VIENNA, AUSTRIA

SEPTEMBER 5

Looking at weather.com for Innsbruck, the starting point of my planned next 2 hut to hut treks, it said rain for the next 4 days, so I decided to go toVienna for the first time. I used the first of 5 days of travel I have on a flexipass train pass for Switzerland and Austria. It was 2 hours by train to Bern where I had a 3 hour layover. Bern is a cool town, medieval cobblestone streets, fountains and clock towers, a river runs through it, but it was Sunday and everything was closed. There was an open market with many eastern europeans selling everything. I used the internet to reserve a hostel. It was another hour to Zurich then 8 hours to Vienna, arriving at 10:30PM.

Bern, the capital city of Switzerland

On the train was a 17 year old Austrian girl who spent a year in Ohio, and visited friends on Shoreline Drive in Santa Barbara, she couldnt believe I was from there. Across from me was a young man who was from Neustift, Austria, the starting p0int of my planned next trek. He worked at the Innsbrucke hut where I was planning to stay, and told me of a klettersteig there, the hut rents the equipment. Everyone said 'Kleine welt, gell?' = 'Small world, isnt it?'. The train ride was lovely, going through St. Anton and Innsbrucke, along a valley with ruins of castles in the hills. Who built those castles? Were they ever attacked? I got a 4 euro coffee on the train, using euros Kim gave me. We went by the Otz valley, where I took my family on a car camping trip in 2004. I got no sleep at the hostel, with snorers and a room overlooking a busy street.


MONDAY SEPTEMBER 6

A great day! I rented a bike for 20 euros X 1.3 = $26, got a train ticket for $35 and rode to Melk. I first visited a very impressive Benedictine abbey, with a tremendous library and church, built in baroque and rococo style. Then it was a 23 mile ride to Krems along the Danube, passing through medieval villages and grape growing vineyards. Durnstein was particularly impressive, with old castle ruins to explore, where Richard the Lion Hearted was imprisoned in 1192. Terrific views from that old castle! I didnt eat all day so particularly enjoyed a chicken kabob for just $4. Took a train from Krems back to the hostel where I got a new room, with 4 Aussie girls and a guy and a shared bathroom.

Self Portrait in a mirror during 23 mile bike ride from Melk to Krems, Austria


The ride went along the Danube with beautiful views and a constantly changing scene

Just another church interior along the way

The monastery in Melk had this runner painting!

The ancient library at the monastery, with thousands of books, note the telescope and globes

Another beautiful church

In one medieval church I peered through a locked window and saw this

Interior of church at Durnstein

Across the river were the ruins of this medieval castle. Who built it? Was it ever attacked?

Not sure what giant palace this was across the Danube from near Melk, Austria

Durnstein was a very cool medieval village

Here is a 360 degree video of Durnstein and its castle ruins, where Richard the LionHearted was imprisoned in 1192:

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 7


On a cold foggy day I jogged to the Schonbrunn palace nearby the hostel:

The palace had beautiful grounds and the self guided tour showed palatial rooms like Versailles

Emperor Frans Josef and Maria Theresa lived here, the rooms were elaborate like Versailles, marble and jewels everywhere. I ran around the beautiful gardens for an hour, and could not get my legs tired, until the end. I felt great! I showered back at the hostel then metroed to downtown. You know Im a mountain man, but I surprised myself and really like Vienna. Its full of monuments, beautiful ornamental buildings, statues, churches, museums. Around every corner is a new wonder. I was looking lost and an older Austrian woman stopped and showed me around the area for an hour. I was able to communicate with her effectively in German! I didnt know I could do that until then. Finally those 3 courses at SBCC and adult ed were working!.

Here are some Vienna, Austria pictures:

St. Stephens Cathedral

View from the top of St. Stephens cathedral, climbed 350 narrow, dizzy inducing winding stairs to get this shot for you!

In honor of Dad and Joyce's suggestion, I got tickets to an orchestra! I heard the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra perform Strauss and Mozart, accompanied by 5 world class opera singers. It was great! It cost $50. Each singer had a different personality. They sang duets and solos and all together. My favorite was Strauss' 'blue danube waltz', do you know it? I've been whistling it for days. There were 40 musicians and an 800 person audience in the Hofburg Palace room, where for 300 years they have been performing, including Mozart and the Strauss family.

My favorite piece was Strauss' 'Blue Danube Waltz', I ended up whistling it for days:





Internet cafe closing! maybe next time I can upload this song!






SEPTEMBER 8


I went to all the museums I could in my last day here. first the Roman museum, Vienna started as a roman fort 0 to 300AD. Great 3D videos showed what life was like then. Then St. Peters Church, my favorite in Vienna, where I lit a candle for Grandma Doodie, like I have been doing in European churches since she died. Soon tears came to my eyes and I was crying outside the church, thinking about her, because it is only because of her I am here. I am still so sad I was not there for her when she died. Then the Salzkammer Jewels museum, where I was very interested in the crowns, I must be an emperor wanna-be or some past King. Then I metroed to the Danube island, 20 miles long where people jog and bike, it was deserted in the fog. Then the Belvedere palace, built by Prince Eugene (my middle name!), a hunchback with buck teeth from a common family, who after 10 years in the military became the head of the Austrian military, and defeated 5 different armies, mostly Turkish and French. He became a wealthy man and lived to age 70, and built these 2 palaces which are now museums. It had the worlds largest Gustav Klimt collection, including `the kiss`which i really liked. We saw a Klimt with Dad and Joyce in Los Angeles this year. The museum did not allow cameras.

A crown at the Austrian Jewels Museum:
Belvedere Palace



I was pretty tired by 4PM and had not eaten all day. So I had a schnitzel and large salad at my favorite local restaurant for only $7, a meal that would cost $20 in Switzerland. I used a washing machine to wash clothes! What bliss! Im in a 4 bed room, with a 46 year old Aussie from Hobart, a Brazilian and a German, we are buddies already.