Back on the banks of the Danube!
The morning started at five o’clock. I decided to leave myself ninety minutes to get out the door and catch the bus to the ferry boat. This was followed by a ride on the Sounder train to downtown Seattle, then a short trip on Link Light Rail to SeaTac Airport. All of this transportation was really quite smooth, and cost me less than $5.00 to get to my flight.
At SeaTac, I was pleasantly surprised to see Don Zisette and his family on their way to Hawaii. Bon voyage!
I was in and out of sleep for the first part of my direct flight to London. One highlight was dipping into "Red Rising", a book Justin had loaned me some time ago. I’m already hooked on the dystopian novel. "Break the chains!" Maybe this will be a reoccurring theme.
I often like to stand on my feet in various places during long flights. I found this more challenging on Norwegian Air. While stretching by a restroom, I was told by a young steward to return to my chair. I quietly nodded, walked to the prison of my seat and reattached the shackle (seatbelt). Let me out!
Having spent a week at the end of least year’s trip in Vienna, the transportation and walk to Hostel Ruthensteiner was straight forward. I checked in, found my bed and made it.
The bed-side lockers are large, easily accommodating my two panniers and a handlebar bag. There’s an outlet inside to charge a phone or battery. Good thinking.
Later, I met Charlie downstairs in the lobby, and Elisabeth (hostel employee) led me up to me up to a storage area in a building across the street.
At the top of a staircase that opened into a dusty attic, I gazed upon my beloved Batavus. She’ll need a few fixes before hitting the road.
Charlie and I caught the subway to downtown, purchased a bit of food and found a shade tree in a park to chat under.
After about thirty minutes, clouds rolled in and a hard rain began to fall. A tree afforded some respite, but a water closet entrance was the final solution.
Later in the evening, I was exhausted but determined to stay up later to avoid the long jet lag. We road the tram to Palace Schönbrunn for the Summer Night Concert featuring the Vienna Philharmonic (free).
George Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue" rolled on for over twenty minutes - a treat for sure. Rain had cleared the air and evaporated upward from the ground as the Philharmonic filled the space. The long day of travel began to leave my mind, relaxing me to the extent that I began catching myself falling asleep on my feet.
A sweet pretzel purchase highlighted the walk / tram to the hostel. I need a transportation pass.
No comments:
Post a Comment