We went up the Donauturm or the Danube Tower,  the tallest free-standing structure in Austria. At a total of 252 metres (827 ft), it is the tallest structure in Austria, and among the 75 tallest towers in the world. There are two high-speed elevators that transport passengers to the tower's viewing platform at 150 metres (490 ft). Each lift can carry up to 14 passengers and it takes only 35 seconds to reach the observation platform. (I took a video but I'd post it later.)

There are two revolving restaurants at a height of 160 and 170 metres, or 525 and 558 ft up there. From there, you can get a good view of the Austrian capital and the Danube River below. It takes the platform either 26, 39 or 52 minutes to complete a full revolution - we've done this (hubby and kids) only at night - would love to come for lunch!

In the next days I'll show you views of the city from up there. :)


a post for Skywatch Friday.

My favorite flowers are out. Sakura/Cherry blossoms along with plum blossoms signals spring in Japan. Now as the flowers bloom hope blossoms anew. 

We would like to thank everyone who helped and send their donations for our Send Boxes to Japan. We have sent 1 box today with your help. We will be sending another one so if you have some to spare please donate...the button is on the sidebar. Again, Thanks to everyone (bless your hearts)!

You've probably heard the Parable of the Pear tree or in some version, the Parable of hope.

It is the story of a man who had four sons whom he wanted to teach not to judge things too quickly.

He sent each of them on a mission to go and look at a pear tree at the field. The first son went when it was winter, the second during spring, the third in summer and the youngest when autumn came.

When they had all  gone back home, the father called them together to describe to him what each witnessed.

The first son said  "I see nothing of promise about the tree. It appears old, and gnarled and has no blooms on it at all. I doubt it will survive the winter."

The second son said "The tree is very beautiful, with white blooms, but it seems purely ornamental, it has no fruit, nor any sign of ever bearing any. I doubt it will be of much practical use to us."

The third son disagreed and said "The tree seems to be growing and doing well, and it is full of leaves, and I could see some fruit, so I picked one and tasted it, but it was bitter, not fit for human consumption. I doubt it will prove of much use to us."

The father called his four sons back together, and said, "You see each of you have observed well the condition of a the tree at a particular season of the year, but your judgment of the tree was only partial, and made too quickly based on what you saw on only the one occasion. See to it that you never judge human beings this way. Never evaluate them too quickly or on the basis of one encounter, for it is unfair and unwise. Indeed all living things should only be evaluated over the course of time and after repeated careful inspection, for who knows but the ugliest and most unproductive of living things might some day turn into the most beautiful and fruitful."


Just the same, we can look at the left and see bare branches of trees but if we look beyond we see the beauty of the blue sky. We can see on the right that the sky is gray yet we fail to notice the beauty of a blue lake. It is our attitude towards thing that makes our day bad or good. :)

Enjoy the rest of the week...

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Matthew 25:14-30 (Amplified Bible)

14For it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property.
15To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one--to each in proportion to his own [a]personal ability. Then he departed and left the country.
16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he gained five talents more.
17And likewise he who had received the two talents--he also gained two talents more.
18But he who had received the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
20And he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more.
21His master said to him, Well done, you uprightand faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy which your master enjoys.
22And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you entrusted two talents to me; here I have gained two talents more.
23His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, [d]admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the [e]blessedness) which your master enjoys.
24He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain].
25So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own.
26But his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather [grain] where I have not winnowed?
27Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest.
28So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
29For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be [f]furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.
30And throw the good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

A typical view at night from our balcony, apartments lit up at 9 in the evening...the upper half of this photo is of course, the moon peeking out.

Not only is pink beautiful, it's more beautiful when matched with blue. :) The cherry blossoms are starting to fall off as many other flowers sprung. No matter, cherry blossoms, apple and plum blossoms, tulips, pansies, I just love them!

Ant's eyeview, I've been doing this kind of photos for the longest time but back then my Sony Dsc717 was the most accomodating camera for those shots. That particular camera has a lens that one can swivel, I can still view the photo via the LCD viewer as I take the shot. Now that I upgraded, it has been very difficult for me to do an ant's view shot so I just make my camera do it for me...At times, I'm surprised at the results and this is one of those ant's view shot I did the other day.