Pretty cold but there were still texans around.

We only had 2 nights in Vienna and the only thing I really knew I wanted to do was go to the museum of modern art. But before we got there we had to brave the snowstorm that was going on when we arrived. If we thought that it was snowing in Salzburg then we were amazed with the amount of snow falling here. It made for some pretty good snowball fights, it ended with tears, mine. As rach got me right in the face.

The musemquartaire area of Vienna is a pretty cool place, 4 big museums (including MUMOK) and lots happening in the areas out side the museums.

if you hadn't noticed the main installation was modern chinese art

On our full day we took the underground out to the Hapsburgs palace (massive palace where the Austrian royalty ruled) and had a walk around the gardens and maze. Well rach walked I had a bit of a spill. On one of that paths up led up to a lookout it had ‘danger use at your own risk’ signs, but pah…. It was easy. The way down maybe not so easy, we decided to take the route less traveled down through the trees and I did the classic ‘slip on a banana’ feet above my head fall, landing on my butt and sliding down the hill. Rach just laughed.

The actual city itself was packed with people and the Christmas markets were in full swing. Mulled wine, massive sausages and big pretzels.

As we’d been on the road for the best part of a month we really needed to just be entertained without the walking and looking and touristing, so we went and saw a movie. The Golden Compass, not very good, but a bit of mind numbing entertainment and respite from the cold.

Anyway if we'd had more time we could have easily stayed in vienna for a few more days. Even though it was the first hostel we'd stayed in for the whole trip. really nice hostel (wombats) and one night when we were talking to an aussie couple this American guys came up and forced his way into our conversation. He was texan and in the army (sorry cousins but not to reinforce any sterotypes) and got his laptop out to show us endless photos of him and his various guns...hmmmmm.