Every day here in Vienna it is hot. The picture above shows one exit at Westbahnhof Vienna (West station Vienna). Some years ago this square was renovated into some kind of Piazza and people like to rest here. By the way I believe those cats are not stray cats. I presume the owner is the city of Vienna. They used to be in another location on Mariahilferstrasse but because of Subway construction (U2) they were forced to relocate. Besides cats on Mariahilferstrasse there are also rabbit and frog figures. They are cute decorations on the street and people can even sit on them. Especially children enoy them. I think it is a popular and good idea.
Here in Vienna it is quite hot every day, daytime maximums are above 30 degrees Celsius almost every day. When it is that hot, people like to eat something cold. That is why I decided to go to an ice cream shop near my place. It is a small shop selling interesting selfmade creations. Unfortunately this year I have noticed many prices of ice cream going up and this shop is no exception. However due to the uniqueness of those creations it serves as a delicacy to be enjoyed rarely and that makes it even more precious. At this shop I found a never before seen beautiful red colour type. It was the rare type Weichsel (Sour cherry/Vistula). I instantly decided to get this flavour.
In my house’s garden in Kochi,Japan there is an old sour cherry tree. It is very old and thin now but a long time ago it was gorgeous and during rainy season bore many beautful fruits. Ever since I was a small child, I witnessed this tree’s growth. My sour cherry tree does not grow tall but stays rather low with widespread branches. Every year I crawled under it and picked many fruits. Those fruits were such beautiful red, glittered almost like jewels to my eyes and it was almost a shame to eat them. Those fruits however could not be described fully as “tastes good” because they had a bitter aftertaste. After sweet pleasure one felt the mouth contracting and had to overcome that sensation. My mother also said one should not eat too many because it may not be good for digestion. Nevertheless for us that tree was very special and positive, because my grandfather (mother’s side) had bought it.
My grandfather (mother’s side) died when I was about three years old and so unfortunately I have almost no memories with him. I heard many stories about him from my mother. According to her I understood he was a great romantic, art lover and especially loved his family. Being entirely self-taught he could play piano, violin, flute and Japanese flute! He also wrote many poems (Haiku) in Japanese style. My mother told me about so many memories how much he had loved me. Sadly I cannot remember exactly but vaguely warmly I still feel that love.
I heard the sour cherry tree in my garden in Kochi was originally brought by my grandfather and so “Weichsel” (sour cherry) is special. When I see or eat “Weichsel” I always feel my soul being filled with consolation and I feel my grandfather’s aura. That “Weichsel” sorbet was so delicious with a natural taste. Its sweet and sour cold was a wonderful refreshment to me being out of breath because of the heat. I felt my grandfather happily watching me with a smile on his face.
Since a few days ago it has gotten quite hot again in Vienna. Daytime maximums are constantly above 30 degrees Celsius. I thought that if it is so hot, I should enjoy it and so I dared to go for a walk.
Now is cherry season in Austria. Please look at the picture abvove. Are they not gorgeous? Those are cherries from Styria, one of the southern provinces of Austria. At a supermarket in Vienna
, they are sold in a large plastic bag and the customer has to put them on the scales to know the exact weight and price. These have a weight of 1162 grams and cost 6.96 Euro. Fortunately I had a 25% discount coupon and so I could buy them at a much cheaper price. For Japanese people this weight and price is extremely astounding. At home I immediately tasted a few, they are firm, juicy and sweet! I can savour this delicacy for many days in a row.
Here in Vienna, the recent heatwave lasting some days is over now and suddenly it has become a little cool. During daytime as well one needs some sleeved clothes. Flowers and trees in the city that were breathless because of the recent heat now sway in the cool breeze.
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