Day 22 - Vienna, Austria - Now We Pack

Tony's View

We woke up this morning to rain. The forecast said it would be done by noon, but we had to check out by 11:00 a.m. So, we loaded up and got ready to head out. I was actually planning to start the ride wearing my rain jacket. Once I got outside, though, I realized all I was going to do was sweat inside it. So I took it off and stuffed it away in my pannier.

Here is one of those puddles you just couldn't miss since you had to get to the other side.

We headed out, and the rain seemed to subside, at least where we were. My main objective, besides avoiding bumps and potholes, was to avoid as many puddles as possible. It felt like I was playing some kind of video game where you have to dodge everything coming at you. Somehow, we managed to miss the rain the entire way. So now I can finally say it: We completed our first adventure without having to ride in the rain! 🎉

Now for the bad news. Some of you may find this disturbing, so if you can't handle upsetting news, you might want to skip this part. We were about 10 miles into the ride, right after finishing our daily rosary, when I suddenly realized something. Sitting in that beautiful wine refrigerator back at the Airbnb was the bottle of wine we bought yesterday... the bottle that I completely forgot and left behind.

I warned you this was disturbing. You probably didn't take my advice and skip this part.

Let's just say I uttered a few words that people don't normally say immediately after praying a rosary. 😂🍷 After a brief period of mourning for the abandoned wine, we carried on toward Vienna.

Here are some swans and their young ones that were nestled in along the bike path.

We got to this point and had to make a detour because the path ahead was blocked for a festival. This gentleman told us we wouldn't be able to get through and was nice enough to show us a very efficient way around it.

Yet another example of the kind people we've met on this trip. 😊

Nice bridge!

One of our break stops along today's 55-mile journey. Since the wind was once again at our backs, we were able to cruise along at over 20 mph, so not many breaks were necessary. In fact, with that tailwind, it almost felt like someone had secretly attached an electric motor to the tandem. 😂 Oh yea, that helped too. A good tailwind is one of life's greatest gifts. 

We ran into quite a few rowing teams on the Danube today. One crew was rowing directly in front of a river cruise ship and didn't seem to have any intention of moving. We never found out what happened because we were flying along faster than both of them and didn't want to stick around for the outcome. 😂

As we rode away, we figured there were only two possible endings: the rowers eventually moved, or the captain had to add "avoiding a rowing team" to his list of daily navigational challenges. Either way, we decided it was best to keep pedaling and let someone else write that story. 😂

This picture shows where we had to walk around a construction detour, which you can see on the right. It was much easier to walk the bikes than to try to figure out a way to ride around it.

Sometimes the shortest route between two points is admitting defeat and walking. 😂 Rather than spending 20 minutes searching for a rideable way around, we took the much simpler approach: put our feet on the ground and keep moving. On the bright side, it gave us a chance to stretch our legs and remind ourselves that bicycles do occasionally work as walking companions too. 😂

This picture shows us searching for our Airbnb because, apparently, finding the place was proving more difficult than riding across Austria. 😂 While I was busy walking around trying to figure out where we were supposed to be, Joan grabbed my phone, dropped back a few steps, and snapped this picture. She has an amazing talent for that. The moment I get off the bike, look confused, or start wandering in circles, she's ready with a camera. 😡😂 Somehow, there are very few photos of her being lost, but plenty of me looking like I'm trying to solve a complex navigation problem with absolutely no clue where I'm going. 😂 In the end, we did find the Airbnb, but not before Joan added another photo to her growing collection of "Tony Looking Lost Around the World." 😆

Here I am taking the bicycle apart piece by piece outside our door. As I lay each piece on the ground, Joan is right behind me wiping off all the dirt and grime before we pack it. It seems we've developed a pretty efficient assembly line: I take it apart, and Joan makes it look like I actually take care of my bike. 😂 

Here are all the pieces that we somehow have to fit into suitcases tomorrow for our flight home on Monday. At this point, it looks less like a bicycle and more like we've disassembled a small aircraft. 😂 Fortunately, we've done this before, so with a little patience, a lot of Tetris-like packing skills, and perhaps a prayer or two, everything should fit.

Right now, all the parts are laid out neatly. By tomorrow, our goal is for them to magically transform into airline luggage and arrive home as a functioning bicycle again. 😂

Here is a picture of St. Stephen's Cathedral. The last time we were here, in 2019, they were working on it. The tower and roof look wonderful now. We walked to the cathedral to attend the English Mass at 7:00 p.m. It was great to see how beautiful the restoration turned out after all these years.

Before we went into the church, there was a choir outside performing like street musicians. We stopped to watch because a large crowd had gathered around them. We later went inside for Mass, and to our surprise, they turned out to be the choir singing for the Mass. They were wonderful.

After Mass, the priest invited them to come to the front and perform a couple of additional songs for the congregation. They sang "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" and "Auld Lang Syne," the traditional New Year's song. Both were unique and beautiful renditions. They were from the Philippines and actually in Europe competing in the World Choir Games. They won the world championship in 2023 with these songs. What a great way to end the day!

One more reason to celebrate: this is my last blog post of the trip! 🎉🍷🚲

By now, you all know how much I love writing these updates. In fact, I enjoy writing them about as much as I enjoy riding into a headwind or discovering I've left a bottle of wine behind at an Airbnb. 😂

To properly commemorate this historic occasion, we stopped and bought another bottle of wine to replace the one I accidentally left chilling in the refrigerator at our last Airbnb. I'm sure the next guest appreciated my generous contribution to international relations. 🍷😆

So let's all celebrate: We managed to avoid riding in the rain. I only donated one bottle of wine to an Airbnb refrigerator. And best of all... this is my final blog post of the trip! 🎉😂

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy this replacement bottle of wine before I accidentally leave this one behind too! 🍷😂

Joan's Extras

Just a few extra points because I want you enjoy Tony's celebration above. 

We moved slowly and quickly past that family of swans on the bike path. I have heard many stories about the attacking black swans that used to be at ONU. Most were from Cara & Nick, but Marla had a memorable story from soccer camp there too, or maybe that was geese? 😏

To follow up on Tony's comments about picture taking, it's fairly simple. If you look back at our family pictures, you'll rarely find me in a picture because guess who was capturing all those precious memories? 😍