Onto te next thing

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Word of warning this is another quite long blog, but wanted to get down all the fun details of the ast few days so that I too won´t forget them. If you haven´t got a great deal of time, maybe just skim it - but then again, you never know what fun details you may miss by doing that!
Well, well, I am now settled into Vienna, Austria. Infact have been here for a few days now, and with some spare time up my sleeve until my eastern european tour with intrepid starts, me thoughts it best to get some blogging down online! I don´t somehow expect it t be quite as easy when we are in places like the tatras moutains etc....
Ok so when I last left you i was in the glorious surrounds of Strasbourg, France and it was my last night in Switzerland. After finishing at the cafe I literally had to run at full pelt in hiking boots the lenght of the Strasbourg old town to make sure that I wasn´t late for my train - it was Wednesday, my last night of hanging out with Rosie, this could mean only one thing, it was a night to party, and I didn´t want to be late! So back in Basel for the last time, we hung around in the late afternoon breeze with a glass of red, until we realised that now we were late for dinner. Quickly got ready and shot through town to a place called Lily´s which was really nice, and had a final dinner with some of Rosie´s really nice friends. More drinking pursued, but none of her (very sensible friends) could be swayed into going out. Ahhhh we just had to go back to the Red Bar to see if it could be better this time. Happy to report it was far better this time around, even stayed on until closing, then found another bar. Urghhhh eventually rolled in through the door feeling very ill and tired at 5,30am - not bad when you consider that I was going to Vienna on a 12,30pm flight!
It was terribly funny though, I shall relate this little bit. On walking through the door, we made the sensible decision that we should ingest some food in an aid to help our recovery - except we both fell asleep (me on the hallway floor), bless we were lucky enought that I managed to wake up around am and realised that the oven was still going strong and there was a very cremated piza inside. Hehehehehe All such fun and frivolity. Rosie quite rightly pointed out that we are making a bit of a tradition of having a massive night (and equally massive hangover) each time I leave. I think it´s a solid tradition to keep up with over the next few years 😉
So with horrendous headache, stomach ache, and any other body part that could ache, I said my sad farewells to Rosie and Basel, once again boarded a bus and headed for my flight to Vienna. Needless to say when I got here, I perhaps was not the most chipper girl in town. Carrying my heavy pack it seemed to take ages to find the place, but once I did, I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the hostel - wombats! It is a popular hostel for Busabout people - 4 of my roomates were doing busabout - 2 of them were 19 year old girls from Melbourne. After a little cajouling from them, I was convinced to go out once again - have dinner, and urghhhh drink once again! But the dinner was worth it, we went to this place called Centimeters - where they sell food at a price per centimeter - we chose to go in for one of their famous wheelbarrows - yep this massive shared dinner was served up to us in a little garden wheelbarrow!!!!!!!
Next day in Vienna the weather was pants! It rained non stop for about 5hours, but not to be deterred, on went my boots and coat, and out came the trusty umbrella. I essentially had a very soggy day walking around Vienna non-stop. Infact for 6 hours without sitting dow. It´s fair to say that my knees were screaming by the end of that! The town is amazing hough. The word for it can only be IMPERIAL, the inner stardt area is like the grande dame of architecture. Really spectacular in it´s grandeur. It is not hard to imagine the what it must have been like here with greats liek Mozart filling concert halls, and the Austo-Hungarian empire in full swing! By the end of the day I was completely shattered and thought it best to get an early night - tthat was until a roommate from Alabama convinced me that it was a much better idea to come down with him and party in the hostel bar.
Hmmm Saturday morning once again feeling a little lack lustre from alcohol consumption (side note: I am convinced that one day when I am travelling my liver may just pack up, and leave me to fend on my own!) I got up to an absolutley glorious and warm summers day! Such a change from some of the weather I had been getting. A trip to the Nachmarket in the morning (Kinda like the food halls of Queen Victoria) but smaller in widthe, partially open air, longer - and an insane number of people. Was quite lucky, as on Saturdays they also have a flee market which was soo cool, and if I had any room in my pack it would have been soooooo tempting to shop up on all the little quirky items of glass, old jewelery etc. After buying myself a picnic lunch (and how to ask for those things in German no less!), I took myself off for a restful time in the sun. I was heading for th Danube, but couldn´t find anywhere nice, so hopped back on the U-banh (underground train - which is incredibly easy and userfriednly) and headed for Stadtpark. Lying there in the sun with my new Harry Potter (thought it was time to start reading them, rather than just seeing the movies) I could hear the beat of music and some incredibly loud music pumping out close by. On investigation I was soooo lucky - I had stumbled onto the Vienna Rengenbogenparade! What you ask? Ahh it was the Viennese Gay and Lesbian Madri Gras, and I was right at the start of the parade with everyone warming up!!! It was just fabulous, but am pretty sure I have never seen so many exposed buttocks before striding down a mainstream in a g-string! But seriously was fab, and cant wait to get some of my pictures onto here for you all to see. Some real characters!
Finally an early night (altho my dormmates came in at 2am and then were up again at 6am getting ready to leave!!!!) So today I cheack out of Wombats, got myself over to the hotel from where my tour begins (which was the other side of the city), dropped off my stuff, then was out again to check out the museumquartier. Thre was a terrific outdoor installation of photo´s taken of different places in the world from up high (ie helicopter etc) Some of the shots were utterly fascinating. Actually a few were from the great barrier reef, which madde me feel rather nostalgic for home and was quite convined that I will definately be going to Port Douglas etc to go check out the Great Barrier Reef etc when I finally find my way home! Then off to another Kunstmuseum!!!! This time it was historic art.  Another good Egyption exhibit, and and an artgallery with some of the most beautiful painting by Reubens - the concentration of the exhibits was very much on Rennaissance era - but was still so fab. That is one thing I must say about being here in Europe is the passion of art and beautiful things in their mainstream culture. All this art and awe inspiring works makes you convinced that maybe you shoudl pick up a paintbrush and discover your inner hidden talents, then next picasso perhaps?
Well that pretty comprehensively covers the last few days! So what have my actual impressions been like of Europe? Beyound the grandeur etc, there are several notable habits of those on the continent that would never be allowed at home! 1, They smoke EVERYWHERE! Restaurants, trains, right next to me in this internet cafe! 2, They take their dogs EVERYWHERE into shops, onto trains, even in cafes!!!!!!! Gotta say on both these accounts, am very happy with our healthier and more sanitray habits back home!
Really am enjoying it at this point. I think the only time I get a little glimse of homesickness etc is when I am out there bounding around by myself or before I go to sleep. But really it has been very good. It´s funny, whilst I am enjoying this soooo much, in some ways I also want to get over to the UK and sink my teeth into this new direction. But I know when the drudgery of work hits, I will wish very much that I was back over here again!!!!!!! Tonight I start my Intrepid tour of Eastern Europe - another day in Vienna, then off on Tuesday for the Czech Republic - first stop Czesky Krumlov, which I am just looking forward to in a big way!
Hmm really gotta get some of these photo´s up on this site, so I can start making u green with envy, rather than trying t rely on my deft writing skills!!! heheheehe
With that said. Till I write again
Lauren 
 

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Photos

Mine's Better
This is a classic shot, these drag queen were looking at the digitals that they were taking of the crowd at the mardi gras!

Weiner Schinitzel
Death by Coronary Heart Attack - but when in Rome!

Opulence of Vienna
Part of the Hapsburg's winter palace

Comments

[Tan]

Wombats rules!
Hey Loz! What a great place Wombats is in Vienna!!! That\\\\\\\'s where we stayed and we didn\\\\\\\'t want to leave! Sounds like you are having a ball, keep exploring and partying...we are all jealous!!! Love Tan