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