01 Aug 1985, Posted by Scott An Chora in Travelogue, No Comments.
08/01 Gloriette, Vienna Austria
One thing was for certain, I needed a shower. Sleeping out with element guarantees one thing, we were up early, so we took advantage and started searching for a room. Luckily we found a room in the area that accommodated our needs, but we couldn’t check in until later that afternoon, so we reserved a room. They were kind enough to watch our bags, allow us to scamper off and tour the city. The choir from back home’s schedule had them traveling through Vienna and would be performing within a couple of days on the outskirts of Salzburg, so we kept our eyes open for a familiar face.
After roaming around Vienna’s streets we explored the museum, the treasury and eventually ended up sitting alongside the wall of St. Stephen’s cathedral eating candy. The cathedral’s acoustics were wonderful and gave wings to the songs sung within its walls. I sat with my eyes closed and let my mind wander, which usually introduced uninvited thoughts. I looked around at all the images and remembered some of the artifacts we viewed in the treasury. It puzzled me how so many define their self image by the processions they’ve obtained. Doesn’t salvation depend on man’s response? Evil must be a necessary element if men are to be genuinely free to make moral choices and demonstrate one’s ability to love. What is God’s image? The questions flooded my mind and then I required a cold beer to close the gates and keep the horses at bay.
We followed a horse drawn carriage until a small café beckoned us inside. In another attempt to get a message home, I struck up a conversation with two young ladies from Texas and another from our home state of California. During our conversation the young lady from California revealed that she was having an affair with a young man and was to reunite with him in Geneva. She explained that Geneva was having a festival and that would be a good reason to join them on their journey. Sounded like a good idea and our original schedule of traveling through Salzburg aligned. The girls hadn’t yet found themselves a room, so we persuaded them to follow us back to where our bag were. The rooms had reasonable prices and perhaps they could also be accommodated.
Our conversations continued through dinner alongside a couple bottles of wine. Everyone agreed that Salzburg would be our next destination. We spent another day of roaming Vienna but this time dictated by the feminine choice. Toward the end of the evening, while walking back to the hostel I just had to laugh. The two Texans were on each other’s nerves. Any little thing began by one set the other off. I could relate. It wasn’t easy to share that kind of space under the type of circumstances that arise while traveling for very long without pushing some wrong buttons. So Jim and I assisted in maneuvering them into neutral corners. I had gotten into the habit of washing my dirty pants on day one of a new room, hoping that they would be dry when it was time to depart. If they were still damp I’d hanging them out the train window to speed dry. Though it might have looked odd, it was the way to go.
