Eurovision in Vienna, 14th to the 17th of May, 2026

Channelling "Before Sunrise"

We both woke this morning feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep. I showered and dressed, and while Sophie was finishing getting ready, I went down to the lobby in search of coffee. The hotel provided free coffee, as well as bottles of still and sparkling water. I made myself a Macchiato and went to wait for Sophie on one of the comfortable chairs.

After my first coffee and a bottle of sparkling water, I started to feel human! When Sophie descended, I made her a coffee and had my second. I was then all set for the day ahead!

Sophie had written an itinerary, and we were to take breakfast at the Kleines Café, which was featured in the lovely film Before Sunrise, starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. It wasn't far away, and we decided to use the underground and buy a 24-hour ticket. We only had one stop, and we were both impressed with the underground, as it was efficient and pleasantly busy. Karlsplatz was a large station with numerous cafés and shops, so it felt a bit like Berlin's Alexanderplatz without the loonies!

Part of the beautiful roof of St Stephen's Church

The Kleines Café was situated on a pretty square with an imposing church opposite. We were able to take a seat inside, which was good as the weather was a little disappointing with grey skies and a chilly wind.

The café didn't take card payments, so we had to be careful with what we spent! I'd changed £100 into euros for tips and coffees, but we hadn't expected to use 30 euros for drinks last night! I chose scrambled eggs with bread, while Sophie opted for an open ham sandwich. We both ordered a "Viennese Melange", a milder coffee, with frothy milk.

There was a kind of edgy vibe in the café. Our waiter was very young and didn't say a lot or smile at all, and the music in the background was The Clash and Siouxsie and the Banshees. I think most of the people visiting the café were there because of the film, so it must bring them in a fair amount of custom!

The food was good, and the bread was deliciously dense. My eggs had actually been cooked properly and were just right!

As we enjoyed our breakfast, the sky cleared, and the sun came out. Our waiter wiped the tables outside, and soon, more customers had arrived to sit and enjoy a coffee in the sunshine. We paid our bill - 40 euros with a tip, which made the waiter give us a big smile at last - and left. Sophie had been messaging Michael over breakfast, and when we went outside, we had a video call with him. He told us he'd managed to get a new job at a golf course, so that was great news!

We had a short walk to a tram stop and waited for the next one to arrive. Sophie was brilliant at navigating her way around the city using public transport, and we really made the most of it on this visit. We only had a short tram ride to the Zollamtssteg bridge that was used for one of the film locations. It spans a river with a railway track underneath.

This area was very quiet, and we stopped for a while to gaze out over the river where a little group of ducks were sunning themselves.

Culture Vultures

Reluctantly, we tore ourselves away and walked back to the tram stop. A building opposite caught my eye. It had an imposing statue of an eagle (?) on top of the roof:

Our tram took us to a beautiful park, the Burggarten, where people were strolling and enjoying the sunshine. We had a booking at the Heidi Horton Gallery between 12:00pm and 12:30pm, and we were looking forward to seeing some modern art.

Burggarten

The gallery was situated in a lovely enclave of buildings, and we were able (with some help!) to leave our bags and coats in a locker. We then enjoyed a wander around the gallery's ground floor, where we admired a painting by Klimt and several by Andy Warhol and Basquiat. I loved the Klimt painting, but remained unmoved by the Warhol and Basquiat art!

Andy Warhol - I didn't mind this one

A collaboration between Warhol and Basquiat

Classic Andy Warhol

Klimt

Mark Rothko

Picasso - Tomato Plant

We were thrilled to find a Magritte, and both of us couldn't stop staring at the painting, which we thought was sinister, but interesting...

One of the Empire of Light series of paintings

We loved the dark house and foreground, against the incongruous blue sky and fluffy clouds. 

Marc Chagall

On the first and second floors was an exhibition "Animalia". There were definitely some quirky exhibits! On the wall was a video playing of a woman dancing naked around sheep... Okaaaaaay!

Sophie wasn't sure about this!

We were delighted to see a Tea Room on the first floor, but it wasn't quite what we were expecting! No tables and chairs to sit and relax with a drink! But it was welcoming and a place to sit and contemplate life, if that's what you wanted!

The ceiling of the Tea Room

Stuffed cuddly toys in jars (not real ones, thankfully!)

Hmmm!

I liked this

The Heidi Horton Gallery was a truly lovely place, and very honest about how the paintings were acquired. Heidi Horton's husband had bought up many Jewish businesses just before the Second World War and profited from them, and there was a sign informing us of this.

We retrieved our coats and bags from the locker, had a quick look at the items for sale in the tiny shop, and then made our way outside. The weather was still beautiful, and we went in search of a drink before our lunch booking a little later.

Among Eurovision fans

Luckily, we stumbled upon Napolino just around the corner and took a seat outside. A friendly waiter took our order for two Aperol Spritzes, and we sat back and relaxed. There was a steady procession of people walking up and down the street, and a short distance away, we could see the Opera House.

Once we had sat down, others had followed, and it was very pleasant sitting in the sun and watching the comings and goings of all the different nationalities sauntering past. However, lunch at the Café Savoy was calling, so we paid the bill and walked back through the park to get the bus.

It was only a short ride to the restaurant, and we were shown to a table. I didn't fancy another schnitzel, and I hadn't worked up a huge appetite, so we both decided to have the fried chicken salad. We ordered a pichet of Grüner Veltliner and sat back to observe our fellow diners, who were mostly male and sporting Eurovision wrist bands and T-shirts. We had stumbled on Eurovision fandom!

The last time we had visited, it wasn't patently obvious that the Café Savoy was a haven for the LGBT+ community, but it was clear today! I then noticed a painting opposite and correctly identified it as a Caravaggio print. It was the same boy who had appeared in the painting we saw at The Wallace Collection in Marylebone, and I recognised him immediately. He had the same insolent look on his face that I had found so disturbing. Thankfully, with this painting, his lower half was covered up!

Caravaggio's Bacchus

With my infantile sense of humour, this made me laugh..."Sophie, you're a Schladminger!"

Lunch

I found lunch a little disappointing as I couldn't taste much, so maybe I should have had the schnitzel as almost everyone else did! The tomatoes were tasty, though!

We paid the bill and took the nearby underground U4 line back to the hotel. It was time for a little nap, a hot shower, a catch-up with the BBC and Sky News (how many times could they say that Wes Streeting had resigned?), and a glass of fizz in our bar before our evening at the opera!

Der Rosenkavalier - an opera by Richard Strauss

Tonight, we dressed up a bit and walked the short distance to the Opera House. We left the hotel at the same time as a Spanish couple, and I couldn't help admiring the woman's beautiful skirt and high-heeled shoes.

Like last time, the interior was stiflingly hot, and we had to ask an usher how to get to our seats. This time, we were seated at the top tier, three floors up. When we arrived, I almost got the collywobbles again as we were high up, but this time there were rails in front of the seats, so I didn't have that awful sense of falling as I did last Saturday in Birmingham.

We took our seats, and I was glad that I was at the end of a row so I could stretch my legs. The opera started at 6:00pm and finished at 10:15pm, with two intermissions. It was a long one! The opera opened with the Marschallin sprawled on her sumptuous bed after spending the night with her young lover, the 17-year-old Octavian. I immediately noticed that Octavian was played by a woman...

The Marschallin was in a philosophical mood and said that soon her young lover would find a woman and leave her. The music was beautiful and the singing exceptional. We were gripped! It transpired that the Marschallin wanted Octavian to be the rose-bearer (Rosenkavalier) for her cousin Ochs' proposal to the beautiful, young Sophie. He agreed, and the first act ended.

We decided to go in search of a drink, and were surprised to see people reclaiming their coats from the cloakroom as if the opera had already ended! We spotted a sign for a buffet up another flight of stairs, and my own Sophie joined the long queue. We didn't know how long the intermission was (despite the timings posted on the wall near the doors!), but as we neared the head of the queue, the first of the bells rang, summoning us back to our seats.

The second act opened with Sophie and her father, and then Octavian appeared, beautifully dressed in silver and carrying the rose. The pair immediately fell in love. When Ochs arrives, he acts lecherously towards Sophie, who realises that she doesn't want to marry him after all and wants to be with Octavian.

The reason why a woman was cast as Octavian became clear when he underwent a disguise as the Marschallin's maid, whom Ochs lusts after, despite being betrothed to Sophie. I doubt a male opera singer would be able to carry it off! We both thought that the opera, despite first appearing in 1911, was very much of our times today and was relevant to a modern audience. The man sitting in front of us was obviously a huge fan, as he kept telling people to be quiet and was quite vociferous in his requests!

When the second act ended, Sophie and I leapt up from our seats and legged it up the stairs to be almost first in the queue for a glass of wine!

While we relaxed with our wine, I chatted with a neighbour, Lynn, on WhatsApp, who was asking if we would buy raffle tickets to help raise money to fight a solar farm planned for our area! It was quite surreal!

The third act started, and it was a bit farcical as Ochs was trapped in a tavern and made a fool of. The ending was beautiful when Sophie and Octavian declared their love for one another. We made our way down the flights of steps and out into the night.

From the sublime to the ridiculous...

We were both feeling hungry now, so we decided to stop at a currywurst stand and have a very late supper! We joined a queue of people with the same idea and ordered a currywurst each, with a portion of French fries. We also treated ourselves to a small bottle of wine each.

We stood with the other revellers and ate our supper, and then walked the very short distance back to the hotel, where we relaxed for a little while before bed. Tomorrow is the final of Eurovision!

Eurovision in Vienna, 14th to the 17th of May, 2026

Our usual early start...

As is typical, I had trouble getting to sleep last night, and felt horrible when the alarm went off at 2:00am! By 3:00am, Sophie and I were ready to go and we let the cats out as they were clamouring at the door! Keith got up with us and said he wasn't going to go back to bed, which I thought was madness! 

We set off in Olive and made good time down to Heathrow's Terminal 3 despite the M1 being closed just after Luton. We all had to follow a diversion until Jeeves thought he knew better and took us onto narrow country roads. I had at least two cars behind me so they must have been following the same satnav directions!

We arrived at Maple parking just after 4:30am, handed in the keys and took seats on the shuttle bus. It was an easy journey and we arrived at a very quiet Heathrow in time for an early breakfast at the Evergreen Bar and restaurant. Sophie chose Eggs Royale while I plumped for granola, served with yoghurt and fruit. The breakfasts were delicious and the restaurant gradually filled up with travellers all looking tired! 

Before we knew it, it was time to head for the departure gate and the waiting plane. I had imagined that the flight would be full, but there were still empty seats, which surprised me. We took off and the cabin crew came around with bottles of water and little flapjacks. It was a pleasant flight, and Sophie and I dozed a little as we were tired from our early start.

Mad Uber drivers!

We arrived in Vienna and this time we stood up as soon as the seatbelt signs went off and I retrieved our suitcases. I was worried about how long the passport control queue would be now that the new entry and exit system was introduced a few weeks ago. We made it off the plane quickly but had to take a bus to the terminal. Once inside, Sophie said she needed the loo and while she was gone, another bus arrived with a plane-load of passengers... At first, I thought they were Italian and would go through the EU channel, but after a while I realised they were from Israel, so they were with us in the "All Other" passport lane...

It took us thirty minutes to go through the procedure of having our fingerprints and photographs taken, but we still had to see a border guard who was very pleasant and chatty. It was a lot easier than I had imagined. Once through, we made our way upstairs and Sophie summoned an Uber on the app. He met us without delay and soon we were on our way. As is usual, we had a mad one, and he took off at the speed of light, getting up to over 80mph before being forced to slow down because of roadworks.

The journey into Vienna was uninspiring (like last year) and the passing scenes were heavily industrial. The autobahn was clogged with roadworks, which was good because they slowed down our mad driver! He didn't utter a word to us the whole way, and Sophie confided in me later that she thought he looked sleepy at one point so she glared at him! 

Cake and fizz (and a lovely pair of shoes!)

Our Uber driver dropped us off at our hotel, one of the Derag Living Hotels chain, which was very close to the Opera House and near to a U-Bahn station (Karlsplatz). Unfortunately, our room wasn't ready so we asked if we could leave our luggage and we set off for Gerstner which was a short walk away. We had been told by the receptionist that today was Ascension Day, so a lot of shops would be closed, including the Spar supermarket opposite, where we wanted to buy some snacks, milk and coffee.

I had imagined Vienna to be hectically busy because of the Eurovision Song Contest but there was hardly any mention of the event, apart from some flags on the trams. The streets were busy with tourists but not overwhelmingly so. On the way to the café, Sophie spotted a beautiful pair of Birkenstock shoes. They were black with a band across the foot - a lovely pair of Mary Janes that she said she would love to have!

At the café, we climbed the stairs to the top floor and were taken to a table by a window. Opposite me were two girls who were surgically attached to their phones, and one of them did nothing but pose and preen, one eye on the mirror next to her. 

We ordered cakes - a cheese strudel for Sophie and a cream and strawberry tart for me, as well as two glasses of Schlumberger fizz.

All around us, tables of twos, threes and fours were enjoying the lovely ambience and relaxed atmosphere. We sat and chatted and did a lot of people watching! The food was delicious and the wine beautiful. The waiters were very friendly, and we even exchanged smiles with the three people sitting at the table next to us. Austrian or German, we couldn't tell! Outside, we could glimpse the Opera House, and at one point, we saw a patch of blue sky!

A much-needed snooze!

After our second glass of fizz, we paid the bill and descended the stairs to the shop where we bought two mini bottles of sparkling wine for the room. Sophie gazed longingly at the shoes again, and we made our way through the tourist throng back to the hotel.

We sat in the comfortable lounge for a little while before the friendly receptionist came to say that our room was ready. We were so grateful!

Hotel lounge

She chatted to us as she showed us where the lift was and explained about the hotel. The lift was tiny, but it took us up to the third floor and our apartment. We had booked an apartment with two bedrooms, and we were blown away when we opened the door. We had a little lobby for hanging coats, and opposite was Sophie's bedroom with a dressing room/walk-in wardrobe. We turned right, and the kitchen and a little bar area with two barstools were on the left. In the kitchen we had a full-size fridge with a small freezer, a microwave, oven, two pan hob, dishwasher and sink. In the cupboards were glasses, mugs, plates, bowls and pans, and we had cutlery in the drawers. Opposite the kitchen was a bathroom with a bath, loo and bidet, and then the main living area with a round dining table, sofa, armchair, writing desk and my bed. I also had a walk-in wardrobe.

The TV turned around so we could watch from the sofa

It was a little dated and reminded me of furniture from the 1980s, but the apartment was immaculately clean and very comfortable. We had so much space! The room was typical of the Derag Living Hotels chain and was very similar to the one we use in Berlin. 

We unpacked and had a snooze as we were both shattered. Our outlook wasn't brilliant, but we loved the room and knew we'd have a comfortable stay.

Cake and beer, anyone?

After our snooze and a lovely, hot shower, we debated about where to go in the evening for a drink before our dinner reservation at Bier & Bierli. Sophie suggested The Blue Bar in the Sacher Hotel, and it was a short distance away. The weather was looking a little dismal and chilly, so we were glad we didn't have to walk far!

We walked past the Opera House, where people were queuing to get standing places for the evening's performance and then onto The Sacher Hotel. It was only then that I put two and two together and realised that the hotel must have something to do with Vienna's most famous cake, the Sachertorte! We learnt it did!

It was a beautiful hotel, with uniformed doormen standing to attention. Sophie asked where the bar was, and we were directed through the lobby and down a walkway to another comfortable lounge. A little further on was The Blue Bar. We were asked if we were guests of the hotel or had a reservation, and of course, we answered no to both questions. There was no room in the bar itself, but we were invited to sit at a small table in the opulent lounge instead.

The lounge was pleasantly busy, and I needn't have worried about wearing jeans as hardly anyone was dressed up. If it had been more pleasant weather, I would have worn a dress! We sat and looked at the menu, with Sophie deciding to order a Negroni Sbagliato while I opted for a glass of Austrian Chardonnay. It took a while for the waiter to get to us, but when he brought the drinks, they were accompanied by olives, nuts and salted pumpkin seeds. We loved the beautiful little olive picks!

It was heaven to sit and chat, sip our drinks and watch the comings and goings of the people around us. Some women were formidably dressed in sharp suits and heels, but it was mostly tourists who were having a pre-dinner drink. I was fascinated by a couple who sat opposite and drank tea! We also gazed in awe at a man who came in with the widest jacket I've ever seen. It made him look like a character out of a Marvel film! He must have been connected to Eurovision! I guessed that some of the guests were off to the opera later!

It took us an age to get the bill, and even longer to pay it. In the end, we gave up and used cash for the 30 euro charge (yes, for just two drinks) as our dinner booking was close. Sophie was a little annoyed as the place wasn't hectically busy!

As we emerged, we realised it was raining, so we hired an Uber to drive the short distance to the hotel. We would have been soaked if we'd walked!

Bier und Bierli was just behind our hotel, and we could see our room from the street outside. We arrived on the dot of 7:00pm and chatted to the friendly barmen, who joked about Sophie and Sophia Loren. We were shown to our table, and I gazed at the wall opposite, which was covered in beer cans and beermats.

I spotted Kostritzer (the beer I try to find in Berlin) as well as British beers, and indeed, beers from everywhere!

We perused the menu, and both ordered cauliflower wings to share as a starter, followed by schnitzel. I opted for mash to go with mine, while Sophie chose potato salad. We also ordered a 500ml pichet of Grüner Veltliner.

Red-and-white-check-shirted waiters dashed about, and they were very friendly and jovial. The starter was delicious and disappeared rapidly! Our mains were equally good, and the schnitzels were huge!

I couldn't finish my schnitzel, and we definitely didn't have room for dessert, so we called for the bill (77 euros with service), and I produced one of the beermats I always carry about with me to give to the waiters. I chose an Everard's Leicester Tigers mat and explained that it was the next county to Northamptonshire. They were over the moon, and as we were walking out, one of the waiters gave us an Apricot brandy each! What a lovely gesture!

We walked across the road to our hotel and watched a programme about Eurovision for half an hour, but it was all in German!