyer. Apart from the Ferris wheel the kids really enjoy the features of a Carnival, Chuck; there's a merry go round! =P

Since tomorrow is theme day, I'm guessing it will be hard to pick again which photo I should upload so I'd be posting one now.

The kids picking up stones by the lakeside. The lake is of course, Vienna's Danube river.

2 April 2005

15 June 07

The girls are having their face painted during a summer Family picnic hosted by a kindergarten. Grass covered grounds are also a welcome sight for kids, for they know they could run as much as they want until they sweat and tires.

Boys, on the other hand, are in training already to be the next big football star! Which we are reminded, October is a busy month for the Vienna stadium, as the city hosts the 2008 UEFA Cup (Union of European Football Associations). The U2 trainline has undergone construction following the route to the Vienna Stadium and is expected to be finished before October.

(These 2 photos courtesy of hubby.)

27 October 07

For a child in Vienna, boredom is a word not included in their dictionary. Child-development and well-being is very much a key concern in this city. Aside from a lot of cultural (arts, music, dance), and sports development programs, play is an everyday enjoyment for all kids. The city sees to it that every neighborhood has a playground. Sometimes, not just one. In our area alone, there is a playground just a minute's walk from the door of the building. Another is on the opposite side where you just cross a pedestrian lane. Walk on the other cluster of buildings and there'd be more playgrounds, complete with slides, seesaw and swings. There'd also be a big sandbox in which contents are replaced on certain intervals.

Rides (animals and vehicles) are also prolific, not just in the malls but also on the streets. Also, family fun parks have been sprouting in each district which promises really great enjoyment for the kids. I'd post photos of them than bore you with the stories...smile! =)

19 March 08

What could the attendant be doing? She's checking if there are still passengers boarding the train...she then signals the operator to go if everyone's safely in.

Below you could see more events posters at the passageway, some of them I have long planned to see but can't. Two unrelated posts for today....hmm, well, server is unaccesible and I have to make use of what I have in flickr or my notebook lol. Have a happy weekend everyone!

20 March 2008

Theme day is just around the corner so I decided to put this other photo that depicted March's Grafitti theme. This is at one side of the Landstrasse station where local, national and airport trains stops. I haven't looked much into the 'art' but they all seem to be animals or animal-like in some way. (Chuck, see there are people walking too!)

Below is the passageway of the ÖBB National train exiting to the local trains. Definitely the perfect place to put your ads!

20 March 08

Aside from the people seen in photo, disabled persons and strollers have their own places in the trains.

Below is the screen that shows which would be the next or current stop. Panaderos, HK trains are still way cooler! no?

8 May 2004

25 March 08

Snow in Spring.

As I was so sleepy yesterday, I was only able to write the phrase above aside from the date the photos were taken. =D As I have written in the comment, the first photo is a view from our north window while the second is by the east window. I was inside when I took them and we live on the 9th floor. ;-)

19 March 08

Map guides for travelling are available by the door of the trains. This include all trains, National, Regional and Viennese.

20 March 08

Mariahilerstrasse is perhaps the busiest street in Vienna especially because this street is where one could do all the shoppping! We used to live near here and going to where the shops are is really easy so imagine the money shed...

The Mariahilfer strasse exit seen above is located at the Westbahnhof of Vienna (what a gloomy day then the rain fell) where travel outside Austria through trains are also available.

20 March 08

Another subject I find interesting, symmetry inside the tunnels that lead to the trains. Shallow as it may, I am amazed how this massive underground tunnel has been constructed. I've seen the construction though of some of Vienna's newest trainlines as I pass by everyday but I still think the endproduct is not only a convenient way for passengers but a wonder too.

Above is the trainstation Zippererstrasse U3 Line, below is Karlsplatz station which is notorious for the smelly (urine) elevators. Karlsplatz is in the city center where lots of other trainlines, tram, buses, local lines abound.

26 July 07

13 March 08

He is one of the many sweepers around our area...the building behind is where we live. There are also pickers, I unfortunately don't have a photo yet, they have a stick with a clamp at the end to pick the papers, plastic or other garbages stuck on grasses or sidebushes.

On the contrary, there'd be irresponsible people (younger generation) who would without thought vandalize facilities like the photo below, that is locals and immigrants alike.

15 March 08

Today I chanced upon what and who keeps the train station clean and polished. =D Above, the traditional way of mopping floors and a sweeper/mopper machine. I was supposed to post also the street sweeper photo but home server is down, so he'd be posted tomorrow...good day everyone!

18 March 08

It was a very unusual day...it was a lovely sunny morning, the kids and I were waiting for the traffic light to turn green when small white flakes suddenly started sticking to our faces...The light turned green but even before we get to the other end of the lane, the sun was gone.

It didn't last though...When we went home saw this pigeon in the balcony, with drippings around it lol. And below were some flowers planted by the city gardeners...little blooms in pink, light pink and maroon.

15 August 07

Janet of D.C. commented about the tram's wooden chairs last time, she remembered these are the ones that pinches you (lol). The wooden chairs can be seen on older trams and trains.

Below are the covered seats which tends to be smelly when it gets wet (of what, you guess). So no to wooden chairs, no to covered seats, comes the leathery new seats...not as hard as wood and won't get smelly as cloth! I'd post one as soon as I get a photo, I did rode a tram 2 days ago with leather seats and new stickers but was out of battery. Toinks!

12 February 08

9 March 08

Above photo is inside the Wiener Linien, the city train transportation system. I was sitting in the special area for those in the identifying stickers. Well, I have my son's stroller and I can also have him sit on my lap in case he cries. This is also the area for the bicycles. By the door is a sticker photo of a stroller, on other doors (3 wagons, each has 3 doors) are bicycle stickers but just the same, those 3 areas by the door are for strollers and bikes.

Below is the inside of the ÖBB Schnellbahn line (new trains), they have bigger capacity than the wagon above being that of a national railway system.

25 February 08

4 February 2008

12 March 2008

Just taking a little break from the transportation system =D. I've been having headaches for sometime now...I guess it has to do with the weather and the rain that poured suddenly or the medicine I took that got me complications or the many stuff in my head that confuses themselves which one I should think of first...

I'm just glad that I get to see beautiful flowers around that makes me at ease, somehow. The plum flowers (ume) look almost the same as cherry blossoms (sakura, my fave flower)...In Japanese culture, they play much during weddings and other occasions. It is about this time of the year too that they celebrate the Plum Blossom Festival.

Below is the actual size of a plum blossom.

8 May 2004

Each vehicle under the Vienna transportation system has this standard sticker, a 'give the seat priority' to the pregnant, those with kids, the disabled and the elderly. Sometime last year, or was it in 2006, this has raised some issues and there were new stickers that were imprinted. With the pregnant woman unchanged (of course), she is now accompanied by a man with a child, a disabled woman and an older woman...Might as well get a photo of that soon, I don't remember taking one...

Anyway, below is the face of the lowered street cars =) The first (wagon) just behind the operator is reserved for wheelchairs.

26 July 2007

A fine summer day while waiting for the bus. This is the 31A busline endstation at the 22nd district, this is also the U1 Trainline station Kagraner Platz. There are a number more of buslines and another tramline in some 'way' connecting the city by its transportation.

The 31A bus travels from here to 18 stops more until the 21st district's endstation. Our stop is on the 17th. I really admire how the city engineers and the Wiener Linien did well with planning the city's transportation system...

Below: the 3 stooges always having fun on a bus ride, my youngest wouldn't stay in his stroller...

27 August 07

22 February 08

I was supposed to blog about the buses today but as I was browsing through my phone camera photos (I love Sony Ericsson phones!), I saw these 2 odd things.

Above photo I believe is a campaign for Lindt Chocolates as locals celebrate their spring festival with eggs and bunnies, not only chocolates are shaped as such but this Smart carrabbit as well.

I saw this motorcycle laying down recklessly behind a car. It was situated very near the car's rear so I was thinking either the car bumped into it or someone was trying to ride away with it.

27 February 08

12 February 08

How many of us has at one point posted the 'faces' of trams, trains and buses in DP? Well. today I'm posting the back of a tram instead of the face =D (notice my shadow there lol)

This tram (Straßenbahn), is the new and lowered version, I say lowered because like the trains from two days ago, there are still trams with steps (elevated from platform) like the one below. This is not very convenient for the older people or the physically challenged or for a mom like me hehe.

1 February 08 at sundown

24 February 08

For some reasons, I cannot find my photos regarding Wiener Linien trams so here I am posting Ubahn (underground) stations at the U6 line.

Above (like last time this photo was taken from inside the train), U6 Station Spittelau at dusk. At the background you can see Fernwärme Wien. The other line U4 also goes here. As mentioned yesterday, the city (and national) tranportation is really convenient, even the buses and trams provided by the city...as managed by the Wiener Linien. Tickets are sold depending on the time you will spend travelling, there are 1 way, 1 day, 72 hours or weekly tickets. For the locals, there are monthly and yearly tickets and the good thing is they are the same for trains, buses and trams. And you only punch it once (I am comparing to Paris where you have to punch your ticket at every train entry and exit). You just need to keep ahold of your ticket well so that when the kontrolle comes you have something to show, otherwise you pay a fine of 60euros + 1,70 for a ticket that you should validate then.

This one is the endstation of U6, Floridsdorf, where I take tram #31 to take me home. That's about 5 stops from here. =)

4 February 2008

The Österreichischen Bundesbahnen, (Austrian Federal Railways) is the National Railway system of Austria. It is government owned, which is a really convenient way of travelling not just in Vienna but the whole of Austria. The ÖBB transport goods and passengers by train, tram and bus, maintain the rail infrastructure, manage the rail network among other services it offers as a holding company. The tracks of the national railway is different from the Wiener Linien which is the local train system in Vienna (more next time). Though they would at some point have the same station at one place, making the connections to travel around easier.

The above photo is the newest among the 'faces' of the passenger trains. I prefer travelling with that one as it is more convenient than the one below. Having a stroller/buggy all the time, the elevated entrance is an inconvenience compared to the one above as it is levelled to the platform.