Day 30 - Altenberg to Vienna (12 miles)

I am sitting in the Cafe Landtmann in the heart of Vienna, the place where Freud used to have coffee along with other intellectuals, artists and musicians in the city. Maybe some of that intellect will rub off if I am lucky. Well dressed people are sitting in these rather refined surroundings, beautiful slices of cake and fancy, overpriced coffees in front of them while being fussed over by well dressed waiters. And then there is me, sitting in the splendour of my tatty cycling gear and two weeks of growth on my face.

I have been to Vienna before but of all the things I did then, somehow I missed this out so it is the place I wanted to visit this time round. I arrived in the city this morning after a leisurely cycle along the Danube, a ride that started in countryside but slowly became more suburban with the encroachment of rail and road and wall-to-wall commercial buildings. My ride into the centre of the city was lengthy and mostly along a canalised Danube; on my right an embankment supporting a noisy main entry road, the wall of which was heavily graffitied, on my left the Danube canal with its far wall also heavily graffitied. I passed under rail bridges and flyovers, all of which bore more 'street art' but most of which - to me at least - showed no artistic talent. It was hardly an inspiring entry to this cultural city and certainly no Passau.

Approaching Vienna

I dropped my bike off at my hotel and headed straight out again. My plan was to make the most of the day and to see as much of Vienna as possible by taking the tourist bus around the city and to head off tomorrow later in the morning. I am sure I could while away much more time here but in the next four days I will also be in Bratislava and Budapest, both new to me and places where I would rather focus my time.

The tour bus (actually there were two) took me far and wide across Vienna showing a very different face to the one I had seen first thing. A series of palaces and fine classical buildings, many now hotels - 'Tom Cruise stayed here', 'Queen Elizabeth stayed there' - past the Prater Park and its ferris wheel - images of Orson Wells and the Third Man - and out east to the land locked remnants of the original Danube, now a large park for locals and a flood prevention area. Interestingly, while being driven around was nice, I felt a little overwhelmed at times by the frenetic local traffic as we navigated some of the busier roads, an unexpected effect of having spent the last four weeks cycling and mostly in peace and quiet.

During the course of my bus tour I hopped off in order to enjoy my coffee and cake before finishing the trip and heading back to the hotel to check in and get a long overdue shower. Later, after days of heat, the weather broke and  I sat listening to the thunder outside and the rain beating intensely on my hotel room window, thankful I was not outside but keen to head out to eat. It did not last but I did wonder what it meant for the morning.