Some of you may remember that song - others will wonder what the hell we are on about....
Today loomed very, very hot and humid again - even worse in the city but we had to do it!
We caught the train into Vienna from just outside the campsite and were very impressed by the trains themselves, the ticket system and the ease of getting around the city. Steve reckons the metro was designed by the Williams Formula One team - thats how fast they went - and how quickly they stopped. But the underground stations were air conned, as were the trains and they were so clean too.
So to Vienna - well firstly it is huge - thats what strikes you first. There is so much beauty and class about the place - but we felt it lacked the character and charm of Prague with it being so spread out over a vast area. It is interspersed with so many modern buildings and shopping areas that it is a bit of a dot to dot city. Having said that the walks or rides to each area are worth it. As it was a very hot day we walked too much in hindsight and should have taken the metro or tram a lot more. It was very draining in the heat but beautiful.
The Naschemarket (fruit, veg, cheese, meat and fish etc) was a spectacle in itself and we wished we could have stocked up - but it was too hot to carry it around. The quality of everything was very high and we had some lunch there - and some testers of course. It was very multi cultural with local food alongside Greek (olives as big as golf balls), Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, spices like the Moroccan markets etc etc. Alongside it there was also a flea market with much bartering going on. The size of the market was immense - about 1 km long and about 3 aisles of temptations. Even chocolate ladies plus wine bars, oils and vinegars, beers.......
Leaving food and drink behind for a mo - the Hofburg Palace was spectacular as a building and it houses the famous Spanish School of Riding although we could not see inside. It also houses the Vienna Boys Choir - behind closed doors or with a very expensive ticket though. The churches were as beautiful as the hundred others we have seen - but the tower of the Stephansdom in the centre of the city is amazingly high. Steve was let off from climbing to the top as it was closed - nearly 400 steps in there so it was a blessing really.
We just had to do the coffee and cake scenario in a famous cafe in the centre - wonderful! And then we had had enough for one day and ready for home.
The train ride back was uneventful and efficient and we will do it again tomorrow when we visit the Summer Palace and gardens on the outskirts of Vienna. That is supposed to be even better than the city.
Back at the camp we relaxed with a drink while we uploaded the photos and had a chat with our neighbours. There is a lot of leaving and arriving on this camp but everyone seems very friendly - very nice. We think it is because there are a lot of Dutch people on the site and they speak English very well and are genuinely friendly too. We are updating the blog in McDonalds again - and we will leave before it gets dark tonight as we are on the bikes!!
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