More photos from Vienna

For the capital of a western-European country, Vienna is quite far to the east. Budapst is only 230 km further east. So although it's a German-speaking country, the city has vaguely Slavic feel.

View from the Prater. The structure seems to be engineered along the lines of a 19th-century bridge (but round).

Hills to the north of Vienna. Building on right looks to be a monastery/church.

 

The Turks besieged Vienna in 1683. Although the siege was eventually lifted, the Turks forgot to go home and still live in the neighbourhood we stayed in.

View from our window. Young Turks hanging around on the street corner.

Our apartment for a week: Webergasse 23

View over the canal

Getting on the Air Austria to go back

Views of Vienna

Here are some pics of this past weekend in Vienna. Saturday was Arianne's first birthday, so we went to an amusement park and did the only ride that is appropriate for that age. The Prater is the oldest ferris-wheel in the world. It's actually a dozen small train wagons that you ride inside. Later, Christine drove a go-kart, and then we both rode the "Sombrero" (separately), which pulled some real G-forces.

Riding the Prater

Of course the public-transit system here is fantastic. The old streetcars are still around with wooden seats.

Riding the #5 tram together.

On Sunday, the 18th I took the D tram north to the suburb of Nussdorf (Nut-town). I walked up the hill through vinyards where this year's crop of grapes was being harvested. It was a hot day and the view was spectacular.

Eichelhofweg

Peasants

The pointy tower at the left (the Donauturm) is the highest in Vienna. I went up it on Thursday.

The Danube

Off to Vienna

We are off to Vienna for 9 days!

I am going the European Summer School for Scientometrics for most of next week (September 12th to 16th). I am not simply attending the conference: Along with my friend William I will be teaching a workshop on the h-index all day Wednesday! Paradoxically, the h-index is both a widely-known yet rarely used measure of scientific productivity.