A weekend outside Vienna

Vienna Weekend 11-13 November 2011

Friday and the start of another weekend   11/11/11

It was Friday we had discussed what we might do for the weekend but we were still uncertain.  One of the TAs was to celebrate her birthday.  She had sent out a Facebook invitation, setting a date, time and location for a little get together and meal at Deewan. 

Deewan is a sort of Indian buffet where you eat as much as you can and pay as much as you wish.  A glutton’s paradise.

It was fantastic.

As some of the Christmas markets had opened we moved on to Museumsquartier to sample some punsch.

An Irish bar in the third district, O’Connor’s Old Oak Pub was to have a sort of unofficial opening that very night.  A few Irish friends of mine had already announced their intentions to be there.  I suggested that I lead the troupe of partygoers to this low-key opening. 

Unsure of where exactly we were to go I led everyone the only way I knew-which in retrospect might be what some would politely call the ‘scenic route’ and others ‘lost’.

It was suggested to us that we take the U3 to Schlachtausgasse but I was unsure how to reach the pub from there.

I pass an Irish bar everyday to school.  As this bar is in Rennweg I hazarded a guess that they were one and the same.  However, my fellow countrymen confused me with misinformation.  Good intentions led us on a path to hell.  Well, not hell but a hellishly embarrassing ordeal. 

I led the mass of impatient celebrants.

Eventually, whilst chatting to members of the group and my lieutenant, Kirsten, I realised we could have gotten off at Zippererstraße.  We had gone too far.

On realising my error I led the exodus at Enkplatz (a mere stop from the end of the line at Simmering) but then again only a stop too far.

We, Kirsten and I led the pilgrimage to the straßenbahn stop.  It was cold.  I am pretty sure it was freezing and I tightened the scarf around my neck and adjusted my gloves but we soon learned that the next tram was not to come for another 20 minutes.

This was met with a unanimous disapproval and a chorus of groans from the congregation of TAs.  We retraced our steps and after a few phone calls we finally reached our destination. 

This was the pub I pass everyday on the 71 tram.

The interior of the pub was beautifully wooden.  On opening the door we were met with a warm blast of air from the magnificent open fire.

With fellow TAs and friends, Dietlinde and Jeanine (via phone), we discussed the prospect of a day trip to Bratislava.  In the end, we agreed on Krems. 

The next item on the agenda was how to make this trip.  We discussed various scenarios and means of acquiring the illusive vorteilskarte.  We agreed to meet at Franz Josef Bahnhof.

We all had a drink, at least one before the most of the TA party dispersed.

Some planned to reconvene at café G-punkt but I like the others slipped away and took the U3 home.  It was a relatively early night 00:30 but I was embarking on an adventure to Krems that very morning.

Krems              12/11/2011

I rolled out of bed and prepared a meagre breakfast.

At the station chaos ensued.  There was a rush as we dashed to the photo booth.  There was a minute window of opportunity, where we could if we hurried, wrestle with the bureaucratic bump that was the vorteilskarte (I have yet to receive mine).

After much panic the ticket seller urged us to run on for the train (I was too slow for him, I don’t rush well.  I pulled the cash out of my wallet in a haphazard manner, panicked as I misread the application form, stumbled, stuttered, coughed and carried out every other stalling bodily compulsion and paroxysm you can imagine before the exasperated ticket man dismissed me with a half-hearted wave.  We were free.  Two vorteilskarte, those now in possession of Dietlinde and Jeanine were sufficient for our group ticket.

We boarded the train and soon we were off towards our destination. 

Dietlinde had kindly made me a peanut butter and banana sandwich.  I munched on this as we discussed my failed venture to acquire the coveted vorteilskarte.

In Krems we met Dietnlinde’s friend, Christa, who was studying at the Uni there (Krems is a university town much like Maynooth).  We dropped our luggage at Christa’s apartment and we met two of her friends just surfacing (they had shared Christa’s room the night before), Lukas and Frances.  We shook hands then ventured off in search of brunch or any kind of sustenance.

We found it in a shopping centre café (after Jeanine and I bought some Dickmann’s that I awkwardly lugged throughout the town that day).

We had brunch and then embarked on a wonderful tour of Krems as Christa divulged the hidden histories of the town.

On th is tour we visited several campus and sampled some local glühwein by a beautiful wooden fire.

Then, we moved on to the town and stopped by a few stalls.  We chatted along the way learning a great deal about each other.

All this walking was tough work and steadily we built up a ravenous appetite.

We went to a heurigen-a new experience for me.  A heurigen is a wonderful little establishment that sources its own food and drink.

We discussed some life issues here and exchanged many pearls (or perils) of wisdom some or all of which were promptly forgotten but all were agreed the food, drink and chatter were amazing.

Afterwards, we walked back to Christa’s flat.  We took the pretty scenic route (but did not get lost!).  We reminisced, telling tales of our youth before we reached the flat.  It was only 9 o’clock but it felt considerably later.  That walking tour was perhaps a little taxing…

We sampled a variety of tea, chai tea among others, dipping into the assortment of boxes upon the table.  We chat a while and got to work on the remaining dichmann’s (those delicious little marshmallow filled choco wonders).

One by one we all drifted off to our improvised sleeping quarters.

13/11/11

The next morning we went for brunch.

I had an omelette.

We walked idly through the streets once more.

Finally, we collected our bits and pieces and made our way to the bahnhof.

We said our goodbyes.

Our train came first.

Jeanine, Dietlinde and I reflected upon the events of the weekend.

I got a text from Jon who suggested we meet for lunch or dinner.

We went to Flanagans (more food) and I ordered a cottage pie.

The girls joined us for a time before leaving for home and lesson plans.

I lounge with Jon while we kill time before heading towards the Christmas market, Altes AKH.

I linger for a while before giving up and going home, carrying on my back my gigantic red camping bag.

It had been quite the weekend and for once we had only spent on night in an Irish bar.