To-ing and fro-ing (or "Is a change as good as a rest?")

Our move back to the UK is imminent too (a week tomorrow in fact!) and in preparation for the big move, two weeks ago, I took a full bag of clothes, papers, books, grocery items back with me during my recent return to Newcastle. I figured this would be really clever thing to do; to leave here with a full bag and return to Vienna with an empty bag thereby cutting our eventual final cargo by 19.5kg.

We've had wall to wall visitors since I returned from the UK (this is perhaps the main excuse for not having written anything here for a while, and I'm sticking to it!) and we have trekked and wandered and eaten and drunk our way around this little central European nub until I have worn holes in the bottom my shoes. The weather had been so hot that I felt like I had "done good", assigning those unworn jumpers and jackets back to the drear summer the north east of england is experiencing at the moment.

I have to admit to feeling slightly smug, but, as all you good folk know, pride comes before a fall.

This week, the weather has taken a distinct turn for the worse! The rain has poured for the last couple of days and the temperature continues to drop. No matter how pretty/nice/quaint/interesting places are, they do lose some of their appeal to visitors and guides alike in the drear sublit gloom of miserable rainy summer afternoon/evening.

Thank goodness for good company and idle chit chat.

A week is a long time...

It seems amazing that this week has gone so fast. Last Thursday (Feb 14th) we met up with a friend who was leading a group of modern history students and other interested academics on a mini trip to Vienna. We met up with them to eat at the Waldviertlerhof (which I mentioned earlier, and the food was excellent by the way) shortly after they arrived and tagged along at various points throughout their trip.

The weather turned on Friday and the temperature dropped by several degrees. We had a smattering of snow, but the worse thing was the wind. It certainly wasn't the kind of day I would have chosen to stand about in the town Centre.

Unfortunately, we were booked onto the Third Man tour, so this was exactly what we had to do! I Had known about this particular tour for a long time and it had almost worked its way into my folk memory. I was sure that a friend of a friend had been on it and had been taken down into the storm drains that run under Vienna to see the setting of the final scenes where Orson Welles tries to escape the clutches of the authorities. He didn't escape (sorry for the spoiler if you haven't seen it), and we didn't get to see the storm drains as the scene was apparently shot in the Shepperton Studios in London. We left early, feeling a little disappointed and later found out that the tour didn't even take in the Riesenrad (the big wheel) on the Prater which seemed a little odd as it is the most recognisable landmark in the whole film. Hey ho. Photo below is the doorway of Harry Lime's kitty (unacknowledged) accompanied first appearance in the film.

A tip! If you are ever really cold and happen to pass a street vendor selling roasted chestnuts, buy some, give some to your friends, put them in your gloves to warm your hands then eat them. It works a treat. Well done Jill for this inspired bit of improvisation!

Later that evening, we visited the Zwölf Apostelkeller in the centre of town to eat drink and make merry, helped along by a particularly boisterous performance from the resident violinist and accordianist who, when they found out the group was from Wales gave a rousing rendition of Tom Jones' "Why, why, why, Delilah?". All very jolly though secretly I was hoping for "Big Spender"!
Saturday was more sedate (though still freezing cold) as we ambled up and down the Naschmarkt and wandered through the accompanying Saturday Flohmarkt (Flea Market) eyeing the acres of assembled bric a brac, antiques, books, old cutlery, postcards, records and CDs, statues, furniture and general tat (you get the picture) and eventually ended up, via the mulled wine stall, at the Kunsthistorisches Museum to see the newly opened Arcimboldo exhibition.

You probably do know who he is even if you think you don't. He's the man who made portraits out of vegetables, fruit and flowers. They were actually portraits of the court of Rudolf the second (16th century) and very interesting too.

We saw the lovely snowy Breughels too.

Sunday found us at the top the Kahlenberg again, surveying the land with the whole group from on high and actually managing to spot the Riesenrad this time. We descended to the village at the bottom (Kahlenbergerdorf) down a stepped path through a vineyard which was cordoned off due to glaciated steps near the bottom. Naturally we only realised this when we were at the ice, at the bottom of the steps; we suffered no casualties, though it was a tad hairy descending at times.
When at the bottom we decamped to a pre-booked local Heuriger called Steinschaden for a delicious feast of local specialities (even featuring vegetarian options!) and lots and lots of wine. Note to self, I really must find out what Schwarz Wurzel are, because the Schwarz Wurzel salad was delicious. It tasted quite like asparagus but without the side effects. I'd quite like to try to grow some when I get home.

I had a brilliant time last weekend and met some really lovely people. Thank you :)

To everyone their own Gackerl Sakerl

There is a move from a government body in Vienna to make it illegal to allow your dog to foul the pavement and not clear it up. Speaking as someone who, within hours of arriving, had inadvertently stood in a small "deposit", I entirely agree that this is a reasonable request/demand.

The Austrians are a nation of dog lovers and there are apparently enough dogs in Vienna alone to produce 15 tons of, erm, droppings (as they are referred to here) every single month. Judging by the size of some of them though (the dogs, not the owners), this amount of matter could easily be achieved by a relatively small number of the more ginormous sized Hunds after an over indulgent dinner.

So far, this "clean as we go" initiative (sorry Gracie) doesn't yet have any great presence on the streets. The only presence I have seen on my travels (and photographed) so far is this charming little fella encouraging you take a "Sackerl" (small bag) for your dog's "Gackerl" (I'm not entirely sure of an exact translation for this, but I'm sure you get the idea and if you're a bit lost, the pictograms at the bottom should help you work it out). I think it's a shame that Mr Dog doesn't actually have any "Sackerl" attached to him to distribute as I expect he is supposed to have, I fear this may be wanton sabotage.

Being such a posh place, the populace of Vienna (like Nice in France) don't seem to think that such unpleasant laws/directives/initiatives apply to them. Therefore, if you do come to visit us, or this fair city, I'd encourage you to watch your step.

There's a hole in my jacket, dear Liesel, dear Liesel!

I realised last week with a not significant amount of shock and horror that I had a big hole under the right arm of my coat. This may explain why I have been getting odd looks on the bus/underground recently. When I've been standing up holding on to the ceiling straps I've obviously been flashing my wooly pully to all and sundry!

I haven't had the chance to look around for a replacement yet apart from a lack-lustre wander around Zara on the Kärntnerstraße on Saturday evening, where everything looked either "too young", "too shiny" (and not in a good way) or just odd. I quite like Tracht coats, they are very smart (as well as being ridiculously expensive) but anywhere outside of Austria would also look odd in their own way (though in a smart, expensive kind of way) too.

I am planning a trip to Peek & Cloppenberg on the Mariahilferstraße on Thursday to see if I can fulfill this new (and rather pressing need should the weather stay this cold for much longer) need. Brrrrr!

A walk in the Vienna Woods

After walking blisters on my blisters on Saturday, we decided it would be a good idea, it being such a glorious day, to go for walk on the Kahlenberg (the mountain near where we live).

The Viennese are so polite in some ways (greeting you when you enter and leave a shop, and even in lifts!), when they are not, it seems completely out of proportion. For example, the journey to the top of the Kahlenberg from where we live is taken part on the tram and the latter part of the journey, from Grinzing up the mountain is on a bus which winds up the snaking road, flanked by green pasture and and the densely planted and oddly named Krapfen Wald - doughnut woods (don't ask me why, as I have no idea! but if I find out, I'll let you know).

Because the weather was so miserable on Saturday and so glorious on Sunday, the bus is packed with people who've had the same idea as us and we have to squash together to get on. Lots of the passengers generally get off half way up when the bus stops a the carpark. There are refreshment stands and a (new) petting zoo and some make the rest of the journey on foot.

The journey up the mountain is very twisty-turny and people have become used to physical contact with the people around them in the tightly packed confined space. As the bus stops and before the door opens, there is the usual kind of movement of people beginning to make it known they want to disembark and working their way towards the exit. I became aware of increasing pressure from the old man stood next to me. My initial thought is that he has unbalanced as the bus came to a halt and I turn round to help steady him. He isn't falling or unsteady at all he is actually pushing me, leaning and pushing me out of his way off the bus before the doors have even opened without a word of excuse me.

From the viewing platform at the top you can see for miles over Vienna and across the flat plains towards Slovakia. The hills in the distance are blue and dreamy... The wind is however, rather unforgiving so we retire to the coffee shop for a coffee, a grosse Brauner (a Viennese coffee closest resemblance to a macchiato, with capuccino froth) and a sausage, which here meant two each! Yum.

I thought you might like to share these little fellows too, from the gift shop.