Introducing Graz (a subjective point of view)

I have no idea how this post will be welcomed, but I decided to post some pictures from my temporary hometown. For people who don't enjoy pictures (unphotogenic is probably the word), there are some light-spirited anecdotes in the end of this post. Enjoy!

KUG's (Kunstuniversität Graz) main building is just a ten-minute walk from the Hauptplatz. There is a cafeteria but it's nothing to write home about, so I usually go to the cafeteria of the catholic students' union. Every table carries the food for all the students sitting at it, which means that the food is passed around until it finishes. When I'm feeling less sociable, a good choice is the main university cafeteria (although last time all I got was a piece of burnt pizza).

The Stadtpark is situated between the centre and our side of town, which means I walk through it almost every day. Today, the ambiance was very Brahms: Fünf Gesängiän.

Gutshaus Kranz (or Kunsthaus Graz or "friendly alien") seen from the Schlossberg. Yesterday, I went to see the exhibition of contemporary art on display. The only nice thing I can say is that the views on the old town were great.

Trams 7 and 1 take me home to Merangasse from the city, but usually walking is the best option. One of the dark sides of the centre is that there are surprisingly many beggars on the streets, often in wheelchairs and amputated limbs. Yesterday, a shabbily dressed woman came to ask my colleagues and I whether we could find her a job. We live on the third floor of an old house. Our downstairs' neighbours are the Schmidt's (name changed to preserve anonymity) - a friendly and unorganised woman (encounters include the following: "Please let me use your phone!!! I've locked myself out and my husband can't hear me knocking!!") and a slightly overbearing man who came raging into our apartment one day because we had shaken the rubbish off all our carpets onto their balcony. Oops. We later accidentally dropped a white towel onto their balcony (maybe they considered it a peace offering?) after which we learned Mister Schmidt suffers from bad hearing and can't help but scream at everyone.

Moser, the biggest bookstore in Graz.
Except for random encounters on the stairs, we haven't made close contact with the upstairs neighbours yet, but plausible plans for first contact include blackmailing them with a letter which accidentally was put in our mailbox in exchange for getting the password to their wireless internet connection! Stay tuned for the latest developments.

Wishing everyone an adventurous Friday night!