Vienna, Austria

---

---

First of all, I´m doing some catchup as i´ve finally found some cheap internet time, so sorry about the influx of emails telling you i´ve updated my blog.
Second´iùm typing on a French keyboard, and the keys are in mad positions, so forgive spelling and grammar.
OK, Al and I arrived in Vienna Austria nice and early after catching another overnight train. It was a mixed cabin of 6 with tiny bunk beds. It was absolutely stifling hot and a very uncomfortable ride. We both agreed that the reclining seat option we were offered would have been much better (we both realised later that we both would have taken that option but thought the other would have wanted the bed.. one of us should´ve spoken up!)
We spent most of the day wandering around the city trying to find the sites. We couldn´t find a reliable tourist map (any map actually) anywhere so I used my guide book. We got lost. It took a while to realise that we´d actually wandered off the map in my book and were headed away from the city. We eventually found our way back on track and saw a couple of sites, including Hofburg (yes Katy, now that you´re not around to fill in the names of sites i´ve visited, i´ve had to resort to bringing my guide book along to the computer!). Hofburg is a big palace that was the Hapsburg winter residence. Its a cool building´that now houses lots of museums.
Al and I met up with Claire who arrived to join us from Prague. Al went to meet her at the train station, while I went in search of a greasy pizza.
We decided to try out some Austrian food for dinner and found a nice pub close by. We got stuck into some nice schnitzel and had a couple of nice beers. Claire has been writing the beers down so anyone (Dave!) that needs more details, can check with her. I tried both light and dark beers (no, not light as in less alcohol).
Our second day in Vienna came with the news that Steve Irwin had been killed by a stingray. So in addition to checking out nore Viennese sites (no, we still couldn´t find a tourist map anywhere) including Stephansdom, Town Hall and other cool buildings, we stumbled across an Aussie bar, so decided to go in and have a XXXX in honour of Steve Irwin. On a side note, why do overseas "Aussie" pubs have the shittest Aussie beers (insert question mark here. can´t find it on this stupid keyboard). They served Fosters, XXXX and VB, possibly the three worst tasting beers in Australia.
Anyway, that was Vienna. We went to sleep ready to visit another new place the next day..

---