Coming home

This morning we got up at seven thirty and went to breakfast at the hotel we stayed in. We left there around eight thirty and took the train to the airport. We were a little worried at both the length of tie to get to the airport, and that we would have some trouble finding the gate when we got there, but it rolled up two hours before flight time, the gate was easy to find, and there were lots is people just like us checking in so that made it a lot easier. We flew an Irish airline called aer lingus, so our first trip was to Dublin. It was green and cloudy just like you'd expect, and their airport was great. Not a lot going on but there were signs that said to that effect, and free wifi. Or flight to new York was about eight hours, but the drinks were free and they fed us lunch and a snack,mplus all the new releases you can watch in the eight hours. We arrived in new York at eight, and after we got our bags we worked on making our way to stay with an old friend in the Bronx. Zabeths phone was dead, so it's just charging now. Nt a lot of time to catch up anyways as we were underground on the subway, and then visiting once we arrived. Tomorrow is cheap Chinatown bus to boston.

Transition

As Monday set in so did the realization that Vienna was ending, Italy was ending, Europe was ending... Really a contradiction in feelings most like the days preceding our departure. We made a welcome home sign for the gavianos to receive when they arrive home. After they left the farm they continued traveling around Italy, Carlos family is from Sardinia, so that is where we last heard from them. We cleaned up as best as possible, and turned the water and electricity back off. We bought kebabs for the train ride and made our way back to Wien meidling to catch our train. The train left at seven thirty, and it was midnight before we figured out that the seats folded out into beds. Unfortunately we learned because a new woman came to our room because she realized we had extra space, so then she made one bed, and our original car mate took the other. The third bed Zabeth and I split. So we also split half of the sleep. Let's just say there was a lot of good time to read. The train ride from vienna to Rome was supposed to take 14 hours but ended up just shy of about 18. Luckily though we didn't have to wait any longer for check in when we arrived and went straight to our hotel! The lady there as very nice and helped us find a couple of shops to pick up some of our last necessities. We walked around the walls of the Vatican, and the chapel, but it's too much money for our blood. Then we went down to the colosseum and took a picture.

Friday, Saturday Vienna

Cant remember now the order that we did everything but on Friday we went to one of the couchsurfing events, it was a cemetery tour at the last remaining period cemetery in Vienna. All the rest from the mid 1800s were built over into parks, and this one also happens to host the remains of Mozart, yet his actual bones are unidentifiable because he was buried in a mass grave. Then we went to the cs BBQ and swam in the Danube. Friday night we went to a latin club called the floridia, famous for Cuban music and ten dollar drinks, that we weren't aware of. So after watching a ton of Austrians speak Spanish and dance salsa we walked home with tail between legs, but not without a kebab. Saturday we went to the nasch market, huge market selling everything from produce and prepared food to old train sets and clothes that someone took out of their own closet. Went back to the apartment and chilled out before going to check out the belvedere grounds, and then went to the big big couch surfing party. It was thirty minutes out of town, but as soon as we got off the subway and were reading the map, others came up to us and walked to the party with us. We danced until pretty late into Sunday morning. Sunday just to get out and not sleep in and ruin our patterns we got up and took the train to the schonbrunn palace and walked around the garden before coming back home and napping, reading and spending lazy Sunday watching the rain. Also went to grand finale cs brunch.

Haven't been heard from

We have a lot to say about Vienna, mostly that we loved it. Last night we stayed in Rome, but our hotel didn't have wifi. We went out to use the Internet but left many places who said they had wifi, but it just wasn't public. Finally found a place but were too encumbered checking bank accounts, making plans for new York, which we don't have, and catching up on email didn't get to write. Anyway, we're in Dublin airport now, they have free Internet but boarding has started so were leaving soon. We arrive in new York at 530 NM time. Can't wait to talk to everyone, and then well write about the trip after we've already told you about it. Can't wait to see everyone, and if you know someone in new York give them a call for us.

Days in vien

Our first day in the di we undertook the Klimt exhibit at the leopold museum. Then we did quite a bit of walking Nd ate some good kebabs. There is a store close to the apartment so we spend lot of time buying groceries, and cooking for ourselves. By we also can always eat some of that fat food sausage or kebab. There is a huge couchsurfing event going on all weekend in the park, last night we went to see it and registered. Then a big group went to. Free concert put on by the city, performed by the philharmonic orchestra. We expected something like a free homecoming concert, but it was at. Huge palace and there had to be hundreds of thousands of people there. Today we checked out the ntsch market. We bought a week long pass on the public transport system, so we're trying to ride that every chance we get. We have also registered for city bike rental, and rode them down to the river yesterday. A lot to do here in. Big city's and it's pretty overwhelming compared to farm life. Lots of stimuli. Over and out.

Wien

We have made it safely all the way to Vienna. We got in last night and after some brief struggle figuring out trains, we arrived at the apartment of Julia and Carlo. It is wonderful, a nicely decorated, fun and colorful two bedroom apartment. Last night we bout a pizza, this morning went to the grocery store. Is a little colder here but everything is wonderful. E train ride went throu tons of hills and mountains and ended after eit house in this bright, tall, clean city, with excellent public transport. Don't have Internet at the apartment, but will definitely write as soon as we figure out a closer spot to drink coffee and check mail.

Weekend

After a full day of train riding we arrived at lake guarda. It's the biggest lake in Italy, I think. The rim is covered in hotels, rv parks, restaurants, and attractions. But there's also boats, kayakers, bikes, trails, mountains and resorts so it's hard to pin down the exact feel, but it was crowded. We booked another trailer cabin bungalow in the town of moniga. We took the boss about a km away and hauled our bags down mercifully to the campsite. The first thing Zabeth suggested was get in the lake, which was freezing. We swam, sat out, and went up to the grocery store to utilize the kitchen utensils provided in our cabin. Although we had a lot of groceries, we still went out for the night to a big event called italia in rosa. The gist of which was pink wine tasting. Since it was all sweet, and we don't know how to pour out wine, and since it cost ten dollars and we had to get our money's worth, let's just say nobody felt like eating too many of our groceries on Saturday. But we did get a lot of sleep. This morning we left moniga to be closer to our train tomorrow out of Venice for Austria. This evening were gonna catch the bus to Venice, we're now in Mestre, and then tomorrow we will be on the road again at noon.