thenapyear

[thenapyear]

04 Mar 2016 Day 30: Vienna

Belvedere

#austria #vienna #photography #architecture #travel #olivia

[thenapyear]

02 Mar 2016 Day 28: Vienna

The Blue Hour

[thenapyear]

02 Mar 2016 Day 28: Vienna

Some of the Viennese transport..

#vienna #austria #photography #travel #olivia

[thenapyear]

02 Mar 2016 Day 28: Vienna

Formerly a palace...

#austria #vienna #architecture #photography #travel #olivia

[thenapyear]

As I typed into the “say whatever you want” typewriter at MAK, the very funky modern art museum downtown, if cities were people then Vienna would be out of my league. Also, I had to be shown how to use a typewriter, so my dreams of writing the great American novel during this year off took a second hit.*

Formerly a series of palaces, occasionally broken up by enormous churches when building palaces became boring, Vienna is a place to go to see art, drink coffee, eat pastry and just generally out-Melbourne Melbourne. Go wandering and find a shop that makes bars/coffee storage/bookshelves from refurbished airline drinks trolleys. Get lost looking at galleries inside courtyards that 200 years ago were actually courts (in the courtly sense). And when do you get lost, walk around the corner and the metro takes you home.

Highlights;

1. The Belvedere, in particular Klimt’s “The Kiss”. I’ll admit to expecting to be disappointed by this particular work, especially after having a tired print of it hanging in my bedroom for the past 3 years, but it was actually astonishingly beautiful in the flesh (or in the gold lamé so to speak).

2. MAK - really well curated modern art museum. Stefan Sagmeister’s exhibition @thehappyshow​ did a wonderful thing for me when I sat down and listened to his TED talk about sabbaticals. It really has reinforced my slightly wavering conviction that I am doing the right thing by taking a year off.

3. Coffee - The Viennese are very serious about this. I can appreciate and respect this, usually three or four times a day.

4.  The Kunsthistorisches Museum (god you’ve gotta be careful typing that word out). A monumental palace full of art collected for the sake of collecting art, interspersed with some true masterpieces, and some unintentional comedy.

Lowlights;

Pretty much none. The first day we arrived was glacial with 40kmh-1 winds, but it’s good prep for Zermatt, so upsides all around!

*the first hit being that I am not American and won’t have ever been there until later this year.

#Vienna #napyear #Tom #travel

[thenapyear]

27 Feb 2016 Day 24: PRAGUE

Went for a walk...

#prague #photography #travel #czech republic #olivia

[thenapyear]

26 Feb 2016 Day 23: PRAGUE

St Vitus Cathedral: I was so in awe of the cathedral that I completely forgot about taking pictures of the beautiful stained glass windows in this church!

#prague #czech republic #architecture #travel #photography #olivia

[thenapyear]

26-29 Feb 2016 Day 23-26: PRAGUE

THE FOOD, OH GOD, THE FOOD IN PRAGUE WAS SO GOOD!!! (With the exception of the last cone donut thing. It was... ok.) All of it is very heavy, hearty food, lots of stews and gravies. And amazing beer of course!

I’m pretty sure we gained 5kg just from the 4.5 days we were there.

#prague #food #photography #travel #olivia

[thenapyear]

26 Feb 2016 Day 23: PRAGUE

Going up to the castle - if you’re ever up there, definitely go sit at the Starbucks for a while. It has to be Starbucks with the best view in the world.

#prague #photography #travel #architecture #olivia

[thenapyear]

26 Feb 2016 Day 23: PRAGUE

On Charles Bridge

#prague #travel #architecture #photography #czech republic #olivia

[thenapyear]

26 Feb 2016 Day 23: PRAGUE

Charles Bridge

#prague #praha #photography #travel #art #olivia

[thenapyear]

24 Feb 2016 Day 21: Berlin

Topographie des terrors

In 1933 to 1945, this plot of land used to hold the headquarters of the Gestapo. Then it held a section of the Berlin Wall from 1961 to 1989. Behind it is the former Reich Air ministry - one of the last surviving pieces of Nazi architecture, now the German finance ministry. On it is a museum. It's a really bloody good museum too - a courtroom-like examination of the workings and crimes of the monstrous regime that built that building you see in the picture above. Sorry we haven't posted much. The northern hemisphere has given us some very nasty virus and it's taken three countries and nearly ten days to start to shake it. Many more photos to follow.

#berlin #topographie des terrors #germany #photography #travel #tom

[thenapyear]

24 Feb 2016 Day 21: Berlin

Museum Island (aka. Prussian architecture is insane yo)

#berlin #travel #architecture #germany #olivia

[thenapyear]

23 Feb 2016 Day 20: Berlin

After a few days completely wrecked with a cold, we finally went out to see Berlin! Not nearly enough of Berlin, but we walked to the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag - unfortunately the Reichstag was closed to the public while we were there :(

#berlin #germany #photography #architecture #olivia

[thenapyear]

19 Feb 2016 Day 16: Berlin

Tiergarten

#berlin #germany #photography #landscape #travel #olivia

[thenapyear]

19 Feb 2016 Day 16: Berlin

#berlin #photography #black and white #travel #architecture #olivia #germany

[thenapyear]

17 Feb 2016 Day 14: Amsterdam

Soaking up the sun at Langendijk

#amsterdam #food #photography #netherlands #travel #olivia