Love is in the Air

John Paul Young must have had spring on his mind when he composed his evergreen "Everywhere I look around, Love is in the air."

Green bridal boquet

Spring is the season where bears leave their hibernation retreats, crops are sowed, and birds migrate towards the poles in response to the warmer temperatures. Spring is also the time of year where wool clothes are replaced with cotton and linen, as we enjoy the sun above us as well as the budding flowers at our feet. We associate growth, fertility and optimism with spring - and for some love is in the air.

Eros in Vienna
Quite opportunely Vienna has an extraordinary exhibition, "Eros in Modern Art". At the BA-CA Kunstforum visitors will encounter a wide variety of interpretations of Eros spanning from love, passion and lust to dreams and unity. More than 200 artworks by Paul Cezanne, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dali and many more from the past 150 years ensure that Eros is facetted in multiple ways. The exhibition poses more questions than it answers, for instance: Why is art so evidently connected to Eros? Why - to quote Picasso - is art »never chaste«?

Several events are linked to the exhibition: Erotic culinary delights at the Hilton Vienna Plaza, readings of texts from erotic literature backed by music, and philosofical reflections on extra-marital affairs!  The last two require that you command German.

Green weddings
Spring is the season for weddings - or planning summer weddings. Once upon a time a white wedding was what couples dreamt about. Today weddings have metaphorically gone green, as wedding couples take an active stand on the environment. So when you meet a bride in a wedding dress from a vintage shop or in a design using fair-trade fabrics, or you see guests arriving on foot, or spot a wedding bouquet made of wild and homegrown flowers, then you will know that this is a green wedding. If you are invited to one of these eco-chic weddings, then don't expect lentils and brown burlap. You will be served fresh locally grown produce served on heirloom plates. As many couples have lived together for years, they may also suggest that you give green gifts, rather than the traditional cutlery or damask tablecloths. A green gift can be an apple tree or it could be a donation to an environmental group such as WWF or Friends of the Earth. These groups have been quick to launch charity gift websites in response to this trend. And a green honeymoon will of course go to an eco-tourist friendly adventure destination rather than a traditional package tour.

Experts say that couples planning green weddings tend to already lead an environmentally friendly lifestyle, but this trend in green weddings is spreading the message to a wider audience.

Spring feelings
Spring brings new life and for some "love" is in the air. If not, perhaps a trip to Vienna may help. Others are planning their green wedding devoting their energy to be eco-friendly - and hopefully not forgetting their chosen partner. For some spring means golfing, kayaking or bicycling. Whatever the case, the sun comes out from hiding, the grass changes from brown to green, and you can feel the air getting warmer as each day passes. Spring brings joie de vivre and for some "love" is in the air.

Related information
BA-CA Kunstforum exhibition: Eros in Modern Art in Vienna can be visited until July 22, 2007
WWF Weddings and Celebrations