Wiener Melange/Last Vienna Post

Enough with my holiday snaps...

I'm now home in New York trying to digest all I saw in Vienna. (I sometimes think I enjoy my vacations more in retrospect.) Now I recognize many of the places in Merisi's splendid posts. So herewith, for my long suffering readers, a few little last glimpses...

The rose garden

reflections in a museum

more of the same.

Some elegant hats

and some suitably ancient writing

 Egon Schiele chocolate (hazelnut flavor). Who knew!

Some delights in an antique shop. Needless to say, I have several billion more photos which I won't bore you with. New York has been stunningly unphotogenic since my return. 

The bliss of hot chocolate

and country flowers.

Street Fair

London Terrace Annual Flea market

As I've often said before, I really don't like flea markets and old junk though I can quite understand why some people love the element of treasure hunting and the chance to take home a very well muscled mannequin....

a slightly halloween-y cape

an over-rouged figurine

but what's this?

a Grecian helmet! Gosh!

The antique toasters are rather beautiful.

Garden City Cathedral

This photo has escaped from the post below -- I just rather like her --and she's old.

Little Shop of Horrors

The Antiques Garage at 25th Street off  6th Avenue is my ideaof hell on earth*.

 Obviously lots of people love it

and dress up to go there. Outside of Halloween, I've rarely seen so many people in costume picking over the unwanted possessions, antiques, collectibles, bric-a-brac, clothes, toys and  assorted junk of people who are dead already, probably.

 I have too vivid an imagination, and start wondering where this stuff came from and what sort of lives its owners led. Who sat in this gilt, brocade chair? What are those blobbles?

And who sat on this silver stool in front of the magic mirror putting on make-up?

Yikes!

And then the tortured Christ-figures all ribs and blood-on-the-feet

not to mention the poor dollies boneyard. 

The mannequins' tennis party next door was almost a relief.

* Then why go, you sensibly ask? I wanted to sell some old china dolls. Failed to do so. and will never go there ever again. Karen, take note!

A Visit to an Old House

I often go to Long Island to visit old friends

and revisit the past.

Something very comfortable, especially this season,

 in things known and traditional.

Things reflected in a silvered mirror....

silhouetted in a small window.....

and decorating a hutch.

Season's Greetings....

A Railway Journey and the Old Curiosity Shop

Boring artsy photo on Guildford Station.........
I am catching a train to Salisbury.



But Wiltshire is very lovely and autumnal. The black blob on the lower left is Max, an antique labrador. Going for walks with dogs is a necessary part of the English day.



The hedgerows were resplendent with blackberries and red berries.



It was warm enough to eat lunch in the garden............



..........and admire the pink standard rose bush.



After lunch we went off to visit Tina who has an antique/bricabrac shop about three miles from Wylie.
To be perfectly honest, I have a horror of old junk.
I'm sure there are lots of treasures for the discerning eye. Apparently dealers come down from London to look through all the things Tina collects from estate sales and the clearing out of houses.
I liked her old corgi - which has very, very short legs - a great deal better than most of the things.
There were bone handled knives for less than a pound.



I was fascinated by the coronation mugs and royal memorabilia. Charles and Diana (!) Edward VIII, George V and Queen Mary.
When Queen Elizabeth's Coronation was celebrated I was given a coronation mug at the village hall in Ingrave. I dropped it out of my push-chair/stroller on the way home. It broke - needless to say.
One of my earliest memories.
Whenever I went to tea with little friends in the 50's, they all drank their milk out of their coronation mugs. Anyway...............

Prized Possessions

I'm dog/ house/ pool sitting on Long Island.
It's quite fascinating living in some one else's home and trying to understand how they live.
This is a very wonderful, comfortable house full of visual delights.



It makes me think I should polish up my silver because you get such lovely reflections in it.



Other people's things, both animate and inanimate, need a great deal of care and attention.
The picture above is of Joba (pronounced Jabba) who was named after Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees pitcher whom he does not resemble in the least.
The Yankees pitcher is bold and stocky..........which Joba is not.
Because he is my son and daughter-in-law's dog, I am reduced to a jibbering wreck of anxiety when looking after him.
"No, Joba, you cannot eat that quarter......"
Haha. I run round the house after him, frightened that he will swallow it.
What is that odd bit of chewed up red plastic?
Spit it out now before you choke on it!
How much more fun to have me running round the house in hot pursuit.........

Sunday on Long Island

Father's Day and we head out to Long Island.
On the way to family party, we stop by a friend's house.
June is wonderful for Long Island gardens - or in fact pretty much all gardens in the northern hemisphere.



Her house is a treasure trove of things to delight the eye.
Here a tray of shells and beach things and pine cones.



And an old clock near some Chinese figurines..........



My friend's latest scheme is to buy up lots of tea cup and saucers and art vases and so on and sell them on e-bay.
This seems like a lot of work to me.
She says because I'm English I could give little talks on the art of giving tea parties. She once had me give a talk on English flower arranging. I am her English resource.
But so many charming cups all together all at once.................



She also has a wonderful collection of Long Island paintings and Audabon prints.
So lovely to visit all these things to enjoy them. Our own space very minimal indeed.

Recycling and 25th Street

Since I have got back to New York, I have been deluged with plastic bags and packaging in general even though I walk round with my trusty woven baskets. I'm off to discover if the morally pure Whole Foods takes back/recycles bags.
I always wonder, when we divode everything up in the re-cycling in the basement if they don't just tip it all somewhere all together later.
However, I do try.
I think they should charge 25c per plastic bag. That would soon stop people from getting too many.



25th Street has a big shop that sells 'antiques', architectural elements, and all sorts of theatrical props. Fun to take pictures of.



Perhaps the Statue of Liberty needs a bath?



Here she is reflected in a large mirror.




Graffitti like this lacks charm - but the color of the door was nice.