Travel report 10: Impressions from Vienna

Here are some of the nice moments I got to enjoy while running around Vienna the last month or so. I think I said before that I have not enjoyed this city this much in a long time, possibly not ever. Either I am getting old, or Vienna is getting young. Mayhaps, as is usually the case in such cases, both applies.

...I just figured out how to upload more than one image at a time to google blogger. Amazing, you'd think this semi-nerd would know this already, but I didn't. Now I have to kill the time till all this is uploaded. So I might as well tell you about the horrifying experience I had at the dentist these last few days. It seems my little (made up) story about the cleaning session I had the other day has backfired in a nasty karmatic way that makes all talk of waiting for rebirth in order to reap the next-life storm that you sowed with your this-life wind superflous... Ok, the images are uploaded now, so you will have to await a worse day to hear this story. I can imagine most of you are happy not to have to hear about my dental experiences, except for maybe that republican that keeps polluting my sweet marxist blog. In any case. Here are the pix:

Me at Hundertwasserhaus. Yes, this is Hundredwaterhouse. No, thats the name of the architect, we dont have hundreds of waters in vienna.

Phil and I at the Pestsäule. Commemorating the last great Pubonic Plage Outbreak in Vienna. Paid for by the Emperor, I mean the commoners' taxes via the Emperor.

Some new and old friends at a Picnic in the Prater, which is this huge woodland area right in the center of Vienna. Naturally, it used to be the hunting grounds of the Emperor back in the day, paid for by his highness, of course, I mean the commoners' taxes via the Emperor. We, the folk, are now allowed into it. Thank you! I grew up 5 minutes from it.

Some old friends enjoying a nice evening reminiscing about the olden days and the need for a revival of marxist principles, or at least reinvigorated redistribution principles (using guillotines preferably) of capital.

This is the view of the top of the Northtower of the St Stephens Cathedral in the center of Vienna. Its quite a lovely view, and I had to take all the pics because Phil made like a Geko and clung to the walls (afraid of heights). He really wanted to make like a tree and leave (lol, did I just use this?) but I didn't let him, since we already paid 4 Euronen each to get up to the biggest, fattest, most impressive Bell in the history of humankind. The Pummerin (JFGI and give a thumbs up to the 3rd definition).
EVERYTHING in that impressive church had to be paid for:
Getting into the main ship: 4 Euros.
Looking at the Katakomben: 4.50 Euros.
Going up to really tall Southtower: 3.50 Euros.
Going up to see Pummerin and Phil do a geko immitation: 4.50 Euros (well spent).
Seeing the catholic church reduced to a tourist trap in order to make ends meet: Bloody Goddamn Priceless.

Phil in the Catacombs under the St Stephens Cathedral. This stuff is really old. Like, Oh My God, nearly older than Palin's Dinosaurs & Humans living together peacefully way back in the day. Presumably that was before evil Eve made able Adam eat that stupid melon, or whatevertf it was supposed to be. Or was it the snake that made him eat that melon? Or was it he that made her eat the snake? You figure it out.

Me and two of my parents' kitties, cooking a nice meal for same (my parents, not the kitties, they have it good, but not that good).

Me and my Mum about to go to the Musikverein (only the top concert hall accoustics in the world) to listen to some cheesy, old guys play some cheesy, old music, by some cheesy superold looser named Beethoven (7th and 8th Symphony if you must know).

Lovely autumn day walk along the Donaukanal to my friend Elmar's place. I only now realized that the thing you can see in the back is a powerstation which was Hundertwassert as well.

Guess what! Elmar and Andrea recently had a baby. I know, surprising. Presenting to my small world: Sophie.

In this picture, Andrea, the awesome mum, is in blue, and on the other side are Wolfgang and Romana, we go way back. Wolfgang, Romana and I are the only sane people left in this world that get to have all their sleep and keep all their DNA.

I used to school Wolfgang on the mean basketball courts of Vienna. Well, not really, he would turn around and shove his fat ass in my face and then hookshoot over me when he was right under the hoop. Over and over again, I know, boring, I told him as well, unfortunately effective. Its what you should have done, Assar in order to avoid the thrashing you suffered. Oh no, now its right there for the whole world to read. Sorry bro!

I imagine this to be my last post from Vienna. Unless of course, and this is rather likely, Saracuda Palin forces me to make fun of her again. On Thursday this week, which is the 9th of October I will be boarding a plane to Bangkok, from whence I will travel to Cambodia and Burma. In the likely case that you should never hear from me again, it is not that I don't love you, it is just that I love Don Det more.