Wien

I'm going back in time today. This is one of the pictures that started it all. After those days in Vienna nothing was quite the same for me, and I've been on the road since...

This was part of my first 'solo' photo exhibition. One big one meter print. It looked pretty impresive hanging on the wall. Can you imagine going to a lab these days and ask for a one meter tall enlargement of a 35mm pic? They'll think you're mad...

Lately I was thinking on how would it be to go back to Europe, so I couldn't avoid looking into my files for images that would bring back the feeling of what it would be like to be back there. This is one of them: 'Walking in the middle of night, camera in hand, through the center of Vienna on a cold March night, looking for images...'

Hawelka Café

I took this picture a long time ago. It's the charismatic Hawelka Café in Vienna. When I went there for the first time both Herr and Frau Hawelka were still attending the place. When I returned in 2,004 I was lucky enough to chat (in German, I knew those two years in Frankfurt would come handy one day) with Frau Hawelka and to have a last slice of those very famous Buchteln wafts of hers. And I even managed to get a picture taken of her and I.

Why do I tell you all this? Maybe because this is one of the very few places in Vienna that I like. I was talking to Celeste about her forthcoming trip around Europe, and the image of this café quickly came to mind.

This picture was part of my 4th exhibition, and I still like it. Like Sergio, I also miss those good old film times.

PD.- Apologies for the quality of this scan. The original it's buried inside a box somewhere and I'm too lazy to photoshop it...

Once upon a time...

I was lost in Budapest, and the night was falling, it was Easter Monday and the city was deserted, everything around was pitch dark... and then the Danube appeared in front of me. Magic.

Wiener Naschmarkt

An old picture rescued from my archive. Today, Kika left behind what was the start of a novel that I started to write a while ago. The story was partly set in Vienna. My mind works with images, so as soon as I started to read it... this one came to my mind.

I love food markets, and this must be one of my favorites.

Billy Joel's "Vienna" song also came to mind. As well as my "1st proper" camera, a Ricoh KR10M that I'd to trade-in to buy a Pentax Super A and a SMC 50mm f1.4. I was a student, living and working in London, and money was in short supply. I try not to be very romantic about those days... but now that I think about it... I really really really do miss my old camera.