September journeys

Years ago, before the pandemic but also before the job at the museum, it was not uncommon for me spending the whole September travelling from a summer school to a conference, from a short vacation to a field trip. In some years, I didn’t spend more than 5 nights on the same bed. This year, it was exactly like back then, and I enjoyed at lot.

1. Tyrol

The first journey began at the end of August, with a planned field trip to Tyrol. The initial idea was to build a small team of scientists, but it didn’t work. At the end, I was alone with a colleague of the GeoSphere Austria, who has kindly illustrated the outcrops and the local geology. My father came along to test the new van on a longer trip and to visit an old family friend in Bavaria on the way back. The weather was relatively fine during the trip, not more than some light rain, but had been quite bad the days before our journey. So bad that the road and the bridge to "the" outcrop had been washed away and we were blocked >2 hrs in a traffic jam on the highway around Wörgl for construction works of a mobile dam to hamper a flood. Nevertheless, the field trip was geologically successful, a number of samples were secured, and I got the (geological) picture of the area.. Before coming back, my father and I briefly drove to Bavaria, as planned, were we paid a visit to this still active 96 years old friend and checked that Germany is indeed less expensive than Austria.

St. Georg. Nördlingen.

II. Bavaria

A few days after coming back from Tyrol, I went again to Bavaria, but this time by train. A colleague of mine and I had been invited to give some lectures during a summer school for planetary scientists. I’ve been already some times to Närdlingen and I was looking forward to the school, where biologists, petrologists, and astronomers have the opportunity to meet and see what the others do. The train journey was long, but pleasant, I had to change in Meidling, München Ost (due to construction work, the international train was not going to München Hbf, which I had to reach by local underground trains), München Hbf, and Donauwörth. All trains on time, despite the bad name of the Deutsche Bahn. The school was as nice as expected and I met great people from all over the world, including and met again some international colleagues. On the way back home, I followed another path, changing in Donauwörth, Nürnberg, and Meidling. As I was in Nürnberg over lunch and I had never visited the city, I used the time for a short walk through the pedestrian, being enough to catch a free organ concert.

III. Vienna

Even though I commute every day between WN and Vienna, this time it felt like going abroad, because I attended a conference at the university, jointly supported by the German, Slovakian and Austrian mineralogical societies. It was a nice conference, where I met again some former and new colleagues, strengthening the ongoing scientific cooperation. As part of the conference, I gave a tour through some halls of the museum. Even though the number of participants was very limited, there were very interested participants. The organizer of the conference, as acknowledgment, gave me a personalized bottle of wine. Very appreciated. Despite the international environment (and the number of Italians, which made me constantly switching from English to German to Italian), I could go back to my old office at the university, currently empty, doing some work. A weird feeling, as I spent there nothing less than 6 years.

Nürnberg. A postcard corner.

IV. Italy

My parents wanted to go back to Italy before the outbreak of winterly temperatures and I wished to accompany them, so that my father can share the long drive with me. The best time was immediately after the conference, over a weekend. I stayed in my hometown less than 48 hours, but we did a lot of work in the garden and in the house in that time. On Sunday, after celebrating my mom’s birthday, I travelled back to WN, alone and by train. Every journey to Italy makes me feeling more and more "Austrian" or at least foreigner. A lot of unnecessary stress was caused by the introduction of a new digital ticket for regional trains… where one has to check in before travelling, like for a plane. It forces people to have a smartphone and internet connection, it doesn’t give the claimed flexibility, and leaves people insecure whether the ticket is valid or not. Ou course, as always, the ticket was not checked. As every time, I was sad to leave my parents and our cat, but I was happy to come back to Austria. 

My calendar is pretty busy for the next weeks, even in the weekends, where I’ll have to spend hours on trains between the country side, Vienna, and WN. The next "real" trip will be in a couple of weeks, going one day to Salzburg, by train of course! for a workshop on geological, artistic, and historical aspects of rocks. Very much looking forward to it.

Rumore o silenzio? Austria vs. Belgio vs. Italia

Avevo iniziato questo post già qualche mese fa, ma non avevo ancora avuto tempo di pubblicarlo. Un soggiorno a Pisa per lavoro in una rumorosa stanza d’albergo, causa finestra "storica" che non isola dal frastuono del traffico del lungarno, e visita ad un supermercato locale, che mi ha fatto rimpiangere il silenzio dei supermercati austriaci, mi ha convinta a pubblicare il post.

Disclaimer: mentre per quanto riguarda l’Austria e l’Italia mi riferisco all’intero paese, per il Belgio parlo prevalentemente di Bruxelles. 

Foto da Twitter

In Austria, il silenzio è venerato. I vantaggi sono per esempio il riposo sacro alla domenica e la notte tra le 22 e le 6, per cui nessuno si mette a tagliare l’erba fuori orario, oppure l’astinenza dalle telefonate, soprattutto quelle personali, e l’assenza di conversazioni rumorose durante i viaggi in treno o nei mezzi pubblici, la presenza di vagoni “silenziosi” in cui i bambini non sono ammessi (ma esistono vagoni dedicati alle famiglie con aree gioco per i più piccoli), etc. L’unico svantaggio è l’assenza di comunicazione, casuale o meno. Che sia nell’attesa dal medico o durante un lungo viaggio in treno, non si va oltre l’equivalente di “buongiorno” e “arrivederci”. Ognuno si fa gli affare propri. Se si chiede un’informazione, però, la risposta arriva subito. Le tavolate rumorose al ristorante sono solamente quelle italiane (o di turisti ubriachi), ma pure nelle feste patronali gli Austriaci non esagerano nel volume della conversazione a tavola. Ciò era già evidente vivendo a Vienna, nonostante sia la capitale e sia decisamente internazionale (quasi il 40% degli abitanti non ha passaporto austriaco), ma risulta ancora più ovvio facendo la pendolare. In silenzio si aspetta al treno sul binario, in silenzio si viaggia, al massimo si chiede se un posto sia ancora libero o si sente il controllore chiedere il biglietto. A qualsiasi orario si viaggi, anche col treno tanto pieno da avere più persone in piedi che sedute.

A Bxl vigeva il terrore del silenzio. Ne ho già parlato. Musica nelle stazioni sotterranee della metro e del tram. Musica nelle chiese. Traffico. Aerei a tutte le ore e sopra la città. Pareti leggere di legno che lasciano far sentire persino gli starnuti. Telefonate come in Italia. Etc. Non necessariamente si tratta di conversazione tra conoscenti o con sconosciuti, ma l’importante è non lasciare spazio al silenzio.

In Italia, non importa dove, le ambulanze viaggiano sempre a sirene spiegate. Il traffico è rumoroso per definizione e quando non basta il rombo dei motori si aggiunge il suono del clacson. La gente attacca bottone con le scuse più assurde, anche quando uno magari vorrebbe solo farsi i fatti propri. Tutti parlano a volume alto, in ufficio, per strada, al telefono, a casa. Bambini che strepitano sui marciapiedi o al supermercato. Per trovare la pace bisogna rifugiarsi nelle chiese (deserte, buie) o lontano dalle zone abitate (campagna, boschi, montagne, spiagge fuori stagione, etc.).

Il silenzio non è assenza di rumore (o di suono), ma musica individuale. Mi spiego. La nostra testa non tace mai, nemmeno nel sonno, ma riusciamo ad ascoltarla solo se non riceviamo stimoli sonori dall’esterno. Si possono usare le cuffie oppure lasciare l’assordante flusso di pensieri e di musica dominare i momenti in cui non produciamo o riceviamo suoni. In Italia, il rumore crea un sottofondo continuo cui ci si abitua, mentre a Bxl ascoltarsi era quasi impossibile (se non con cuffie cancella rumore). Paura di restare soli con se stessi e di esserne delusi?

Bye bye, Vienna!

Don't worry, I'm not leaving my fabulous job and I'm not leaving my "Wahlheimat" (chosen country to live in). This means that I continue to be in love with Vienna, where I'll be every day for work, but I'll commute every day from a small city in Lower Austria, half-way between Vienna and my house. I was thinking to move out from the Viennese apartment, where I spent the last six years and half, since I own a house in the countryside. The deciding event was the cost (not the rent) rise between Christmas and New Year. Does it make any sense, giving away so much money just to be in the capital city? Furthermore, I needed a change. Since I moved abroad, I’ve never been working longer than three years in the same place. I don’t have such a stress anymore, but I had to change routine for a while.

Easter tree in the main square

It took some time finding the "right" apartment. Even when all the criteria were fulfilled  I had the feeling that it wasn't it. Finally, I found a good solution that made both my brain and my stomach agree. Other than the vicinity to the railway station, as I’ll have to commute daily to Vienna and more than weekly to my house, and the quietness of the third floor with none over my head (for the first time since I live abroad), this tiny (smaller than the previous one) apartment presents some luxury, such as a window in the bathroom and large roof windows in the living room. The apartment comes also with a huge bike-garage and a large storage place underneath the roof.

Everything seems fine and easy. It is never the case, especially in Austria, where bureaucracy is as much beloved as the waltz. First issue, quitting the rent for the apartment in Vienna. After two months and despite a registered mail, the house management did not send the confirmation of the end of the contract, fixing a day for the key return, until I sent an angry e-mail and called several times, each time speaking with different (but equally incompetent) people. No comment! Second issue, quitting the insurance for the apartment in Vienna. It can be done only with a document proving that I get out, i.e., I had to wait for the house management. Third issue, ending the contract for electricity in the Vienna apartment. This can be done online a couple of weeks before the end of the renting contract, but the house management asked not to quit, preferring to transfer to contract to the new tenant. All this is for the apartment that I left, but almost the same tasks are required for the new apartment: renting contract, official registration, payment of the estate agent, new insurance, new contract for electricity and heating, etc. In addition, I had to find a moving company to transport my belongings, including the precious (for practicing) and heavy digital organ.

the main church

Packing things lasted weeks. In seven years, I collected more than what I had when I moved from Brussels. Such a move always offers the opportunity to "clean" the house, trashing, reselling or giving away what is not necessary. It does not make any sense to keep everything. The transportation of the remaining objects and furniture went fine, the moving company was quite professional and on time, and two friends of mine helped me with dismounting and mounting the furniture. 

The first weeks in the new apartment went good, commuting is practical and faster than for some friends living in Vienna but at the border of the city. Just the Easter week, due to construction works, some trains were deviated along another line and the journey took ca. 10 minutes longer. The city is flat and small, allowing to bike around, but it offers everything I need, from shopping malls to theaters and churches. I didn't regret the decision to move here, so far.