UK General Election 2019

All the hate and toxicity around General Election 2019 is fuelling my anxiety. I have woken in the wee small hours two nights in a row having a panic-attack. So, I have decided that this is my last political post until after the election.

Please do use your vote. The number of electors who abstain outnumbers those who vote for any party. We can collectively make a difference. Abstention in effect means support for whoever takes control. And by abstaining you are sharing in the culpability of their wrong-doing through your failure to act.

Please do vote wisely. Where necessary use tactical voting to ensure no-deal BREXIT is not the result. Currently, a vote for Brexit is also a vote for the collapse of the United Kingdom, as Northern Ireland will be forced to re-unite with Eire and Scotland will do its darndest to secede.

I should personally like to vote Green; but where I reside they have little support. On Thursday I shall be voting Labour, not out of love nor respect nor even admiration, but because I believe they are the only party at this election who just might be able to turn around the UK and prevent its break-up.

A final reminder: no-one will be able to turn around after the election and say that they did not know the consequences. Democracy is about shared responsibility of all the people for the people. Don your individual responsibility, use your rights and vote with your conscience for policies not for personalities!

Thank you for reading. %)

Muslim Extremists?

Friendly reminder that non-white skin does NOT equal Muslim. Educate yourself and learn to tell the difference! Oh, and there are are plenty of white-skinned Muslims both in UK, Europe (e.g. Bosnia) and the rest of the World.

Second friendly reminder that all extremists are not Muslims. There are, for examples, extremist “Hindus” in India (attacking Muslims & Christians), extremist “Buddhists” in Burma (attacking Muslims), extremist atheists in Russia (attacking LGBTI folk) and extremist “Christians” in the USofA (attacking anyone). These extremists are terrorists and, in the case of religionists, are not following the call of their respective faiths.

DAESH (often called ISIS) are NOT a Muslim organisation, despite their claims and the efforts of right-wing media to suggest so. They are political extremists, terrorists. Nowadays we know that the so-called Christian Crusades were nothing of the sort, but power-plays and a means to obtain, money, gold, assets & land.

Learn from the lessons of history! Question the agendas of media outlets and the motives of politicos! Do not accept the superficial and soundbite propaganda of those in power over us!

Muslim does not equal extremist.

Steman Restaurant: a Review

Sometimes the nicest things occur quite unexpectedly. For our last night in Vienna, we had hoped to dine at one of our favourite Viennese eateries. It was a warm, pleasant evening so we slowly strolled over to the restaurant. Alas, the whole place was taken for a private function. We headed back and decided we should stop at the first place that took our fancy.

[Image Description: the outer façade]

We found ourselves at Steman (on the corner opposite our most visited eating-place, Café Jelinek - see previous reviews). Outside was thronged with garrulous city residents. We entered the practically deserted interior. A charming waiter - as we thought - rushed over and enquired whether we wished to dine inside or outside. It was a fifty-fifty split. However, there had been a cancellation so there was a table for two available. Luck was finally on our side!

The red-headed chap turned out to be the maître d’ and he spoke impeccable English (and without a US-American drawl). He even coped with our attempts at speaking Wienerisch, the local dialect.

[Image description: Rindknödelsuppe, beef & dumpling soup]

Steman is highly rated on various websites. This is not a place to sample haute cuisine, but rather the local dishes cooked in a homely manner. The staff are amiable and helpful, without being overbearing.

[Image descriptions: top, black-pudding & pan-fried potatoes;

bottom, Spätzle, a sort of ham & scrambled-egg but better!]

We sampled several dishes. The portions - for us at least - were too generous and despite our best efforts we were unable to consume every last scrap (image below). The food was tasty and hearty - as can be seen from the images. Given the quantity and quality the food represented very good value for money.

At the end our kindly maître d’ gifted us a glass of a locally concocted spirit - apple Schnapps. It was warming and quite delicious: a delightful digéstif to end the repast.

Steman is definitely recommended. We shall be back when next in Vienna - hopefully for a Christmas Market weekend.

Café Jelinek: a Review

What is the first thing one thinks of at the mention of Vienna? Well, for me it is coffee-house culture: coffee and cakes, Kaffee und Kuchen. According to the Vienna Now * Forever website, in 2011 UNESCO added Viennese coffee-house culture to its list of intangible cultural heritage. And unwittingly I chose my favourite café without knowing it is considered one of the six best in the whole city.

It certainly is not pristine; indeed, it is rather faded. It is not even situated next to any of the famous sights and in fact one has to wander a little off the Mariahilfer Straße, Vienna’s main shopping thoroughfare, to discover its treasures. As can be seen in the photograph above, the flooring is tread-worn; the wallpaper is faded and tabacco-stained; the furniture, fixtures and fittings have all seen better days. So what keeps folk returning to this particular Kaffeehaus?

Well, it serves traditional, homemade cakes - not the wonderful confections found in cake-shops throughout the city, but rather the kind of baking that reminds one of one’s Grandmother’s or Mother’s cakes. The environment and food offerings create the famous gemütlich ambience for which Austria is so famous. (See this Wikipedia article for a fuller explanation of Gemütlichkeit.)

There is additionally ample outside seating for when the sun shines. It is easier to tuck a wheelchair under these tables than navigating the interior. As well as cakes, breakfast is served here all day, because (per VisitingVienna):

‘ “The early bird can go take a running jump” (the polite translation).’

During my latest visit to Vienna I visited the terrace three times. On two of those occasions I opted for the same light-bite from the menu (see image below): Sacherwürstel with Senf (mustard), Kren (horseradish in Austrian German, Meerrittich in German German) and a Semmel (bread-roll, Brötchen in German German).

As can be seen, these snacks were accompanied by beers, in this instance a light and citrusy lager named Wieselburger Bier. This perfectly accompanied the heat from the horseradish and the sweetness from the mustard.

Staff on every occasion I have visited Café Jelinek are calm and unfussed. They will not bother a customer unless beckoned. One will not be asked to leave or order more if one is peacefully reading one of the gratis newspapers or magazines. Neither will one be badgered to pay the bill until one is ready to do so. A totally relaxed environment.

For those in wheelchairs, alas the toilets are not accessible. Also, for those who are ambulant but unsteady on their feet, I suggest taking a friend to open the doors.

The clientele is very mixed: students; academics; shoppers; lovers; tourists and even the odd local celebrity.

And finally, what about the coffee served? In the top-most image one can see a Wiener Melange, a strong coffee with warmed milk and topped with Schlagobers (whipped cream, German German Schlagsahne). I always take this once on any visit to Vienna. However, as can be imagined, it is incredibly rich, nonetheless it goes well with cake. Mostly I drink Große Brauner, which is a double mocha with a drop of warmed milk. Delicious both, as no doubt are the rest of the coffee varieties listed in the menu.

Of course I thoroughly recommend the authentic Viennese coffee-house culture of Café Jelinek. If in Vienna, it is a must-see!

*

My apologies for the white background, I have tried all sorts to try to get back to the normal colour but Blogger will have none of it - as ever it does its own thing!

Absence

[Image description: writer sitting in a Viennese garden-restaurant]

Readers, I am so sorry for my long absence. This year has been very difficult for me health-wise. I was even too ill to take my usual extended winter-break in Andalusia.

I have just returned from a week-long sojourn in Vienna, my most favourite city on the planet. The day-time temperature exceeded thirty degrees Celsius (eighty-six Fahrenheit) every day and did not drop below twenty-six (seventy-nine Fahrenheit) during the sultry nights. Whilst the heat was not conducive to slumber, it was a boon to my arthritic bones. Mostly I only suffered pain in various parts of my spine. The rest of my regular pains simply dissipated. Whilst I was forced to use my wheelchair on some days, I was able to do extended walking on others - don’t tell my specialist as I am not supposed to exceed one hundred metres (one hundred and ten yards) per day!

Now I am back in Manchester, where it has rained every day for the past three weeks or so. The dampness immediately percolated into my bones. As I type I am on my maximum dosages of pain-killers. The pain is excruciating. My muscles are permanently spasming and my limbs will not cease shaking. I am typing so as to attempt to take my mind off matters.

Whilst in the Austrian capital, I visited several good eateries, the Kunsthistorisches Museum and also Belvedere, a thermal-spa and of course the high-light, the EUROPRIDE parade. All of these I hope to blog about, if I can hold onto my clear-headedness.