10th October 1920

There was a candle light parade last night in Bleiburg, as it was probably held in all of Carinthia.
Carinthians celebrated the outcome of a plebiscite held on the 10th October 1920.
From the end of 1918 to October 1919 Carinthian troops fought against Slovenian aggressors who attempted to forcefully integrate Carinthia into the newly formed Slovenian State.
On the instructions of the U.S. president the American officer, Sherman Miles, travelled through Styria and Carinthia and found that a sizable majority of German speaking population lived in these areas. He therefore recommended that a plebiscite must be held to determine the borders between Austria and Slovenia.
This vote was held on the 10th day of October of 1920 and 22,025 voters opted for Carinthia to remain part of Austria, while 15,278 votes were in favour of Carinthia becoming a part of Slovenia.
It appears that many Carinthians with Slovenian roots and speaking Slovenian as their mother tongue voted to remain part of Austria.
Unfortunately a small minority of Carinthians have not forgotten, nor forgiven the Slovenians, and a dislike, if not to say hatred exists in some circles to this day.

The flag of the Province of Carinthia

This most famous picture shows 

Carinthians in the process of voting.

Carinthian Defence Forces

The Women's Choir sings patriotic songs

and finally the Marching Band plays: 

"Ich hatt' einen Kameraden!"

(once I had a comrade)

"They died for their country."
says the inscription on this war memorial.

Venus of Willendorf....

.... nowadays called the "Woman of Willendorf" is an 11.1cm tall female figure, found in 1908 during an archaeological excavation near the town of Willendorf, Austria.
Scientists now, based on the earth strata in which it was found, estimate its time of production to be about 25,000 to 28,000 years BCE.
Of course, nothing factual is really known about this small figure.
It is assumed, however,  that it may have been a symbol of fertility. There are no facial features but the head is covered with what may be tightly braided hair or a head covering of some kind.

Forward Jump in Time to 2015 ACE:
We are now talking about a time jump of about 30,000 years and a man named Jeff Koons comes onto the scene.
Jeff is an American Artist who likes balloon figures.
Children's balloons blown up by dexterous men or women, as you can find in almost every folk festival's midway:
Ducks, Dogs, Kittens, Swans and many more.

Then Jeff found the "Venus of Willendorf" and decided to simulate this ancient sculpture with ballons and finally with painted stainless steel.

Found during an archaeological excavation in 1908,

this figure now rests in the "Naturhistorisches Museum" of Vienna.

above and below:

Jeff Koons' "Woman of Willendorf"

cast in stainless steel

and painted.

displayed along the original in the 

"Naturhistorisches Museum"

in Vienna, Austria.

Colours !

There is really not much to say about these images except,maybe, enjoy these colours !

The "Sanctum Sanctorum"

Behind this impenetrable gate : The Big ?

K E E P   O U T  !

Early Morning at "Fuhrgassl Huber"

It's 7 AM and the morning light is just starting. Our room is on the second floor, in front, but in the back it's on ground floor. A flower garden is the border of our balcony.
The name of the hotel (38 rooms) is "Fuhrgassl Huber" and I shall explain this name later on.

through our balcony door

It's easy waking up to such a view.

Melk and the Wachau.

We took the long way to Vienna.
We eschewed the 'Autobahn' and drove along secondary roads along the river Danube.
Just before you come to the wine growing area of the 'Wachau' you will certainly see, rising out of the country side, atop a large out cropping of rock 'Melk Abbey'.
A history of this edifice and its various inhabitants would fill a voluminous book.
Founded in 1089, the Abbey became one of the centres of learning it strives to be today.
Today's baroque style building, whose pictures you will see below, was erected between 1702 and 1736.

I am almost ashamed showing only those two pictures, 

taken from the road as we drove by this Benedictine Abbey

Just a minute section of truly extensive wine growing areas of the 'Wachau'..

There we stopped at a 'Heurigen' 

where they serve many local delicatessen 

and some of the best wines you will ever taste.

For miles and miles, along the sun drenched slopes

running parallel to the Danube

there are vineyards upon vineyards.

Many villages nestle between the embankment and the river.

One more picturesque than the one before.

It truly is a lovely, slow ride to Vienna, where I am posting this now.

PEGGY'S COVE...

... is a Village about 43 km south/west of downtown Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada.
In 1811 the Province of Nova Scotia gave a land grant of  about 800 acres to six German families who settled there on the rocky shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

Peggy's Cove became a most picturesque settlement so that today Tourism runs a close second to Fisheries as its main industries.