TravelswithCharie

  Aurora Borealis The number one item on my Alaska bucket list was to see the dancing northern lights. The best place for viewing is in and around Fairbanks which is in the Aurora oval (away from bright city lights). Though I had seen the Aurora Borealis in Iceland in 2015, I had only seen the curtain rays and small swirling lights. I was hoping that this time around, I would have the chance to see a full Aurora display. It’s never guaranteed that you’ll see the northern lights when you’re in Fairbanks during the Aurora Borealis season. But I was hopeful. I did check the KP Index before leaving and saw there was moderate activity forecasted on the days I would be in Fairbanks. But it was not to be. However, the moment I boarded my flight home, there was a strong Aurora display at around 1 a.m. What luck or lack of it! On our flight back to Fairbanks from the Arctic Circle, the pilot called our attention to a horizontal ray across the sky with a short vertical flowing down midway from t

Girl with Balloon, 2003, spray paint on metal shelf, 60x90 cm We know Banksy for his iconic street art and the overt political and social commentaries of his artworks. But who knows for certain his true identity? Banksy has carefully guarded his anonymity perhaps because revealing himself will open a Pandora box of legal entanglements.  We’ve seen or are aware of a few of Banksy’s street art in and around his hometown in Bristol. And we’ve heard of the spectacular partial shredding of his painting Girl with a Balloon that was on auction at Sotheby's in 2018. But did you know that Banksy has quite a few indoor works of art? The MOCO in Amsterdam has gathered several of these works on canvas, wood, metal and paper for the  Laugh Now  exhibition which is not authorized by the artist. The artworks on display were loaned to the museum by private collectors and have been certified by Pest Control, the official body that authenticates all works by Banksy.  Girl with Balloon The original,

Prunksaal or State Hall of the Austrian National Library In the 18th century, Emperor Charles VI commissioned the construction of the court library in the Hofburg. It was built between 1723-1726 from the design of Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, the court architect. This Baroque library has 200,000 volumes which date from 1501-1850. The 15,000 volume collection of Prince Eugene of Savoy is part of this collection. It includes valuable manuscripts and books from France and Italy. They are bound in red, blue and yellow Moroccan leather and can be found in the central oval of the library. Together with Google, this historic and copyright-free collection was digitized by the Austrian National Library and is available at www.onb.ac.at. The statue in the center of the oval is of Charles VI portrayed as Hercules Musarum. It was “allegedly” sculpted by Antonio Corradini in 1735.  Behind him are statues of Spanish and Austrian Habsburg rulers sculpted by the Strudel brothers, Peter, Paul an

Broken light bulb We love, we lose, we hurt, we struggle, we heal, we move on. Here are some stories from the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia. Broken light bulb Sent from Cape Town, South Africa He loved doing things for her. He mowed her lawn, installed a shelf at her house, changed her tires. She was sweet and helpless. Then on June 25th she called him to replace a light bulb. As he was unscrewing the old light bulb, she said to him, “By the way, I’m calling this whole thing between us off. We’re just not working”.  He walked out with the light bulb as she shouted after him, “Aren't you going to put the new one in? Don’t I deserve that much?” He replied, “Hell no, you don’t deserve anything from me.” Number 2 Sent from Manila, Philippines.  Summer 2007 “He had another woman and couldn’t make me his number 1. I couldn’t stand being his number 2.” I can’t make you thin by Paul McKenna Sent from Horncastle, England This book was a present from her ex-fiancé. It’s o

   My carriage awaits  Sky Restaurant A local friend invited me to this rooftop terrace in the heart of Vienna’s shopping district. Great place to have lunch or stop for cake and coffee. There’s also a bar if you prefer to have drinks with friends. Note: proof of vaccination required to enter restaurants in Vienna. St. Stephen’s Cathedral This impressive Romanesque/Gothic cathedral is the iconic symbol of Vienna. The colorful patterned roof is made of 230,000 glazed tiles while a mosaic of double-headed eagle graces the south roof and the coats of arms of Vienna and the Republic of Austria are emblazoned on the north side roof. The two front towers are Romanesque in origin. The interior of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Café Central This elegant café has been around since 1876. It was the meeting place of famous people like Sigmund Freud, Leon Trotsky, Peter Altenberg (poet) and a host of others. The café is in the Palais Ferstel on the corner of Herrengasse and Strauchgasse. They’re open fo