Vienna

---

After the disaster we had, we emailed a campsite near by to Vienna the evening of the creepy campsite and had received a reply from them confirming a reservation, so this was a relief!



After we had packed up our wet belongings we left and were soon crossing the border (not that you really can tell). We managed to drive through yet more road works - although still unconvinced whether we were actually supposed to drive along the unsurfaced road that they were working on (JCB and all). Anyway, a slightly bumpy and dusty few minutes later and we were back on tarmac - and we didn't have to go on a lengthy diversion! In spite of the issues we had the day before we followed our sat nav faithfully through all the towns that appeared to run down the side of a main road - Liz, all the while, noting this strange diversion from the motorway but neither of us confident enough to go off piste. Eventually, after purchasing our Vignette (getting quite a collection on the windscreen now) we arrived at a point where the sat nav road appeared to just simply cross the river. There was no bridge. Luckily for the sat nav - it may well have gone out the window - we spotted a small ferry that took us across the very fast-running Danube! We had a nice conversation with our sole but friendly co-passenger, who commented on Liz's rain soaked flip flops and then arrived at our campsite a few minutes later. Easy. The campsite was located in Klosterneuburg (another ACSI gem) which is a district just a short train/bus ride from Vienna. Both bus and train were very close and so very convenient! We pitched Herman up, set up the awning and decided to do some Herman-tenance. We had a large dinner of meatballs (BBQ meat leftovers) and then bed ready for a flying visit to the city the next day.



We made our way to the train station the next morning and managed, yet again, to be in a situation where the train arrived and we had no ticket... so, having missed the train, we took the bus - it drove the same route and wasn't much slower, to be honest. We spent the day walking around Austria and using the "ring tram" to look for an authentic opportunity for Liz to have some coffee and cake. This presented itself at an amazing "living building" designed by an apparently-well-known architect - Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The building was pretty cool and (we discovered as we sat eating Sachentorte and looking out the window at the hordes of people taking pictures) very famous! The building is the most famous of a number of buildings that he had designed - there are no straight lines (or as he called them "coward lines" ) and plants and trees growing out the top and sides!



We wondered around for a bit longer looking at the buildings and then stopped outside the Opera House where they were broadcasting a performance live on a large screen for free. We then sat in the grounds of the museum quarter and watched a couple of very different groups of people dancing - obviously some kind of Meet Up-type thing and a great idea!



We were about to head back to the campsite when our peace was dramatically disturbed by a large number of police vehicles screeching towards where we were. They all jumped out and we realised we had stumbled upon a "Legalise Cannabis" march! We sloped away and headed to the train station to get back to Herman.



We stayed in Klosterneuburg for a couple of days before leaving for Hungary.

---

**** Jobs that should have been done before we left ****
• Re-attach sink waste pipe
• Re-attach steering column cowling
• Adjust bike rack
• Fit new blower motor switch
• Adjust awning fixings - cut to length
• Re-fit front speaker
• Attach bungee storage
• Clean steering wheel and sun visors
• Screw down sliding door threshold
• Fit hydraulic hinge to sink covering



**** Jobs that have materialised since we left ****
• Buy new bike chain and get fitted
• Find out what the clicking noise behind the speedo when you drive is.
• Re-attach shelf above hob

---

Photos

Nom, Nom, Nom!
Unfortunate timing, Liz :)

Comments

[Helena Wastnage]

Hundertwasser
Believe it or not, Margaret and I used Hunderwasser's pictures and ideas when we were teaching at the Hospital Schoolroom! He's an artist too. Love the blog. xxxx