Rene Burri - Swiss Precision

Che Che - pencil drawing by Nigel A. JAMES

Not Only Che!


Last Friday afternoon, I visited the Kunst Haus in Vienna, where an exhibition of René Burri’s photographic work is on until February next year. What I saw amazed me.

I had gone with the expectation of seeing a collection of political portraits; I had always connected René Burri with his amazingly brilliant picture of Che Guevara; but this show is not only Che, it is much, much more as well. It is life’s full spectrum complete with its shades, its shadows, and its sunshine.

Each and every one of his pictures radiates not only a total understanding of his craft, but also a depth of instant affinity with his subjects. René Burri was, and still is, totally unique. He is an artist with an openness of heart that is clearly visible in all of his works.

Factually speaking, René Burri’s time was the era of the great illustrated magazines. Being a member of Magnum, his pictures went around the world and were published in such magazines as Life, Paris Match, Look, and others of great note as well. But, although many of these have gone, René Burri’s brilliance lives on in one of the most valuable collections of historically important photos that exist.

René Burri isn’t only a very good photographer; he is amongst the highest and the best of the world!

But, be warned! This exhibition comes with a health warning! It is addictive. Once seen, you will want to see it again and again. Once isn’t enough. If you are in, or near Vienna, and you have an interest in the best of photography, this is a chance that shouldn’t be missed.



For more info – opening hours, etc,- www.kunsthauswien.com

My e-mail address, - njmailboy@gmail.com

Christina Fritz

Christina Fritz - photo by Nigel A. JAMES

Not Completely Crackers!

It takes an extra brave person to give up a very good job; and tremendous courage is needed to leap into the darkness and the depths of the uncharted and the unknown. But this is what Christina Fritz did.

A few years ago, she turned her back on a steady job and security and started her own little business. Everyone thought she was crackers at the time, but she knew what she was doing; and now, thanks to her efforts, very many families in Austria and central Europe are enjoying a very British angle to their extra-fine Christmas lunches, for Christina Fritz has become a seller of crackers!

Christmas crackers, one of the greatest British institutions of all, are rolled up crêpe paper fun! They are pulled at the beginning of every Christmas lunch, providing not only a bang, but lots of little surprises as well. There are jokes to make you cringe (and even sometimes laugh!!), small gifts that tumble onto the table, and, of course, the now famous British crêpe paper multi-coloured hat to be worn whilst eating, what is probably, the finest and the biggest and the most filling lunch of the year!

Christmas crackers are as important to the British as are cups of tea, plum pudding, turkey for Christmas and toast and butter for afternoon tea.

And the good news is - that you, too can go crackers and start your Christmas lunch with a bang as well! Christine has a stand at the Spittelberg Weihnachtsmarkt in Vienna. She will be there until the 23rd of December, and, not only that, she will also be having a stall at the Palais Kaiserhaus Christmas sale, Wallnerstrasse 3, 1010 Vienna, from the 26th -28th of November.

But, crackers aren’t only for Christmas, a quick trip to Christina’s website will provide you with all the info that you could possibly need in order to make many other occasions cracker happenings as well! Click on and enjoy it!

www.partycracker.at

My email address is, njmailboy@gmail.com

Autumn's Last Stand

Hidden Behind a Wolly Hat - photo by Nigel A. JAMES

I took this picture in the middle of October in Vienna. I was at a small market which was mainly catering for the Viennese stomach! There were wine stands, and sausage stands, and sandwich stands, and this one! A stand of confusing colours; selling wolly hats, gloves and stuffed toys too.

My e-mail address is - njmailboy@gmail.com

Maria Schmidt

Maria Schmidt -photo by Nigel A. JAMES

Sea - Air -Fire and Life

Two years have passed since last I saw Maria Schmidt, and, in these last fast twenty-four months, very much has changed in the life of this lover of nature and green. Two years ago she was living in the middle of a built up concrete jungle in the middle of Vienna; she was practising Shiatsu and being bio amongst the nature of man in great numbers. Now she is in the green!

Her new life in the green is herself; but without last summer, it still – maybe – wouldn’t be quite what it should be, for this year, Maria went down to the sea!

Maria has always had an affinity with the oceans and all that live in them; and her summer on Hawaii brought her into contact with the ones she loves most, the dolphins!


By day she swam in the ocean; accompanied, not only by the dolphins, but also the turtles as well. Her dream, it seems, had also been her destiny. And, as if that wasn’t enough, her nights were full of the magical natural show of an erupting volcano. Sea, air, fire and life in one tremendous greatness!

Upon her return to Vienna, her new house in the green more or less presented itself to her, and now, she is happily continuing her life in the place that found her!

“Continuing” is a good word. Two things have happily remained the same, She still practises her Shiatsu, and she still bakes her bio Christmas cookies (Weinachtsbäckerei).

Perchtoldsdorf, the village where she lives, isn’t far from Vienna, and if you are interested in Shiatsu or really delicious Weinachtsbäckerei (Christmas cookies) give her a call. Much has changed, even the impossible, her baking has become better!


Maria Schmidt – 0680 207 8 207

Snapped Again!

This is a "replay" of the picture that I published a few days ago, only this time larger! I was at Balaton in Hungary when this lone photographer came by, and smiled specially for me!

My e-mail address is, njmailboy@gmail.com

Book Worm

This is how a book shop should be. This is Shakespear's in Vienna - a place full of the atmosphere and smell of the books it is selling! A wonderful place for books!

Two Minutes Later

Two minutes later, this lady came walking by and smiled for me! Balaton - 2 weeks ago.

Catching Moments

I took this picture a week ago in Hungary at Lake Balaton. A man and a boy. Both thinking - but what are they thinking?

I have more pictures on my other blog,- LEXMATICA (lexmatica.blogspot.com)

My e-mail address is, njmailboy@gmail.com

Mike A. Roberts Jnr.

Chopin's First Piano - pencil drawing by Nigel A. JAMES

A Most Precious Message


There is one thing that everyone wants for their birthday, and, that is, to be thought about - and Mike Roberts of the USA is someone who understands this fully – for he is not only a thinking man, but also an unshakable and unchangeable very strong person.

And forgetting is one thing that Mike never does, and, so far he has never forgotten a birthday, and, because he has never forgotten a birthday, he has never forgotten a birthday card. Every year, without fail, all of his friends are guaranteed the peace of mind in the secure knowledge that Mike will be thinking about them upon their most special and most precious day of all!

And it’s the same each year, for Mike, being the way that he is, has a system and a very reliable one too! It’s so good, that you too could adopt it for your own, and, by doing so, make lots of people very happy people. Everyone loves being thought about.

It all begins on the last day of December each year. Mike sits down with an enormous pile of cards, and all of them identical, for they are, after all, all going to different people. He then spends the rest of the afternoon and evening writing them and stuffing them in envelopes. He posts them all on the first of January!

And so it is, to everyone’s great surprise, everyone gets their birthday card from Mike at the very beginning of each year. But the moment has to wait, for written on the back of each envelope is, “don’t open until your birthday”. Too bad if your birthday is in December – but never mind, Mike is thinking about you!


My e-mail address is, njmailboy@gmail.com

ps. The picture at the head of this article shows Chopin's first piano. His mother used to put little Frederick's many birthday cards on it for all to see and admire!