The Top 10 Wine Regions Of The World - The Perfect Holiday, Honeymoon Or Vacation! Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Honeymoons in the Countryside: Visit One of the Top 10 Wine Regions in World

For this month's features on TripAtlas.com, we're bringing you some of the top Honeymoon Destinations in the world. Last week, we brought you to the serene and secluded private island of Tikehau in French Polynesia's Tuamotu Islands.

This week, we're taking you to the romantic and remote countryside and best kept secret for your choice of honeymoon destinations - the many beautiful and lush wine regions all over the world.

Fields of countryside, mountain ranges, quaint and romantic bed and breakfasts, luxurious lodges and resorts, villas or medieval chateaux in the south of France are all yours for the taking. What better way to celebrate and commemorate your wedding and future than a tour through some of these regions, relaxing and living bottle to bottle.

The 10 Top Wine Regions of the World

Whether you're a beginner or expert wine drinker looking for a honeymoon destination or romantic getaway, here's a list of the Top 10 Wine Regions in the world, each of which have knowledgeable wine experts, fine food and inviting accommodations. From the classic Old World wines of European countries to the New World wines throughout the rest of the world, join us on our adventure to discover the best destinations.

The Top 5 Old World Wine Regions

5) Portugal. The main wine regions in Portugal are Minho, Douro and Dao, which are found in northern Portugal and are perfect for wine tours between Spain and Portugal. Portugal is home of the famous Port or Porto (named after Portugal's second largest city) and Madeira wines, both fortified, strong bodied yet sweet and thick wines that are often used as after-dinner wines or "digestifs."

4) Germany. While Germany is known to most for its beer rather than its wine, it shows in that it produces only 20% of what France produces in wine yearly. This region's most famous wines are its sweet white Riesling wines. Refreshing, slightly sweet with a zing characterize these wines and are perfect for warm afternoons enjoying the Germany countryside. The biggest regions are Baden, Mosel, Palatinate (or Pfalz), and Rheinhessen.

3) Spain. The two most popular Spanish wine making regions are La Rioja in Logrono, Navarra to its east in the north, La Mancha in the central-south Spain where you can see the windmills of Don Quixote, and the Penedes region just near Barcelona in north-eastern Spain. The most popular Spanish wines are the bright red Rioja wines, the white sparkling Cava wines, and fortified Sherry wine in Jerez in southern Spain near the coast by Morocco.

2) Italy. As one of the largest producers of wine in the world, Italy's main wine regions are found in northern Italy (Piedmont and Valle D'Aosta in north-west Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto in north-east Italy) with classic Tuscany to the south in central Italy. Many Italian wines are made for drinking with food and so visiting the wine region in Italy is perfect for food lovers and those seeking the perfect plate of pasta, meats and an array of cheeses.

1) France. From Bordeaux to Alsace, Burgundy to Beaujolais, Champagne, Languedoc and Cote de Rhone, France is definitely one of the world's top wine regions. A classic "old world" wine producer, France is also the largest wine producer, with 34% of the exported wine market share in the world in 2006. The best way to explore these regions is to rent a car and drive through the countryside on your own to and from your bed and breakfast or chateaux.

The Top 5 New World Wine Regions

5) USA and Canada East Coast. Nestled in just a small region on the east coast, the wine growing regions in this area are: Ontario, Quebec, and New York. While these are definitive of "new world" wines, production in areas like Niagara and Prince Edward County in Ontario are becoming increasingly larger and recognized on the international stage. Known for its sweet ice wines and ice ciders in Ontario and Quebec, these wine regions are littered with bed and breakfasts, cozy lodges and honeymoon packages for those visiting Niagara Falls and Montreal.

4) South Africa. Although wine has been produced here since the 1600's, it wasn't until recent years that its wines have made it on the international scene. Located nearby just east of Cape Town, wine regions of South Africa include Stellenbosch, Paarl and Worcester and are adorned with stark white villas for accommodations. With similar climates as Argentina, Chile and Australia's wine regions, South Africa is best known for its white Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay wines but are slowly developing its red varietals. For a spicier journey through the wine regions with views of fields for miles and strong African mountains in the background, don't miss out on South Africa.

3) USA and Canada West Coast. The most noted states or provinces in this category include California and Oregon with Washington and British Columbia catching up quickly. The Napa Valley and Sonoma regions in California have been the heart of new world wines for many years, and have picturesque vineyards, mountains and luxurious but quaint accommodations throughout small towns like Yountville. Oregon has also surprised many in the wine world, having made a Pinot Noir that beat out its French counterparts - visit Willamette Valley's many wine spots as well as Rouge or Applegate Valley in Southern Oregon for true countryside hospitality during your honeymoon.

2) Argentina & Chile. The Andes Mountains and surrounding areas have proven themselves as fantastic wine growing regions, offering a variety from Maipo Valley, Valle Central in Chile to Patagonia and Mendoza in Argentina. A visit to Argentina and Chile for a honeymoon is perfect any time of the year - with mild winters and warm summers, spring or fall is the best time to go to watch the colors change and the countryside come to life. Many tours are available into the wine regions from Buenos Aires, Mendoza or Santiago in Chile.

1) Australia & New Zealand. There's more to Australian wine than Yellowtail, thank God. Australia has taken the lead in the new world of wines in its mass production of spicy Shiraz wines and strong Cabernet Sauvignons. Visit Hunter Valley, the largest wine production area in Australia, comparable to Napa Valley in California. For a warm and breathtaking honeymoon, try Austria or New Zealand for your honeymoon with all the hospitality the land down under has to offer.

So Bon Voyage on your honeymoon and remember to drink responsibly!

Gizelle Lau, TripAtlas.com

Read about Honeymoons in Tikehau in French Polynesia, Forget Bora Bora!
Like golf? Try Golf Holidays in Europe: Top 5 Destinations and Courses
More culture? Read: Experience Toronto: 5 Spots to Discover Arts, Culture & Life

Today FM, Bad Gastein 07, The rossies Sunday, October 24, 2010

Enjoy Strokestown and Tulsk lads and a Dublin girl, having the craic on skies in Bad Gastein,Austria. on the Today FM trip.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtKnSoPpGV0&hl=en

Diamonds - Origins, History and Attributes Saturday, October 16, 2010

The word 'diamond' conjures up a host of illusions - wealth, treasure, excitement, romance and marriage, to name a few. In fact diamonds are amongst the most fascinating objects in human perception; they go beyond the mere technical definition of gem or precious stone. They exude an inexplicable aura and hold out an exotic allure unmatched by anything else.

The word 'diamond' originates from the Greek word 'adamao', which translates roughly into 'I control' or 'I subdue'. The descriptive form of 'adamao' is 'adamas', which was a term used to indicate the unconquerable; over a period of time the word came to be used to describe the diamond, which is one of the hardest substances known to science. The earliest diamonds were uncut and were therefore considered to be symbols of purity and strength rather than beauty.

For all its exclusivity and sophistication, the diamond comes of very humble parentage indeed. The material that goes to make the diamond is actually the very common carbon. Very early in the earth's history, when the solid substance of the earth began to condense and form a sphere, the bowels of the earth were subjected to enormous pressure and temperature. These extreme conditions resulted in the crystallization of the carbon deposits in the center of the earth. Later, with the cooling of the earth's surface and volcanic activity, the rocks carrying the diamond crystals were thrown upwards, where diamonds were later discovered, encased in vertical volcanic tubes. Many diamond-bearing rocks were also washed away into oceans and rivers and subsequently discovered in these locations.

The lustrous phenomenon known as the diamond today was known in India long before its introduction in the European countries sometime around the twelfth century. The stone was originally the preserve of royalty; in fact history has a record of the royal order passed by King Louis IX banning the use of diamonds by anyone other than the royal family. Gradually with the expansion of the diamond trade these prized pellets came to adorn the aristocracy as well as the wealthy trading class.

The value-determining factors of the diamond are the four 'c's carat, color, cut and clarity. The carat is the weight of the stone and is also measured in points, with one carat being equal to a hundred points, or two hundred milligrams. Carat is very often mistaken for size and is sometimes confused with the 'karat', which is a measure of the purity of gold. Larger diamonds are fewer to find and therefore cost more than smaller ones, with other attributes remaining the same.

As regards color, a chemically pure, perfect diamond is colorless and one of the most sought-after qualities of a diamond is the fiery brilliance of light emanating from the colorless crystal. While diamonds come in a wide range of hues, color variations are very fine and can be discerned only by an expert. Naturally colored stones are called 'colored fancies' and are rare and highly priced.

The 'cut' of the diamond determines its angles and proportions and this is the aspect of the stone that is most dependent on human skill. An accomplished cutter can create a thing of unparalleled beauty and brilliance from the rough stone. Diamond cutting and polishing is a craft that calls for great skill and practice. The cutting of the diamond involves polishing tiny surfaces on the diamond known as facets, thereby creating the various attributes of the stone such as crown, culet, table, girdle and pavilion.

The clarity of the stone is in inverse proportion to its imperfections, or 'inclusions' as they are called. These imperfections may range from the presence of bits of carbon in the stone to cracks or 'feathers'. When light penetrates the diamond, the facets of the diamond reflect and refract the beams and this is what imbues the crystal with its extraordinary dazzle. If any substance comes in the way of this dispersion, the brilliance of the stone will be impacted. In the scale of clarity diamonds are graded from 'Flawless' to 'Included '; totally flawless stones are very rare to find and are considered priceless.

The first diamond mines were discovered in India and it took a millennium for diamond deposits to be discovered in other parts of the world such as South Africa, Brazil and Russia. The latest to join the diamond fraternity is Australia where the Argyle mines produce the exclusive and incomparable pink diamonds.

In the annals of time, diamonds have been considered synonymous with wealth, status, strength and longevity. Some cultures have also associated the crystal with protection, mystery, poisons and the occult sciences. The tradition of gifting a diamond engagement was commenced in the fifteenth century when Archduke Maxmillian of Austria proposed to Mary of Burgundy. Gradually the practice percolated down to become a common custom and is now manifesting as the all-pervading solitaire without which no betrothal is considered complete.

Diamonds occupy a unique place in human history and culture and will continue to do so; they are truly eternal and forever.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Diamonds [http://diamonds.your-buyers-guide.com]

Entrevista con Lujuria - Parte 3 Sunday, October 10, 2010

www.queensofsteel.tk Entrevista con Óscar Sancho (Lujuria) @Madrid 2010 Por: Vienna Granados Para ver la entrevista completa visitad nuestro canal: www.youtube.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m02bJ4Pa_Jg&hl=en

Saint Edith Stein - Martyr of Auschwitz

Edith Stein was born in Wroclaw, Poland (formerly known as Breslau, Germany) on October 12, 1891. Edith Stein's parents were Jewish.

They had come to Wroclaw, searching for a better life for themselves and their children. The year that she was born, Edith's birthday fell on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, The Jewish Day of Atonement - "Yom Kippur". As this is of such importance to their Hebrew Faith, Edith's mother took it as a sign, her child was highly favored with Yahweh. This was one of the reasons she so treasured Edith. Another reason was the special part she played, the day her husband left for work, for the last time. The day was unusually hot. Edith (twenty- one months old), nestled in her mother's arms, called out to her father. He turned around and waved to them. That was the last memory she had of her husband. They were never to see him alive again, as he died of a sunstroke that day.

Her mother became the head of the family, working and yet very much the mother in control of the home and her responsibilities as a parent. She was a strong woman, a religious woman, going to Synagogue with the older children on the Jewish High Holy Days. She was not Orthodox, however. She kept her store open on Saturday which was the Sabbath, and work was not permitted according to Jewish law. The family also prayed in German, not in Hebrew. So, the sad truth was with so many that the Nazis killed, the German Jews considered themselves Germans! They loved Germany. They loved their homeland! It is as if someone in our government said that you are not an American because you are Catholic. They were Jews by religion, but they considered themselves loyal citizens of Germany.

Edith Stein was always a brilliant student. When she turned seventeen, she entered a Girl's High School in Breslau. At the same time, in another part of Germany, another teenager was failing an entrance exam to the Academy of Arts and already blaming it all on the Jews. Adolph Hitler was reading anti-Semitic literature and planning his revenge on those who dared to pass grades, who had stores and professions. It wasn't important to him that these people had saved and scrimped to give their children educations, and their children had worked equally industriously to attain high grades in school and success in life. They had something he wanted and he hated them for it, and he plotted to take everything away from them, initially their possessions and then ultimately their lives.

Two teenagers - one a Saint and the other a sinner.

Edith Stein always had a very strong bond with her family. They cared for one another. She had all the joy of life with brothers and sisters and loads of aunts, uncles and cousins. They would be an integral part of her formation into a warm, compassionate adult. The other teenager, the young Hitler, an orphan without a family was already an angry dissident. Feeling no commitment to anyone but self, he was hiding in Vienna, trying to avoid being drafted into the Austrian Army.

Edith Stein entered the University of Breslau in 1911. She registered in the Department of Psychology and for two years she was unable to pray. She called this her period of atheism. First of all, Psychology, at that time, did not acknowledge man had a soul. Did she get caught up in that lunacy? [I remember, a couple of weeks after our son entered college, he came home and said there was no God!] Edith had always been an individual, strong willed, with her own mind. The Lord will use this later on when she will need these qualities to bring about His Will.

She loved to learn, and there was excitement in this new challenge. What had happened to her was what we have seen happen to other young people entering universities. Suddenly the enemy attacks with pride; we forget Who gave us the intellect we have, and Who it is Who gives us the desire to do something with that intellect. We turn to man, whether a professor we admire or fellow students, or give credit to ourselves. We no longer look up, but down, and like Peter, if we do not turn to Him Who is the Giver of all things good, we find ourselves drowning.

But Edith looked for answers in Psychology. When she found it was unable to provide itself with a solid intellectual grounding, she turned to Philosophy in her pursuit of truth. We know God never gives up on us. Even as we are forgetting Him, turning away from Him, rejecting Him, He is placing people in our path who will lead us back to Him. Edith Stein turned away from her God; she believed as long as she and her friends stuck together, they could overcome the evils she saw taking over the world. But God was going to have none of that. He had plans for her.

God placed her among Jewish intellectuals who had become Christians. Although she considered herself an atheist, she found herself seeking truth, and she later wrote that anyone seeking truth is in reality longing to find God, whether he knows it or not. God would not have an easy time with her. Being brilliant, she had little tolerance for those who thought differently than she. The intellectuals in the University she attended, were studying supernatural truths which they considered as real as other phenomena. She began to study under the renowned philosopher Husserl who taught her that "knowledge, as the name implies, depends on knowing. It is in knowing that we possess the truth." Although she never spoke of converting, she was on her way to Christ, in seeking the truth.

Bob and Penny Lord are renowned Catholic authors and television hosts on EWTN, Global Catholic television. They are prolific writers about the Catholic faith, especially the Saints. Their website is http://www.bobandpennylord.com

Get to Know Arnold Schwarzenegger Thursday, October 7, 2010

On July 30, 1947, an Austrian-American actor, bodybuilder, and now governor of California, Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria. His father, Gustav Schwarzenegger was a Gendarmerie-Kommandant policeman and his mother is Aurelia Jadrny. In 1968, Schwarzenegger migrated to the USA and he obtained his US citizenship in 1983. He studied in University of Wisconsin, Superior with a degree in Business Administration major in International Marketing of Fitness.

Schwarzenegger first became famous for being a bodybuilder. Because of his well-developed physique, he won several titles including Mr. Universe for five times, Mr. World, and Mr. Europe. With his contribution to bodybuilding, he is considered as one of the most important people in the bodybuilding history.

Schwarzenegger's muscular appearance was his ticket to Hollywood. He made his first movie appearance in 1970 in the movie titled "Hercules in New York" using the screen name Arnold Strong. During that time, his Austrian accent was so heavy that his lines needed to be dubbed for the movie. It was in 1997 in his movie "Pumping Iron" that people first noticed him.

However, his break came in 1982 with his movie "Conan the Barbarian" that was followed by "Conan the Destroyer "in 1984. Most people believed that "The Terminator" in 1984 gave him worldwide recognition. He then starred in several blockbuster movies like "Commando" in 1985, "The Running Man" in 1987, Predator in 1987, and "The 6th Day" in 2000.

His first taste of politics happened in 1990 when he was appointed as the Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under the administration of then President George W. Bush. He also served as the Chairman for the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under the administration of then Governor Pete Wilson. On October 7, 2003 during the California recall, Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was elected as the 38th Governor of California.

Pollux Parker is an adventurer who loves discovering secret island getaways in each country he visits. Pollux also likes to collect US flag and buy cheap US flag.

Bach: Concerto for two keyboards in C: 3. Fuga Vivace Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Clipped from the DVD: "Il Giardino Armonico plays Bach in Vienna" Ciovanni Antonini, conductor Katia and Marielle Labeque, fortepiano Recorded at the Musikverein, Vienna, 24.4.2000



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLXQWp5GPmY&hl=en

Tool Live Lateralus - Vienna, Austria 2006-11-19 Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Austria, Vienna, Stadthalle.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrhbPj_6WPs&hl=en

Purchasing Your Art Materials

Have you been an artist in your entire life? Or are you inspiring to be one if there is a chance to do some sketching or drawing, maybe even painting a canvass. Right now, I am dreaming to be a Vincent Van Gogh or to be a Da Vinci. Never mind, I am still a novice, a wannabe that wanted to be a painter. But hey, I am not like Adolf Hitler who was once aspiring to be a painter in early 1920's Vienna, Austria. I am not a bitter person; I am just a man of flowing with the flow wherever fate could have leaded me to, but not the pits. No I don't like that.

In the art world anything can be a work of art regardless of any materials or medium that you wanted to uses. Sand art, paper art, any materials that will strike some semblance of inspiration from the artist and that could be you.

I think of telling the whole world that I have to tell you, especially the artist in you that you can be a good painter provided with 99% inspiration and 1% art equipments.

First I am seriously thinking of proving myself with the best equipments and painting paraphernalia on the whole wide web. I am not into venturing going out at the malls and scour some painting equipments, I just wanted to search over the web and search for some promo codes such that of Blick Art Materials.

Blick Art Materials promo codes is a sure fire way for me to supply all my art needs at the expense of just a click along my finger tips. I could save more and explore my creativity in the world of art. It is better to make a good deal out of these discount codes mind you.

It is so cool to purchase these products from Blick Art Materials because the site is safe, ideally the site is equipped with the state of the art securities. Then the deals are even better. So therefore there are no security concerns regarding your purchases. Shipping is not a problem because they are really affordable. To add more, with the promo codes that I have told you about makes your purchases even better.

Hence, what are we hesitating for let's click on the mouse and go over to Blick Art Materials. It will surely be the best deals in the net now. I am going to park my keyboard right now. More power on your art endeavor friends.

Jay Dy is a savings oriented person who wants to share the knowledge to readers on how to spend wisely and at the same time allow you to have Blick Art Materials promo codes on our couponsaver website

Austria Team Monday, October 4, 2010

So I made one video for the team:) Hope you like it. Song is called: So Called Plan - Same About The Sorrow Pictures from skijumping.pl and I still don´t own them:D



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYLKBa-Rla8&hl=en

Whole Lotta Love pt 4 Sunday, October 3, 2010

DANKE! VIENNA Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria March 16 ' 73. Rock And Roll Over The Hills And Far Away Out On The Tiles Intro/Black Dog Misty Mountain Hop Since I've Been Loving You Dancing Days Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp The Song Remains The Same The Rain Song Dazed And Confused medley incl. San Francisco/Happiness Is A Warm Gun tease Stairway To Heaven Whole Lotta Love medley incl. Boogie Chillun, Baby I Don't Care, Let's Have A Party, I Can't Quit You Baby, The Lemon Song Instrumental Intro/Heartbreaker The Led Poisoning Show; Devastating version of DAC with Page and Bonham just feeding off one another. Bonham just keeps pushing Jimmy harder and harder. Jones is in usual great form but these recordings don't capture his sound very well. Plant is a little hoarse and plays at a different register. This was a very important time for Led Zeppelin but unfortunately this was not a largely publicized part of the 1973 tour. They were at their musical peak. I personally have never heard the Zeppelin machine working so tightly in all my years of listening. These string of European shows captures Page at his technical best. He is flying all over the guitar in a flurry of notes at lightning speed changing tempos while working off Jones and Bonham. Plant on the other hand is singing at lower register but does capture some magical moments. The reason why I say this is an important time for the band is because the band changed it's live structure after this. The American shows were played,i feel ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGDwSHgFnJ4&hl=en

How Can They Tell You're Different? Friday, October 1, 2010

"Are you enjoying your holidays here?" The waitress at the Park Cafe in Villach is very friendly as she serves the fabulously rich cake and strong coffee we ordered - with a glass of water by the way, which is typical for Austria.

People often address us as visitors, even when we're not - or maybe they are right and we are tourists everywhere, except the place we grow up in. We lived in Cape Town for nine years until recently, and settle here in Austria's Carinthia now - but we are German.

How can they tell you're different?

'When in Rome, do like the Romans do.' I found that to be good advice in the past whenever I travelled to places I hadn't been to before. Trying to blend in at airport customs in Jakarta is what you did when you arrived in Indonesia via Singapore from South Africa on a second, clean passport during the Apartheid years.

But does it work? Did the locals think I was born in Venezuela when I was in Caracas? I am sure I didn't pass for a local in Cape Town's Kayelitsha township, but a few kilometers away in Simon's Town nobody gave me a second glance walking down our Waterfront.

Fact is that we're all different, of course - six and a half billion unique human beings on this planet, our fingerprints prove it; and it's not important how far apart we are geographically - what matters is how close we are culturally. There's a difference, although there is a proportional relation.

If I start yodelling in the middle of Hamburg, passers-by will stop and stare. In a small village in North Korea I would get arrested and put in an asylum for that, but anywhere in Austria, folks would smile and join in. Well, the way I yodel some of them might think I am dying and call an ambulance, but that's not the point.

The point is that others can tell very quickly that you're different first by the way you look, and then by the way you speak. Or write?

That's what I am trying to find out from you today: can you tell that I am German from the way I am writing this article? I publish COMPASS for subscribers on four continents (Asia doesn't seem to be interested much) and I consciously try to choose a neutral style here.

Working in Public Relations, on other occasions I would use a different approach for a particular purpose. When I lived in London in 1979/80 I sometimes played a little game with myself at parties: how long could I hide the fact that I am German by putting on as much of a British drawl as I could muster?

After a while, the best score I achieved was just under one hour if I remember correctly - and it was either because of, or in spite of all that really good French red wine they offered there.

Now here in Austria, I spoke to a gathering of Germans and Austrians last week and all of them, without exception, were amazed that I hadn't lost my northern German accent after 22 years in South Africa.

That's how the waitress in the Park Cafe could tell we weren't Austrian, so we had to be tourists : not everyone wears Lederhosen here so we didn't look different, but I am not one to keep my mouth shut for long.

We spoke differently. Do I write differently? Please drop me a brief comment and tell me what gives me away - or doesn't.

"You can be, do and have anything you want" - this is Berend Lange's credo. Under his BLUE CRANE label, he works internationally as a Translator and Copywriter to develop Public Relations with businesses that have something to say - in English and in German, anywhere in the world.

He knows that sustained success in business cannot be achieved without growing as a person, though. After 22 years as a German expatriate in South Africa, Berend has now returned to Europe and settled in Austria. On his KOMPASS Blog he offers encouragement, advice and a fresh perspective on how to overcome the challenges we face in life.

His Most Famous Painting (The Kiss) - Gustav Klimt

Austrian 'Symbolist' visual artist Gustav Klimt was born on July 14, 1862, in Baumgarten, near Vienna. Trained for an architectural painter at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts, he primarily produced stunning murals, paintings, and sketches, with the female body being his favorite subject in most of his works. "The Kiss (Der Kuss)" (1907-08) is one such masterpiece by him, belonging to his professionally high, 'golden phase,' reflecting an ultimate blend of 'Symbolism' and 'Art Nouveau.'

"The Kiss" shows a couple all involved in their own world, ignorant of their environment, kissing against a bronze backdrop. The man is wearing a crown of vines and is leaning over the woman, who wears flowers in her hair. To enthuse the viewers' imagination, Klimt has illustrated only the hands and the head of the couple. The artist has draped them neck down in a sheet like swirl in the shades of gold, adorned with several colored rectangular motifs & tangent circles, accentuated by a multicolored flowerbed beneath them. All this well gives the feel of the voluptuous erotica. Therefore, Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" effortlessly brings out the eroticism & sensitivity, captivity, and the deliverance of the kissing couple, all at the same time. It is rumored that Klimt and his beloved Emilie Floge, modeled for this 180cm x 180 cm magnificent piece of art.

Gustav's work was characterized by forthright eroticism that uncovered his purely sexual interest towards the female body. He once stated, "I have never painted a self-portrait. I am less interested in myself as a subject for a painting than I am in other people, above all women...There is nothing special about me. I am a painter who paints day after day from morning to night...Who ever wants to know something about me... ought to look carefully at my pictures." In November 2003, oil and gold on canvass, "The Kiss" was chosen to be patterned on the 100 euro gold collector's coin, 'The Painting Coin.' One side of the coin portrays Klimt in his studio and the other side of the coin shows "The Kiss."

"The Kiss" currently graces the Osterreichische Galerie Belvedere Museum in the Belvedere Palace, Vienna, Austria. Being a leading member of the Vienna Art Nouveau movement, Gustav's several pieces are displayed at the Vienna Secession gallery. Leaving several painting unfinished, he passed away on February 6, 1918, due to a stroke and pneumonia. He was interred at the Hietzing Cemetery in Vienna.

Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Is is also a venue for artists to display and sell their art . Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited. Please visit the website at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com
Annette has bonus offers on her work only. Buy 2 paintings of any size and receive 1 painting of your choice for free of equal size and value. SHIPPING IS FREE IN CANADA AND US ON SMALLER ITEMS
Please feel free to subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com