Vienna

The Upper Belevedere Palace - shown above - houses a wonderful exhibition of works by Klimt, including 'The Kiss'. In good weather, just stroll up through the gardens that separate the Upper and Lower Palaces, taking in the fountains and views back over the city.

My first impressions of Vienna were of its elegance and opulence. Why flank your doorway with mere columns, when you can turn them into works of art?

The staircase as you enter the Art History Museum, where you eyes are constantly being torn away from the art to marvel at the building itself. It's almost too much - impressive to the point of being intimidating.

But, being Vienna, you can also take coffee or a bite of lunch in the heart of the Museum - all done with a certain style. But clearly, nobody comes for coffee before about 10.30am, when this photo was taken.

And there seem to be such lively conversations going on!

In the heart of the Jewish Quarter stands this memorial to the many Jews from Vienna who died in the Holocaust. Rachel Whiteread has created an room full of books, but seen from the outside, their spines turned inwards. As with much of her work, it portrays loss by representing a space that is left when something is removed. Around the base are listed the various camps and the numbers of people killed. I defy you to circumnavigate it and not feel moved.

There is some remarkable Art Nouveau architecture. About 1900, Otto Wagner designed the Stadtbahn railway, of which this image is of part of the Karlsplatz station - which now houses a small museum and a cafe with remarkable cakes, or which two examples are shown in the left-hand column!

And here, flats by Otto Wagner.

But it is also a city where architectural styles of very different kinds blend together, as here at the West end of St Stephen's Cathedral.

The restrained elegance of the Opera House...

... and the baroque splendour of St Peter's Church.

During the day the centre of the city is filled with tourists and shoppers. Many take a carriage ride, snapping to righ and left. Notice the wonderful Art Nouveau architecture just behind the carriage.

Wandinging through the city at night, I came across this most appropriate of cafes!