May 30, 2026
Heading west to Vienna today (1) led back through Žilina, with another connection in Bratislava (2). At lunch under a large awning near Karlsplatz, I watched storm clouds move in from the northwest, and soon the awning flapped in the stiff wind as the storm neared and rain began pelting down (3).
A good stroll after the storm led to the cathedral. Spying a sign to climb the tower, I enjoyed an overview of the city from the watchman's post, staffed to spot fires and invasions from the 1500s to 1958.
A bike tour was offered tonight (4), starting near Karlsplatz, with the Opera House the first stop. The tour guide, Lisa, is a German who grew up in Switzerland and said she loves opera (5). The Imperial Palace complex, home to the Hapsburg dynasty for centuries. is a hodge-podge of styles as each emperor sought to leave his mark. We spent much of the tour just riding through Vienna's numerous parks, encountering various events marking the beginning of Pride Month.
(1) A plan to spend some time in the high Tatras, on the Slovakian/Polish border was nixed due to falling temperatures (low 50°s F) and rain forecast for Srtbske Pleso. Vienna had more sun and temps in the 70s.
(2) The express train across Slovakia have names. The train today was called the Krváň, coincidentally the name of the mountain I climbed yesterday.
(3) The waiter warned that if the wind increased any more, he would have to retract the awning (which cost €70,000) to avoid damage. Thankfully, the storm soon abated.
(4) I considered seeing the Wagner Opera Siegfried, which runs for over four hours (not counting the two intermissions), but I don't like opera that much.
(5) Chatting later, I said something I thought might be controversial in Vienna: "Mozart is over-rated." "I agree," Lisa replied, "Mozart's operas are happy and only go on for 2 hours. A real German soul wants to be completely depressed after surviving a 6-hour performance of Wagner."
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