Austria

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.

Our train ride from bled to Salzburg was probably the most scenic of the whole trip. Leaving the Julian Alps and heading into the Austrian Alps. We also started to see the first signs of heavy snow.

Because we were on an ‘international’ train once we got into Austrian land our carriage was decoupled and added to another train, what we didn’t know was that our carriage (normal class in Slovenia) was the first class cabin in Austria. In one of the ski towns that the train stopped in 4 American guys got on and as we were sitting at the only 4 person table started to make comments like ‘that couple should let us have the table’ and ‘man there’s 4 of us, where should we sit’ just a bit too loudly, if they had just asked we probably would have moved. Anyway, turns out they only had economy tickets and we ushered out of the cabin and wernt to happy about it (hahahahaha, a bit petty but revenge is sweet). Then the conductor went on a mini rampage and started kicking everyone out, old guys, pregnant women …..everyone, until there was just us and two other people in the cabin. Good to be first class.

rach really starting to feel the cold

Enough of that who-ha, we arrived in Salzburg and it was proper snowing and proper cold. And since our camera had seen the bright light of electronic heaven our first point of call was the high street so we could get a new one (so sorry if the pictures aren’t up to standard, we were still getting used to the new settings). We also had dinner out at a real traditional place, greeted by waiters in om-pah (that’s what I ended up calling them anyway) costumes and big hearty meals of meat and sauerkraut, mmmm mm mmmm.

Our only tourist day in Salzburg was spent as usual, walking round the old town (in the baroque style, see I did learn stuff) and exploring the Christmas markets that were to pop up everywhere for the rest of our trip. We also went up to the fort which dominates the skyline above the old town, just another fort (although a massive one) with a few museums inside. The highlight for me was gong up to the highest point a looking out over the city, the highlight for Rach was having a bit of respite for the cold.

That night we were keen to head out to a beer hall and the only one we could find was a bit of a walk and it sounded a bit touristy. But when we got there it was the Austrian Equivalent of the RSA, with the average age being about 60 and a real relaxed atmosphere. The halls were under a monastery and the beer (which was pretty awesome) was brewed by the monks.

Now if Italy could convince Rach to drink red wine then this must be the place where I could get her to drink some beer. And I got her a far as raddlers, half beer half fizzy (basically a shandy). We ended up making friends with the only other young people in the hall, a couple from Essex. The girl (I forget her name) had probably had one to many raddlers herself and by the end of the night was speaking some pretty incoherent stories, I guess it just tasted too good.

Awsome pic that a guy from essex took for us, cheers mate