Twenty Four Hours in Vienna

Although we arrived at our hotel in Vienna around 12 noon, the hotel insisted that we would not be allowed to enter our rooms before 3pm. That is unless of course, you paid them a 30 Euro early entry charge. This was rather disappointing, but the miserly approach seemed to be a recurring thread. I had never heard of a hotel that wanted to charge 8 Euro for a cup of hot water either.

A few of us sat in the foyer and waited until the clock ticked to 3 pm, and then made a beeline for our rooms. It was great to finally be able to dispense with the cycling gear once and for all.

Once decked out in normal clothes I wandered off to the nearby Prater Park. This amusement park is one of the most famous in the world and dates back well over a 100 years. Perhaps the most famous ride of all is the huge ferris wheel, featured in the movie The Third Man. A feature of this wheel is that it is constructed exactly like a huge bike wheel. The outer circle is secured only by an intricate collection of steel cables. I am not sure if there are any others like this anywhere in the world.

I wandered through the Prater Park to the so called Prater Turm. This is a towering structure, almost 120 metres high. If you want to be scared out of your wits you can sit in one of the seats and be elevated to the highest point in the park. To add to the fear factor, the seats are then spun around at the same time, in an apparent attempt to hurl you into oblivion.

As I looked at the Prater Turm, my mind went back 8 years to when I last stood at this spot. On that occasion I was accompanied by a great friend Janna Thompson. Janna had been a regular participant in our overseas rides and was always up for a challenge.

"You should have a go on that", I suggested to her.
"I will if you will", she replied.

That put me in a spot. I would lose face if I chickened out. Thus we agreed to come back in the morning and would both dice with death on this thing. We did come back in the morning, only to find the ride closed. We never did get to give it a go.

Unfortunately Janna passed away tragically a couple of years ago, and I lost one of my closest friends. The thought of those events of 8 years ago saddened me considerably. Sometimes we just have to take opportunities when they arise, and not put them off.

In the evening, the group had booked tables in the hotel restaurant for a "second final meal" together. Quite a few shared their favourite memories from the past month, knowing that within the next 24 hours, the group will be dispersed widely.

This morning I caught t the very efficient underground train to the centre of the city and spent some time wandering the region near St Stephen's Cathedral, the Sisi Museum and the Spanish Riding School. Vienna really is lovable city, and it is little wonder that it now carries the accolade of being the world's most livable city. The combination of history, culture, modern infrastructure, bike paths and museums is very hard to beat. It could certainly act as a role model for other cities of this size. The underground Metro must certainly be one of the most efficient and easiest to navigate in the world. And once again, due to the absence of the pajama boats, the centre of the city had far fewer tourists than normal.

As I walked and walked, and gazed at the buildings and parks, I wondered whether I will ever have the privilege of returning to this place. Whether I have the opportunity to return or not, I certainly feel blessed to have accumulated so many vivid memories of my times here.

Tomorrow I pack my bags once again and catch the train from Vienna to Salzburg. That is a city I have not had the chance to visit before, so that will be a brand new experience.Leia mais