A Walk in the Vienna Woods

Covering the hills north and west of Vienna are the Vienna Woods, celebrated in the Strauss waltz, Tales from the Vienna Woods. A city employee once told me that this large forest contributes to Vienna’s high ranking in surveys of most livable cities, helping Vienna attain an amazing total green space of nearly 50%. The Mercer Group ranked Vienna the top city in its Quality of Living Survey for 2009. I have never seen the woods looking more colorful than yesterday. An early morning shower left the tree trunks looking deep black, creating an unusual contrast to the bright leaves.

Notice the rainbow of leaves on the path. Brown, orange, green and even shades of pink!

“Two paths diverged in a wood....” Robert Frost would have liked this spot!

By the way, did you know Mark Twain and his family lived in a village in the Vienna Woods for several months?

Just on the edge of the Vienna Woods we had to pause for what we thought would be a Viennese answer to the old riddle: Why did the chicken cross the road? Ah ha! To follow the rooster! Only just about here she chickened out, perhaps decided it wasn’t wise to be in the street just now so she turned around and went back! The conundrum continues....