Bratislava Jan 5th 2010

Andrew very kindly took the day off and drove us to the airport at Bratislava. The journey was uneventful but there was an accident on the Vienna-bound carriageway which had caused closure while they hauled a bus out of the ditch beside the motorway.

We arrived slightly early so went for a drink at the local shopping mall. Andrew and Alex both had a disgusting hot chocolate which resembled mud. Margaret and I were more conventional Margaret had an Earl Gray and I had a peppermint tea..Outside the temperature was below freezing and freezing rain made the pavements slippery.

We then did battle with the Ryanair check-in procedure. Having purchased an on-line check in we still had to queue with everyone else to check our cases in. Margaret was overweight by .6 Kg but they didn’t comment. We had a similar wait upstairs at the departure lounge. Whilst in the departure lounge we had a text from Andrew notifying us that Manchester and Liverpool airports are both closed due to the snow. Andrew hung around at the airport until we had boarded and were sure to take off.

Once on board the plane we seemed to wait ages while they de-iced the wings and awaited clearance to take off. Eventually we took off 40 minutes late, ascended through thick cloud and levelled off above the clouds in bright sunshine.

Half an hour into the flight the seat belt light came on again with an announcement from the cabin crew to remain seated with seat belts fastened. Two minutes later all was clear. We then saw the snow-covered mountains of Austria to our right as the clouds cleared. Even the lowlands were covered as we continued over Germany.

An hour into the flight the stewardess announced over the loud speaker the sale of Ryanair cigarette substitutes. They provide the tobacco and nicotine taste but without the smoke. I wonder if they will start to sell baked bean substitutes with the taste of sauce but with no after-affects?

Finally arrived at Birmingham at 3:20pm to be greeted by two inches of slushy snow. A train journey took us home via Birmingham New Street.

Homecoming

We rounded off our visit to Vienna by treating Andrew and Alex to a traditional Austrian meal - curry at the Tandoor Restaurant on Martinstrasse. We've had a most enjoyable stay and taken in many of our favourite haunts over the new year period.

I checked on the Birmingham Airport arrivals page to ensure that our plane has a fighting chance of touching down later today and all looks good. Flights from Düsseldorf are arriving half an hour early. The weather here is clear with yesterday's sprinkling of snow completely gone.

So all that remains is a drive to Bratislava and doing battles with the Ryanair scales in the hope that we comply with the 15Kg limit. On the way out Margaret's case was slightly over but we escaped prosecution. Then it's back to work, picking up the backlog after the Christmas festivities.

Danube Tower and St. Peter's Church

The day started with great promise with the sun shining. We took the UBahn to VIC (Vienna International Centre) and then walked past the UN complex towards the tower. It looked as though we would enjoy good views of Vienna.

When we got to the top of the tower (175 metres) the weather began to change. Snow began to fall and clouds descended upon Kahlenberg. The viewing gallery was windy and cold but I took a few photos in different directions from the tower.

This photo shows the view to the south overlooking the United Nations complex where our son, Andrew, works at present. He has just returned from an assignment in Nairobi, during which he managed to spend a day in the Masai Mara on safari.

Then we went to Schwedenplatz and walked to Zanoni and Zanoni for a welcome meal and drink. from there we went to Stephansdom and then on to St. Peter's Church, one of the most ornate in Vienna, where we spent some time in prayerful reflection as well as admiring the interior. In contrast to Stephansdom, which is packed out with tourists clicking cameras, this church provides a more worshipful atmosphere.

From St. Peter's church we walked down the beautifully decorated Graben. The fine but cold evening offered us the opportunity to take a number of photos of this beautiful street.

Club Danube

To round off the day we went to Club Danube in the 16th district for 2 hours of badminton with some of Andrfew's friends. despite a swollen knee and the remnants of an Achilles problem I came through the 2 hours well and won some games. In comparison to David Lloyd, Club Vienna is dark and foreboding and not a place for socialising.

Kahlenberg

Our trip to kahlenberg started with much promise. We took the tram to Grinzing in bright sunshine. As we climbed the hills on the bus the mist set in and remained with us all day. We decided to continue to Leopoldsberg for some scenic shots but after a short time went back to Kahlenberg for a drink.

Leopoldsberg has a neglected feel about it. Its only church and restaurant are both unused. The only attraction is the scenery overlooking the Danube which on a clear day provides to best shots from the north of Vienna.

The people of Vienna take new year very seriously and let off fireworks at every opportunity and in the most unlikely of places. Leopoldsberg was littered with spent packets and bottles, some broken. It took the edge off my impressions of Vienna being a clean and tidy city.

Kahlenberg itself has the one cafe and is often crowded. It is vastly overpriced and has a poor selection of food. The drinks come in paper cartons which is poor considering it is more expensive than city centre cafes. The church stands dominant in the main square overlooking the small village. How it manages to fill its pews is beyond me.

The bus journey took us back to Heiligenstadt and the cold was setting in as the darkness crept upon us. Heiligenstadt was lacking in atmosphere as usual which belies its name. When we arrived at Spittelau, the tower was shrouded in mist and we lazily rested on the UBahn back to the flat.