VIENNA (Austria)
27 September - 28 September 2017
With our decision to move back to Australia in 2018 we also then needed to find a place for all the stuff we had acquired in the prior 2.5 years. We were told, in a number of subtle and not so subtle ways that non of this would be able to be stored in Belgrade. In fact, when we tossed around the idea of having a handful of boxes stored the firm advise from my aunt was 'No'. I recall I found her manner of answering at the time, as well as her complete disregard for our needs to be somewhat disappointing at the time. A little assistance would have been the proper thing to have done. Still, it is what it is.
Belgrade in September - the confluence of the Danube and Sava - Serbia
With our Renault Laguna packed to bursting we headed north out of Belgrade, effectively ending our living situation there. In a technical sense I still had the apartment rented until February 2018, so it can be said that we were in fact living in Belgrade until that point in time.
Inga describes this time, or this travel, as one of the most exciting. In her view the usual progression of things is that a foreigner will arrive in Latvia, perhaps get involved with a girl, and then drag them off to an unknown corner of the world. In some small part, she was now pulling me into her sphere and we were going to set up in Riga until our big move to the land down under.
First stop on the 2000km migration north was the hometown of my grandfather Heinrich Elisher.
On the road - somewhere in Europe - car full and ready to migrate north
There's some sort of kinship I have with the people here. Somehow I feel there's a little bit of Vienna in me. Quite often I wonder if my grandfather and I have walked the same paths, walked through the same doors, looked on the same buildings. There has to be elements of his experiences and life learnings that originated here that have somehow influenced me in some small way. Those small thoughts, those intangibles makes that way I view this city far for personal and closer to home than other places within that connective line.
The famous Sacher Torte - Hotel Sacher - Vienna - Austria
The famous Sacher Torte - Hotel Sacher - Vienna - Austria
The famous Sacher Torte - Hotel Sacher - Vienna - Austria
Bauskas apartment before the mighty renovations - Riga - Latvia
When you mix it all together this is what you get
Vienna was just to be an overnight stop, so we didn't get to doing a lot of sightseeing. In fact, how much sightseeing can you do in a Mexican restaurant whilst in Vienna? With that said, we did have a late night stop at the very famous Hotel Sacher, located in the Innere Stadt, the speciality is the Sachertorte, a delectable chocolate cake with an apricot filling. With a mighty fine cognac to accompany this late night tryst, this was just the thing I craved as a necessary highlight to our short stay.
