After a considerable wait we obtained a lift for some fifteen kilometres, followed shortly afterwards by a lift to Bruck, which is 150 kilometres from Vienna. We booked into the hostel, and purchased quite a parcel of foodstuffs in the town for supper and following day (Sunday). The hostel, although quite large, was devoid of hostellers, except ourselves and one old man!
Saturday 6th September
We departed from the hostel in the morning, and called at the post office for mail – none! I then obtained some Yugoslav currency from a bank in the city, and we caught a couple of trains to the outskirts of Vienna.
Friday 5th September
We went into the city and purchased various items of food so that we could have a picnic lunch – which we did at a spot opposite the State Park.
In the morning we stopped off at one of the Vienna coffee houses, where one is served with glasses of the famous mountain spring water with one’s coffee.
In the afternoon we had our jause (afternoon snack) near the State Opera in one of the Café- Konditorei, where one is served with rich creamy pastries.
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| Hofburg Palace, Vienna |
In the morning we were conducted over the imperial Apartments of the Hofburg Palace, which proved of great interest. There were many portraits of the Hofburgs, including one of the ill-fated Maximilian.
In the evening we went out of the hostel for a night-cap drink.
Thursday 4th September
We walked into the city and saw the People’s Opera, Votier Kirche, Karl’s Kirche, State Opera, Hofberg Palace, Hofberg Theatre, Parliament, St. StephensCathedral, the Palace of Justice, the Russian War Memorial, the statues of Maria Therese, Mozart, and Goethe, and various lessor persons. The city is quite delightful with all the historical parts quite compact and surrounded with park and shrubs. We lunched by the State Opera, and also had our evening meal there. Enroute home in the evening we stopped at a würstelstand, or hot-dog stand for one of their sausages with mustard.
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| Vienna |
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| Vienna |
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| Parliment Building, Vienna |
Wenesday 3rd September
We departed from Linz and obtained lifts right through to Vienna, passing at Melk to see the Benedictine Monastery (the largest in Austria), which was built in the early 18th century in Baroque style.
We signed in at the Vienna hostel about 6pm, and then went out for an excellent dinner at a nearby restaurant. Before booking in at the hostel, however, I accidently walked into the near-by police station, thinking that it was the hostel – even asking the officer in charge if it was the hostel!
Strangely enough a great number of people we have met in Austria claim to be German, but living in Austria, and many of them were prisoners-of-war of the British – but bear no malice. One man who fought on the Russian front at Leningrad said: “Hitler was good for Germany, but bad for England.”
Tuesday 2nd September
From Engelhartszell we walked along beside the beautiful Danube for almost 25km, having a swim and lunch enroute. Near to Eferding we had a couple of beers in a small establishment, where, as soon as they discovered we were English they treated us to a sandwich and a bag of sweets. We then caught the bus into Linz and booked into the rather small Hostel there.
Monday 1st September
We left Regensburg in the morning and obtained lifts to Passau, where we collected our mail from the post-office. After crossing the Danube into Austria we obtained a lift in a Volkswagen driven by a German-Austrian. After some few kilometres an old man cycled into our path, and was slightly injured. His family and neighbouring villagers became, naturally, somewhat apprehensive. We had to wait about three hours for the Austrian police to complete their investigations. By then it was far too late to reach the Youth Hostel at Linz, and too dark to find a camping site – so the driver took us to the Cistercian Monastery at Engelhartszell.
We were allowed to sleep on the floor in a room, which appeared to be a visitor waiting room with a marble floor. In the morning we were given breakfast of coffee, brown bread and butter by the same old monk who looked after us all the time, and who did not speak English. He was very old, indeed, and quite kind – he insisted on helping me on with my back pack before I left.
Sunday 31st August
We attended morning service at a nearby Catholic Church and then spent the morning in the old part of Nuremburg. The old city is almost completely surrounded by a medieval wall, with the occasional tower. There were many delightful timbered houses, and interesting churches to be seen.
At mid-day we departed, and managed to get a succession of lifts to Regensburg. We booked into the Hostel there, at almost 4pm, and after a clean up, we went into town and saw the Cathedral, and part of the remaining Roman wall. The annual carnival was in progress, and there were bandsmen in very picturesque uniforms, and ladies in folk costumes.
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| Nuremberg |
At mid-day we departed, and managed to get a succession of lifts to Regensburg. We booked into the Hostel there, at almost 4pm, and after a clean up, we went into town and saw the Cathedral, and part of the remaining Roman wall. The annual carnival was in progress, and there were bandsmen in very picturesque uniforms, and ladies in folk costumes.
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| Regensberg |
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