Klosterneuburg to Vienna (bus, underground, walking)

 Today has been another sunny, warm day under blue skies. The downside of no rain is that the ground is hard to which my back can testify this morning. But a quick shower (what a difference no shaving makes) and by 09.00 I was on the 400 bus from Klosterneuburg bus station (2 mins from the campingplatz ) to Helligenstadt at the edge of Vienna where I boarded the Underground 4 ( direction Hutteldorf) to Schwedenplatz from which it was a short walk into the heart of historic Vienna. Very joined up.

My fellow French randonneur informed me that he was planning to have a day of "repos" When I met him upon my return about 14.30 he was off to have a siesta. I guess the miles have caught up with him as they have myself. As I climbed the stairs from the underground my legs were in protest mode.

I had maybe an hour of relative quiet (for a city of 2 million people) before everybody and his brother realised that it was a beautiful day and descended in their hordes. There was the very unedyfying sight of hundreds of people crowded into half of St Stephen's cathedral taking pictures and selfies WHILST A MASS WAS IN PROGRESS. 

A great surprise was that all of the shops were open and people were out in the main strasses shopping for clothes and handbags not just tourist type things. Another observation is that the Chinese are back in huge numbers. The other thing I noticed was just how spread out the main sights are. The centre of Vienna is on the grandest scale. It reminded me of Madrid. Each building seemingly even grander than its neighbour.

But there are only so many pictures to be taken and my legs were beginning to protest that it was time for coffee or beer but I wasn't going to be settled until I had visited the main railway station to book my ticket to Budapest. Because I was crossing a border with a bike on a train my trip  could not be booked online. I took my queue ticket and after a wait of around 15 minutes  a very helpful young lady sorted my trip to Budapest. I have a ticket for me, a ticket for my bike and a ticket reserving a particular space on the 12.52 to Budapest tomorrow arriving at 15.19 for the princely sum of 69 euros. A sum I am happy to pay to rescue my newly found "smell the roses" approach.

Amazingly you are allowed to take your bike on the underground in Vienna so my plan is to cycle into the edge of Vienna following the Danube path the underground train to the train station which is on the South East side of Vienna.

Pictures to follow the campingplatz w-lan (vlan) is down this afternoon. It has taken me two weeks to figure why my questions about wifi meet with mystified looks. Germans and Austrians call it w-lan pronounced v-lan. (wireless local area network)

Krems to Klosterneuburg Saturday 27th May

 It has been another glorious day weatherwise - sunshine all day and blue skies. If only the wind would blow in the other direction like it is supposed to. It was not a gale but from the off at 08.30 there was a cold air against. The only positive was that if I was ever in doubt about my route just head into the wind and it is sure to be right.

When I arrived yesterday there was already a small one person tent errected and its owner was off having a shower. On the other side was a German couple who could speak English fluently so when my other neighbour returned he heard me speaking English. All evening and first thing this morning he smiled and grunted. So this morning I tried to ask him where he was going. Something about his reply in broken English made me think French so I asked him if he was French and off we went. He had left Nantes on May 1st and cycled accross france to Basel and then followed exactly the same route as me. 

He was going to Vienna which was to be the end of his journey. I told him that I had read that the campsite in the centre of Vienna was a playground for partying young folks and that we would be better at Klosterneuburg 10 kms before Vienna. He thanked me and left saying that perhaps we would have a beer there tonight. And we have. In fact Joel and I had dinner together and a beer. He is not flying back to Nantes until Friday so he has a bit of time for tourist activities.

I have decided to stay here for two nights to allow me to visit Vienna tomorrow. I had a quick tour of Klosterneuburg this afternoon but as I climbed up some stairs I realised that I am more tired than I thought and maybe a rest day is required. I then plan to take the train to Budapest and having been a tourist there catch the late flight back to Edinburgh on Wednesday evening.

We ate in the camp restaurant. Joel has less German than me (if that is possible) Before he arrived I spent 15 mins with Google Translate. So apart from  salads and dishes for small appetites the choices after much typing were: meatballs, sausages unlike anything ever seen before, schnitzel pig or chicken, lamb cutlet with garlic sauce and a fried egg all with pommes (chips) We both went for the sausage because I liked the look of it when delivered to the next table.

I am quite pleased that I have decided to stop cycling here because for the last day or two I have been cycling through breathtaking vistas on flat perfectly formed newly laid tarmac right beside the Danube but it is a bit boring. I have seen it for days. In previous days I had it to myself pretty much but today it was like a motorway for bikes, in line skates and walkers and especially for the fast bikers with their tri bars shouting auchtung to clear their path.

The bus into Wein (Vienna) leaves from a stop about 200 m outside the campsite every 15 mins (even on Sunday) Vienna here I come. Photos to follow.

distance cycled so far:    951kms