Rooksmoor's Tablets of Lead: 20 Years On - Part 12 of Account of Travelling by Train Around West Germany and Austria

Tuesday, 2 September 2008

20 Years On - Part 12 of Account of Travelling by Train Around West Germany and Austria

My attempts at cycling in Vienna were terrible. I set off down a one-way street on the wrong side of the road (it was the first time I had not been a passenger on continental roads where they drive on the opposite side of the road to the UK). In these days no-one considered wearing a cycle helmet even in a city like Vienna. 'Brunn' means fountain in German and this was something common at the Schönbrunn (literally 'beautiful fountain') palace on the outskirts of the city.

Friday 2nd September 1988

Today I woke up promptly and hired a bicycle. I cycled off in the wrong direction at first but got on the right, if busy route to the Armoury war musem but it was closed on Friday. I bought some drink and biscuits and unsuccessfully tried to find the entrance to the Belvedere. I then went back via the city museum and dropped off my purchases. I picked up my kagoul and then set off for the Schönbrunn Schloß and walked around the gardens and had some lunch after which I cycled back into town. I looked around the market, Stephans Dom and then the Parliament and the Rathaus buildings in the pouring rain. I walked back through town where I bought some bananas and some chocolate before going to the youth hostel where I sat talking to two Germans about politics, having already eaten my dinner.

An interesting thing I noted was the number of Hungarians stocking up on electrical goods - hi-fis, stereos, videos and televisions and small shops selling all this stuff where the proprietors spoke Hungarian. I forgot to mention all the newspaper sellers who stand at the street corners in the afternoon and at night selling their city paper, dressed in bright red and yellow livery.

Weather: Dull in the morning, heavy rain by afternoon.

Entrance to Schöbrunn Palace outside Vienna, September 1988