azadi means freedom
By loading the map, you agree to Google's privacy policy.
Learn more
This post is about a visit to the VIDC panel on women’s rights in Iran and Afghanistan. We also visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
We were staying at my dad’s place, and Brad’s ticket home to Georgia was on the fifth. So there was still some time left to hang out in Vienna.
cathedrals
After two days of rest we ventured into the city. The first place we went to was St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It was a gothic church, the oldest parts of which dated back to the 12th century. Most of it seemed to be from later times, though. Anyway it was massive.
There were some advertisements for classical music concerts in the church. What if we just went to Sunday mass, though? Surely we would get to hear at least the organ then?
We went to St. Peter’s Church after this. It was smaller and a lot younger (18th century), but it was beautiful in its own flamboyant, baroque way.
woman, life, freedom
We ended up spending most of the day walking around aimlessly, buying random little things in random little stores, and having snacks here and there. In the evening we went to the central library. The Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC) had put together a panel on women’s rights in Iran and Afghanistan, and I had heard of some of the speakers.
It turned out to be very enlightening. I had been wondering about the direction of the ongoing Iran Revolution and the role of the diaspora in it. The revolution was female, one of the panelists said, and she was hoping it would stay that way: Woman, Life, Freedom. Applause.
On our way out, as we were walking through Vienna’s quiet streets, I noticed a little, unassuming graffito on a building wall. AZADI, it said. Azadi meant freedom.
pictures
a day that ended at the VIDC panel on women’s rights in Iran and Afghanistan:
St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna
inside St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna
inside St. Peter’s church in Vienna
Vienna State Opera
bought a weird thing from a shop
Vienna
women’s rights panel by the Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation
Iranian and Afghani panel on women’s rights
Azadi means Freedom
ad for a NOFX show in Linz