A Night in Vienna

Dreading another 12-hour night train, Chase and I were in pretty rotten moods from the moment we got to the station.  Our seat reservations appeared to be in a terrible section and we were both exhausted from a full day of walking around Zurich. The train arrived on time, which was nice because we were able to board immediately and grab the two window seats in our train car of six. With four spaces left, Chase and I spent the next half hour anxiously waiting for our other car mates to poke their heads through the door; but they never came. We now had three seats a piece. The trip was looking better already. To make things even better, we were able to plug in the computer (Thanks Sheree) and entertain ourselves for the first few hours of the train ride until we both passed out.  After checking the computer for any movies or TV shows, we stumbled upon a group of videos that would turn out to be a great catch. Everyone knows that the men of Annapolis love their fishing and this video proves it. Each video captures local legends George Turner and Kelly Bjornerud taking on the best fishing spots in Maryland with family, friends and fellow fisherman. The action and commentary in these videos are pure gold Ladies and Gentleman. Chase and I are even thinking of compiling the videos and selling them as tutorials. “Chronicles of an Annapolis Fisherman: The Wardour Files”.  While we’d love to relay all of the major tips in each video to you, we must first consult George and Kelly for copyright reasons; obviously. However, we can leave you with probably two of the most important lessons we learned during our 12-hour train ride.

1.     “Country music always brings em to the boat” – Kel Dog on catching the fish

2.    “You always use the flash baby” – George on posing with the fish after the catch

After some laughs and a good night of rest, we were finally in Austria early the next morning. Once we arrived at the station, we headed to the information desk in order to reserve seats for our train to Prague the next day and locate our hostel. In the process, we ended up running into two backpackers from Dallas, Texas. The two men, Justin and BJ, were making their way South to Madrid and were on the tail end of their 40-day trip in Europe.  Since their train to Interlaken was completely booked, Justin and Bobby decided to come with us to the Ruthensteiner Hostel. We combined forces and split a four-person room in what turned out to be one of the nicest hostels we had seen thus far. The list of luxuries includes: free Internet, tile floor bathroom, nice beds, bar, washer and dryer, kitchen, etc.  We settled into the room and then headed off to the city for some sightseeing.

Unfortunately for us, the weather did not hold up its end of the deal with the sightseeing. When it rains it pours. The rain and powerful winds didn’t let up until later in the evening. Although we were able to snap a few good photos as we walked throughout the city, most were nothing to blog home about. However, we did make it to the center of Vienna where St. Stephans Cathedral stands. Although the outside was under construction, the inside was one of the most beautiful churches we had seen on our trip. Once you walk inside the Cathedral you can truly comprehend and appreciate its massive size. The medieval pillars and arches of the cathedral perfectly surrounded the wonderful displays of art and holy sacraments. A true masterpiece in my mind.

Side Note: Almost every major sight or attraction has been under construction so it has been tough to get pictures without cranes or scaffolding in the way.

We spent nearly an hour inside the cathedral and left feeling more religious and spiritual than before. Our day ended with a few pictures of the Parliament building, the Mozart statue and more rain. As we made our way back to the hotel, an authentic plate of Schnitzel caught our eye at a nearby restaurant. Austria knows how to do Schnitzel.

After dinner we returned to the hostel and made our way to the kitchen for some drinking and cards with Justin and BJ. After exchanging a few stories from our travels, the Dallas boys told us something that we think needs to be made into an ESPN documentary or something of that nature. Being from Dallas, Justin and BJ are huge Mavericks fans. Since they could not be in Dallas for the NBA finals, they decided to go to Dirk Nowitzki’s hometown in Germany for the last few games of the series. Dirk is the Mav’s best player and an icon in Germany for his basketball skills. Anyway, the main bar in town was at capacity for the final game of the series and too crowded for Justin and BJ to watch. They decided to leave the bar and were eventually awarded for this early exit. After several minutes in the street, they were informed that Dirk’s old high school was being opened for the evening as a watching site for the game. The school was only a few blocks down the street so Justin and BJ went for it. The Mav’s ended up winning the NBA Championship that night and they were in the only other place besides Dallas that was worthy of an epic celebration. Congrats boys.

With an early train to Prague the next morning we closed up shop early and got some rest.