[INSIGHT TRAVEL - EUROPEAN GRANDEUR] - Vienna, Day 2, Part 2

DAY 24 - SEPTEMBER 23, 2000
VIENNA, AUSTRIA - HOTEL DE FRANCE
ROOM 212
PART 2

/...continued from previous entry

Hiked my way up to a vantage point where I could take panoramic pictures of the garden behind the palace. Everything was more lovely than I remembered - perhaps because on this trip I was seeing everything in broad daylight after a good night's rest, instead of under overcast skies (which, considering it was August or early September back then, means that the weather is truly being angelic!), or because my frame of mind is more mature and cheerful now. Perhaps a combination of all these - there's no explaining it except as God's pure grace. Everything just seemed to glow with color in the sunlight. After taking the long shots, set off at a brisk pace to get close-ups of the Neptune fountains which is the centerpiece of the back garden.

Once that was done, I made my way through the maze of corridors back to the place where we started, objective now being the washrooms. These, while free, had also been taken over by tourists who were redefining the word "slow" in terms of using the cubicles. Not that I was in any urgent need, but it was coming on to rendezvous time and my allowance for shopping was slowly being eaten away. After what seemed an eternity, however, the slow-movers finally were done, and I must've shocked the next users with the alacrity by which I dispatched my business.

As I took another brisk trot down the front drive, I began to appreciate once again Lisa's ability to schedule us for tours timed to get us in before the worst of the crowds. there were at least four groups that had arrived, one on top of the other - and we were on our way out! Stopped by the little store that caught my eye on the way in, and after buying pasalubong for Sheryann and Cheryl, bumped into Shirley at the door, when I was on my way out. She seemed glad to see a familiar face, and she popped into the shop with me and did some shopping as well, until my watch told me it was time to be at the assembly point. Once there, we found most of the gang - and in less than five minutes all of us had spotted "our" bus. Believe me, after all this time, even without spotting Dmitri at the wheel, we all know "our" bus! Still, obedient to instructions, none of us moved from the rendezvous point until we saw our guide giving us the signal.

Today, I held the front "ejection seat" in the bus - the seat directly in line with the stairwell and front door, which requires one to sit with the arm rest up at all times or risk being bounced out of the seat. Having hauled myself into the front seat, I amused myself by watching all the goings-on down below. At one point, Dmitri peered up the doorway and mouthed the question he hadn't asked me that morning : "Tres bien dormi?" One swift nod from me, and the exchange was done, no one the wiser.

With the bus fully loaded it was off to the center of town. We'd be on our own from lunchtime until 1445H, when Dmitri would pick us up at the meeting point - across from the Cafe Mozart, at the front door of the little beer cellar where we had had dinner the night before. Well, those not taking the optional tour of the Statsoper and the Imperial Treasury would be on their own - like me. The guide's directions were very precise, and I had no intention of wandering in unfamiliar streets by myself - if Ramon had been with me, no doubt I would have dragged him along on a foray into one or two interesting streets.

So from the drop-off point, it was down the street till the first corner, hang a right, straight down until St. Stephen's cathedral, and that was, essentially, *the* shopping district. My itinerary was pretty clear -- to visit the church and pay my respects; to grab a cheap lunch; to poke into the shops and maybe find a pin for my beret.

First stop : St. Stephen's church. It was located way, way down the street and for a moment I thought I'd gotten myself down the wrong avenue when I lost sight of the spires. But when i sawa a sign saying St. Stephensplatz I knew I had found the right place. It's a lovely church, something more of a museum piece than a church, but I found the prayer corner and sent up the usual prayers of thanksgiving and intercession for the tour. One or two requests for me, as well. Lit a candle in the corner of St. Therese de Liseux and asked her to say a prayer for me as well.

Much refreshed by that little bit of quiet time, I started padding up the street, to mark out shops to check out and search a place to eat that wouldn't take away all the schillings. I did two full circuits of the street, before finally settling on McDonald's - the one place Lisa had told us not to visit. But what the hey - I missed my burgers, and they even had value meals, like back home. So, McDonald's it was, and after I'd settled down with my meal, I found myself smiling across at three little old ladies from the States. They were on an Insight Tour as well - Europe in 17 days. It boggles the mind. I can't imagine doing Europe on anything less than a month, after this trip!! And I'm younger than they are! They said their Tour Director really kept them moving, and I'm not surprised. He would have to have them on the go, if only for them to see the half of what we've seen. They're heading to Innsbruck tomorrow, just like we are - we're likely to run into each other there, perhaps.

So we parted ways wishing each other the best, and I started another slow circuit of the street. Somehow I managed to find a drugstore i had failed to spot on my earlier rambles, and bought myself some hairpins and a cheap plastic hairbrush, and - wonder of wonders - Ricola tea. That last, I knew, would tickle Ma no ned, so I pounced on it. It feels good to be able to brush my hair and pin back the stray locks that have been falling over my face since Assisi. From there, I returned to the department store where I had almost bought a pair of clips - was I ever thankful that I had not succumbed to temptation!!

Having exhausted the various corners of the posh department store, I was back on the street once again and bumped into Maureen in front of one of the shop windows. We decided to hook up and continue our rambling together. So we entered into various shops and I ended up buying a pair of pins for my beret. Maureen was on search for a leather jacket, with very little success. She'd seen a lot of jackets, but each one only had one of the attributes she wanted, eg. right color but wrong length, nice collar but wrong overall style.

Somewhere in all of this, we bumped into Marge and Marie several times, as Marge seemed to be dead set on raiding every souvenir store she laid eyes on. Marie had somehow managed to squeeze in her own shopping; and had a satisfyingly bulky bag to show for her efforts. We snooped into a small store, the four of us - one that specialized in beer steins and cuckoo clocks. After that, Maureen and I left Marge and Marie (by now referred as the M&M's) to wander off on their own trek, and we continued up the street, bumping into Carolyn and Bill. A short discussion on how much pocket money we still needed for Innsbruck sent us down to the nearest hole in the wall (read : ATM) machine so Maureen could replenish her wallet. I heled her navigate the first few steps, then retreated to a discreet distance.

When she popped out again, we headed for the front lawn of the Statsoper, where we decided to pull up for a rest and watch the people go by. Maureen and I had a wonderful chat about how blessed we have truly been on this tour, and the talk turned to how important it is to carry a positive attitude within, and to learn to make the most of any situation. Which then led us to the subject of Greg and his Lisa, and their discontent with the way their honeymoon plans were turning out. When I voiced my puzzlement as to why Greg would even contemplate suing Insight for not meeting their expectations, Maureen explained that that was more to be laid at his wife's door. She had been expecting cushy comfort - the Savoy, perhaps? - all through the tour. Now explain to me how you could get Savoy luxury in Venice on the Grand Canal, with the buildings as old as they are. But on, the locations! anyway, we both shrugged and agreed it was a pity, that expectations should be dealt such a harsh blow by reality - and on a honeymoon, too - but truly Insight (and least of all our own LisaH) could not be held liable.

/...to be continued