Vienna (well, we're nearly in Bratislavia!)

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Campsite is Petronell Carnuntum

Saturday 14th June
Asked the campsite to explain the train ticketing into Vienna. Went to the station to buy the tickets - still confusing, but the best value for our needs, we need a single into Schwartz, then a 24 hour day pass, then a single back from Schwartz. Buy the first 2 easily enough, then think I have the third but as the last one drops out see it says ‘Von’ (from) Petronell Carnutum. When the guard comes along the train he tells us that these tickets are no good to get back, but to ask at our final station if we can change them. Gisella is great and comes with me, and thankfully they agree to change the tickets for another return group ticket, but also tell us we should have validated the 24 hour passes and so we are travelling illegally, but that we can do so now!

Headed off to the Schonbrunn Palace for our morning’s excursion. Too far to walk, hence we have our 24 hour passes. Find our way to the Palace, side-tracked by an offer of the Opera, but the guys decide that 25 Euro (the student/group rate we negotiate) is still too much. In for our group ‘Imperial Tour’ - the shortest one - we dash for the timing, but find that doesn’t mean anything as we only get a written tour (not even the promised audio tour is on offer). Half-hour is plenty of time for this, by which time the group is a bit over the opulent rooms, so we head outside for a group photo in the gardens, find some shade for lunch. Half the group then head to the maze, whilst others climb behind the fountain to “the garden shed”, before we re-meet at the front and head back into the centre, going past the State Opera House, and into Tourist Information where we get lots of maps, and everyone splits off into smaller groups - arranging to meet back at the train station for 5.30pm. Meander around the town, don’t see any of the things I meant to look out for, but do finally get to try Sacher Torte in it’s original home, the Sacher Hotel. Wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but nice enough. Then find ‘The church of Malteser’… we just needed a bag of choccies to finish off that shot! Back at the station we find that 7-8 of the group want to stay in to watch the football on the big screens, so the rest of us head back to the campsite… finding that we’re on the wrong train (the timetable makes NO sense!), so we have to get off at Schwartz and apologise to John when we finally turn up late! Good dinner, and we invited a German couple to come have dinner as so much spare. They stayed for evening meeting, which was my testimony. She’d grown up in a rule-bound Catholic church and was surprised to hear about the message of faith by grace. We chatted to them til late (through Gisella, who really hates translating, but has been amazing!)…

Sunday 15th June
A few headed into Vienna early in the morning to see the Vienna Boys Choir, the rest of us had a relaxed breakfast/prayer and a morning meeting - and sang Happy Birthday to Steven. John does us a BBQ for lunch, I dash around with some washing and chat to Tim back at the Manor, before we have a team meeting. Then time to head off into Petronell Carnutum, where John heads into the Roman Festival which is on (it’s 8 Euro, not for me), and we find the Flea Market (with some beautiful cake), and some hot chips before heading back to the campsite for a relaxed evening. A number disappeared off to pick free cherries hanging off the trees after David and Siew Yieng found some earlier.

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