Day 3 – Bratislava/Vienna

This morning we woke up and searched for a backpack, a smaller bag that we could take with us on day trips (I can’t stress how essential this item would be on your travels). We visited a dozen shops and left each one without a bag. However, one of the shops was a Tesco, where we noticed a penguin bag had 20% off down to €5. We took it to the till and the cashier insisted that it was €89.99. As we couldn’t talk this dispute out, we left empty handed after a one sided Slovakian yelling match – we finally found a small bag perfect for our needs though so don’t worry. I must say, the bag was ideal with two pouches and two bottle holders on the side. It also was black with some orange lines running through it. Hats off to the designer!

After a little more sightseeing with our new bag, and then returning back to the hostel to get our bags, we arrived at the train station 2hrs before our train (I didn’t want to be late and didn’t want to mess up our interrail tickets, I got nervous). Thankfully, the train caused no difficulties and we safely arrived in Vienna. It was here that once again I could be stress free and able to enjoy travelling. My mum says I go into ‘focus mode’ when things need to be done. Obviously then I get stressed out when my girlfriend has contrasting opinions on what is what. We get through it somehow, although nine out of ten times I am usually right. What a coincidence.

In Vienna, we again noticed that the public transport was unsupervised and people were entering the trains/tube without putting their tickets though a validation machine. I immediately thought they all must have weekly tickets or something, but my girlfriend thought otherwise. Being the good samaritan I am, I purchased 2 tickets for the pair of us on the self-service machines, much to the disapproval to my rebellious girlfriend. Studying geography, I know the detrimental impacts of a poorly financed public transport system. I also know you don’t want to spend a night in the bottom bunk of a cell in Eastern Europe.

Checked in and bags unpacked, we nearly missed our roommates for the 2 nights, but as we were about to leave, our new Canadian ‘friends’, or something more appropriate, were sure to keep us waiting and tell us of all their fantastic travels and places to visit (going into great depth about places we wern’t even considering visiting). I’m being harsh. They did tell us about Beethoven’s Fidelio playing at the Opera House and that standing tickets were only €3! Being the cultured musician I am, I put this on the agenda and we headed out for dinner. My girlfriend was indecisive on where to eat and so I picked an expensive place (not on purpose) where the waiter looked like Sam from the Lord of the Rings. We both ate fast so we could get to the Opera House before it started, but I imagine my girlfriend also wanted to escape my fantastic recollections of the Lord of the Rings script that I had entertained her with during out meal. I can’t imagine why though, I always do it. 

At the Opera, we were turned away because I had shorts on. I do remember asking my girlfriend if I should change, but she said I’d be fine…I wasn’t. Unfortunately I didn’t have my tux with me on this trip but I did tease my girlfriend for a good 20 minutes about buying a tailored gucci suit from across the road. My mum would understand. She was not impressed – “you aren’t wasting money like that, wise up”. Even if we had dressed up for the Opera without buying new clothes, my navy chinos, blue toms and crinkled shirt would probably still not help me get in. Regardless, we were able to watch it from outside with German subtitles. The concrete square where we were sat was, as you can imagine, very uncomfortable. We ‘walked out’ of the Opera and went looking for a nice quiet bar.

We ended up walking past all sorts of bars due to something being wrong with them, but eventually we found a beach bar along the Danube. This small bar had a section of sand, primarily filled with locals and VIP’s, but also provided drink for people sitting and dangling their feet on the river bank for about 2 kilometres each way. With no friends, we were unable to get a seat in the sand and had to settle with dangling our feet over the river like the rest of the ‘peasants’. We talked for a long time in great detail about the future and the world. Very deep stuff. When our heads were fried, we headed up the road to our hostel for our first hostel dorm experience. The Canadians were still out when we came back and you would think I knew this because I saw that they weren’t there. Wrong. I heard them come in later on. I miss my private fish room in Bratislava already!