Vienna

So Monday evening we sailed into Wein, as the Austrians call it. Vienna is a large city, with a modern looking Downtown (UN City) on one side of the Danube, and the old buildings on the other.

We had made plans to meet Peter by the ship, a 24 year old fellow whose mother is a cousin of a Miami friend. Peter is a delightful young man, who wants to come to Miami to get a MBA. He spent quite some time in the States, and works for a telecommunications company in Vienna.

Peter drove us to the top of a hill, where we enjoyed a panoramic view of Vienna while I drank a local beer. The girls thoroughly enjoyed having someone of their generation to talk to, after 2 days with mostly sept and octogenarians.

Peter then drove us all around the city, parking near the opera house and St. Stephens church, which is the model for Disney's Cinderella's Castle --gorgeous in white marble.

We ate some delicious pizza, and walked around before stopping at a famous hotel that serves the best chocolate cake in the world. We shared a slice. Peter dropped us back at the ship, after exchanging Facebook adresses with the girls. I think we'll keep in touch with this cosmopolitan young fellow, who'll probably end up running a major corporation someday.

Tuesday we took a bike tour through the city, led by Alex, a local bike guy. We rode through the amusement park I had just seen in "The Third Man," and Alex pointed out the Ferris Wheel where Orson Welles almost pushed out his friend.

Also on the tour was Andrew, a very nice Irish guy from NYC who was travelling with his brother and 90 year old mother. Andrew was gay, I'm pretty sure (the girls were singing the Avenue Q song whenever the subject arose) and we ended up speaking a lot about the City. Andrew is a computer guy for NY Bank, and his brother owns a funeral home, but was very outgoing and charming.

Other bikers were a Belgian couple, and Yves, the husband, chain smoked the entire hike. We crossed over two Danube bridges, and rode along a path where the Viennese swim and sunbathe.

Sure enough, we passed several naturists, including women wh weren't exactly South Beach model types, and an older fellow fully displaying his Viennese sausage in the Austrian sunlight. Part of the local color, I told my girls...

Back on the ship, we sat on the sun deck as the ship sailed away. I was feeling great, and smiled and said hello to some German passengers. Once again: icy looks in return. Ya --now I get it!