Train to Vienna...

I am bobbing along now on the train to Vienna. I missed the morning train by only seconds....waddling to the platform at underwhelming speeds only to see the train depart the station. But not to worry, it was a beautiful day and I lingered in the park across from the station for awhile before settling in to the pub for a very brown authentic Czech lunch (ick!) and a couple of pints (yum!) and of course my daily fix of wifi bliss. I found a few friends on line and managed to make those 3 hours race by...just barely making the next train. Now I sit in a cabin all to myself in business class as the Czech countryside slides by and I am gently rocked to a very sleepy contentment. I could get used to this you know. Being lost, finding myself, discovering new places...it is all just such a wonderful gift that we live in this world. As I did my morning sun salutations I recalled an email from my friend Kelly....108 sun salutations to celebrate the solstice. Wow! I have about 100 to go...I need to rededicate myself to my practice if I am going to get to 108. I hereby commit to doing all 108 before I get to Venice. Gulp! Now that I have witnesses there is no slacking off. 

Off for a lazy cat nap..... I will check back in when I get to Vienna. By the way, I am having a lovely time and I wish you were all here. :-)

I arrived in Vienna around 6:30 p.m. after one of the most relaxing train rides I have ever experienced. Vienna is a busy metropolitan city which is a distinct contrast from Prague. Where Prague was charming and bohemian, even a bit needing of repair in some places, Vienna is a master work of gleaming white buildings, immaculately clean streets, beautiful city parks, and unlike the rest of the globe seemingly immune to any economic downturn. The unemployment rate in Prague and the Czech Republic hovers near 12%. In Vienna it is clear there is money...and it is plentiful. I make my way to the town center and am surrounded by the icons of status and wealth. Prada, Gucci, Dolce Gabana, Hermes, Channel....and all doing killer business. However, that does not mean Vienna is without charm and old world delights, as it excels in these areas as well. Frankly, Vienna is the heart of Europe...the home of Opec, the UN, and a cultural history that includes Mozart, Mahler, Freud, and Goethe to name a few. It has long been home to intellectuals and artists and it is a heritage that defines Vienna today. Unfortunately I am poorly prepared to take advantage the delights this city has to offer. I have not allowed nearly enough time...just about 36 hours...and I am insufficiently researched and organized in what time I do have...not to mention I am on a backpackers budget! Fortunately, my navigational skills are on overdrive and within a matter of hours I am on the underground (without a map...which was a bit foolish I admit) and making my way to the city center in search of dinner. It is a lively scene even at 10:00 at night with buskers, street performers, and general revelry. After a delicious dinner at a sidewalk cafe I head back to the hotel, I get off a the correct stop, but unfortunately become hopelessly lost. I wander the streets for about and hour or more until I finally find my little hotel...embarrassed and tired!

Time for bed and a regroup so that I may see as much as I can in my one full day in Vienna.