Euro Tour 2016 - Vienna day 1

[2nd Aug] - I have been keeping up with these posts but not being able to publish them for some reason, hopefully now we are back in the UK they should publish alright!

We were served a continental breakfast on the train, I always think that sounds fancier than it actually is - bread and jam! It was at this point we realized that the couple on the bottom bunk we in fact strangers and not a couple!

Ebi-kun was excited to have "Breakfast in bed", I didn't have the heart to tell him any different!

We arrived in Vienna on time and Cousin Kirsty found us without any problems. She took us back home so we could shower and get changed before heading out for the afternoon.

Vienna has a great system for the trains, you buy a ticket, I got a weekly one, Ebi-kun goes free but there are no ticker gates or inspectors, so you can get on and off all the trains and underground without ever needing to buy another ticket. 

BUT

They the station staff do random inspections, we saw a couple in progress and if you don't have a ticket the fine is massive. The fine is about the same cost as a yearly train pass! The staff either get on the train and lock it down until everyone's tickets have been checked or wait at the the station exit/entrance and get you there. All the locals know about the system so I doubt many take the risk of getting caught without a ticket.

Anyway, back to the tour. We basically just had a wander around the city, starting with the gothic Stephansdorm (St Stephens cathedral) which is beautiful. We didn't go in, instead we went for a sandwich!

We did go and have a look around St Peters church, it had a couple of skeletons on display which was pretty gross and the usually churchy stuff.

Then we had a look at Hofburg (Spanish riding school and Imperial residence) I would have loved to see a show at the Spanish Riding School, one of my riding instructors growing up, studied there for 15 years, he was horrible with people but brilliant with horses! Sadly school is out for the summer.

I invested a pound in a selfie stick - I know, how embarrassing but that said, it has been great! Yes, now I am THAT embarrassing tourist!

Then we hopped on a tram down to Hundertwasser Haus, a Gaudi style building and courtyard.

By this time we needed a refuel so Kirsty suggested an ice-cream shop that did spaghetti ice-cream?!

I decided to go for a fruity, cherry and strawberry concoction....

Where as Ebi-kun went for some noodley thing, he fancied this more than the spaghetti, it was chestnut flavour and very sweet, he didn't get through much of it and I couldn't finish it, I'm not a big chestnut fan (and I was full from my own!) 

Then we made our way back to Kirsty's, she lives out of town so it is a train and bus ride away, through a pretty little village and a load of vineyards, not a bad commute! I think Kirsty had us walkinga round so much so that we were ready for a inner of Berner wurstl - sausages to die for, I'm not a big sausage fan but these are fab! Sausage with chunks of cheese inside and wrapped with bacon, off yeah!

After all that it was an early night for us all, I hadn't slept well on the train so as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out for the count!