It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

The sun is shining for the first time in weeks (and the for the first time since I’ve arrived). The temperature is in the mid70s. Absolutely herrlich, glorious. Don’t worry, I’m not sitting inside on the computer all day. I'm taking the subway to Schloss Schönbrunn--the palace and national gardens--in a few minutes. I’ve just stopped back at the apartment to make some lunch and pick up my camera. I’m considering buying a strap for my camera case, so that I can always have my camera on me. I find the best opportunities for photos at the most unsuspecting times. For example, on my way to the grocery store (Hofer = Aldi) this morning, I passed graffiti with the message “NAZIS RAUS”, which translates to “NAZIS OUT”. I know that there has been a surge of historical remembrance and searches for the “truth” about the Nazi era in Austria, especially among the younger generation, but to be confronted with that message in such a mundane setting really brought the point home. History, particularly history of WWII, is a part of everyday life here.

So ... back to the beautiful weather. Here are some pictures I took from my kitchen window today. More later.

EDIT: I'll figure out how to post photos directly on this blog when I come back from Schönbrunn. Ciao.

Word of the Day: die Vergangenheitsbewältigung = coming to terms with the past (That's 25 letters, 26 if you count "ä" as "ae".)