The Shadow-gloom and Weight of the Sacred

Gretchen and I were talking about Vienna this last weekend: it's been creeping into our minds lately. This photo to the left was taken last year just outside the Ubahn station (Aderklaaerstrasse) near our old apartment building (it's the green tinted building near the middle-back of the photo). A parking garage was being constructed; I supposed it's nearly finished by now.

I normally walked Sharkdog three times a day. Sometimes, I'd need to take him outside more than that, but there was a good sized tuft of grass right outside our apartment building for him to take care of his business. I tried to take him on actually walks around the neighborhood three times. At night, just before I went to sleep, was usually the longest of these walks. Vienna is an interesting city because after 9:00 or 9:30 at night, the city was basically silent. I liked walking the dog through the still, silent night. It was not uncommon for us to be out more than an hour, especially at the end, just before we went to get the Queen Bee. Last fall, it just felt like it was ending for us. I guess I wanted to take in as much of it as I could while I still could.

There was this woman who lived in a house around the corner from us. She had three dogs, one of which was a German Shepherd. I never spoke with her because she didn't want her dogs interacting with Sharkdog--I think she thought it would just be a handful to deal with four dogs because she otherwise seemed really friendly. Sometimes we'd yell "Hello" across the road at each other. One afternoon I was out walking Sharkdog and there was an ambulance at her house. I didn't see her again for several months. I never found out what happened to her.

On occasion, I find myself thinking that I'm just around the corner from this woman, as if I'm about to walk Sharkdog and expect to see her. It's a strange feeling. I continue to be amazed at how strong of an impression my time in Vienna has left upon my mind and thoughts. We were there about two and a half years. It just doesn't seem that long to me to have affected me so greatly. I could understand things like this if I'd been there ten years--I guess it's just the type of experience that leaves a really strong impression.

This photo was the view outside of our apartment. You can see the UNO city, where the second-largest United Nations headquarters is located. It was a beautiful view. I used to sit at our kitchen table drinking coffee and journaling, occasionally glancing out the window to collect my thoughts, as the sun set.

Vienna is such a great city. I think part of me will always miss, but part of me will always be relieved to be through with it. To be away from it. To be about other things.

These things just creep into my mind, though. Like the woman and her German Shepherd.

It was so cold when we left. I wanted to get out more, but I felt bad when we did get out. I was afraid the Queen Bee would get sick. We played a few minutes in Votivepark, though. and at the Rathaus.