I can’t remember how many times I’ve been to Vienna. Not even how long, and sometimes not even where exactly. Wherever I was, I wanted to understand people. But Vienna seems incomprehensible, just like the colourfulness of its inhabitants. And that is wonderful right now.

To say that lovers travel to Paris and melancholics to Vienna would be far too simplistic. Yes, Amelie is great in her Parisian café. But “Before sunrise” was also rightly set in Vienna. They do the washing in the dry cleaners. Taxi drivers are only there to drive. The suburban railway runs under the underground. Contradictions are part of everyday life in Vienna, and not just for Piefkes. The most dilapidated boas stand next door to posh hotels. (more…)

The Western Railway from Salzburg to Vienna turns the DB-damaged world view of train travel completely upside down. The train pulls into the station. On time, at below zero degrees! Every passenger gets a seat with a plug at a good price – without a reservation, and you pay with EC to the friendly steward instead of the snotty conductor. Free wifi swings us gently and quickly to Vienna. Legendary German qualities on holiday in Austria.

On the first night, we slay a legend. The old doorman in the purple waistcoat asks us to leave. Looking at my old jeans, he announces the dress code – but after another critical glance at my Austro-Turk “hairdresser” ravaged head of hair, he takes pity on me. We enter the Eden Bar. (more…)

We’re spending a few days in Vienna again. Meeting friends and enjoying culture in all its forms. We are staying in the centre of Vienna, Hotel Capri, right between the Prater and the Danube Canal. The hotel offers parking spaces for guests in the inner courtyard and the Nestroyplatz underground station is right on the doorstep. The staff are excellent, very courteous but not intrusive.

Champagne and sweets are waiting in the large room, the balcony faces the quiet inner courtyard. The room in the hotel in the centre of Vienna is very well equipped: Flat screen TV, free Wi-Fi, desk, fridge, large wardrobe with safe, cosy sitting area, king-size bed and bright bathroom with walk in shower. We set off straight away. (more…)

After a restful night with Georg on the Hohe Warte, I drive into the city centre. It’s raining. All day long. In torrents. I find my way along unknown paths, have no destination but get there. People ask me for directions. I unpack my best Viennese “ey” and say “I don’t know that either, madam.”

In front of the abortion clinic on Fleischmarkt, a lone anti-abortion activist stands in the rain with his poster. Tip to the operators: stupid address! Move to Himmelpfortgasse, then it will work out with the neighbours. The junkies in the underground at Karlsplatz are as crowded as ever, while the Naschmarkt is pleasantly empty in the rain. (more…)

I’m travelling to Vienna. On the way, I find the explanation for the economic crisis. Because of it, the government is currently investing a lot of money in infrastructure measures. There are miles and miles of building sites everywhere, which means I can’t keep my business appointments in Vienna. Lost orders are paving the way through the crisis.

Knowing your way around many places in the world is great. It gives you a feeling of control over something that is becoming increasingly complex and actually uncontrollable. I could almost switch off the sat nav. The Viennese still punish every little mistake with wild honking, and I can find a parking space in front of Georg’s hotel after just three laps around the Praterstern. (more…)

I promised this one. Because I was able to get to know many beautiful places in Vienna with lots of good people. Lots of pubs, lots of restaurants, lots of nights out. I will miss Vienna.

Pubs in Vienna

Chic indie cinema and colourful, somewhat hip bar. You sit in the foyer, DJs play good electronic sound. Weird birds and old punk grannies sit on the cracked couches. Every now and then a sandler is kicked out. But that never disturbs the peace.[Map] (more…)

Tom beats me to kayaking. I love kayaking, but the last few weeks have flown by. And I was dead tired the whole flight. That’s actually funny. The whole world trip was much more exhausting than the work and the nights here. Nevertheless, I usually got by on six hours’ sleep. Back here, I could sleep 10 hours a day. And when I do, it’s still not enough.

We drive to Wildalpen on the Salza. After three hours on the motorway and over 100 km of winding country roads, we arrive at the Naturfreunde campsite in Wildalpen after dark. The water of the Salza is rushing at low level in the riverbed. The campfires are smoking and the air is cold at the end of a much too short summer. (more…)

After almost four weeks in Vienna, I suddenly realise that I haven’t actually taken a day off at all. I’ve worked every day, most of them completely. Will be cancelled today. The wind forecast is right, we’re going to Lake Neusiedl. The north-north beach is closed due to a regatta. The lido is much better for launching anyway.

After almost two months of permanent calm in Germany, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria, my new XBow is finally being used. Wonderful. The kite will be a lot of fun for a long time. Nice depower, somewhat high holding power, but also plenty of upward pull. On the lake, 150 kiters stand close together, 14 knots are enough to test the new kite for 1.5 hours. (more…)

There are places that make history, and there are places that are history. The Sri Thai Imbiss Wien belongs to the latter. The reputation of Sri Thai Imbiss Wien is legendary, it is said to be the best Thai snack bar in Vienna. Numerous newspapers have reported on it, and much praise has been heaped on it. The food certainly deserves praise too. The rest of it, however, does not.

Sabine warns me: Sri Thai Imbiss Vienna is something very special. Rumours are circulating about bans on laughing, the toilet in the neighbour’s cellar and slightly longer waiting times for food. It’s the same with the Sri Thai Imbiss Wien as with any other celebrity in the world: no-one talks about it anymore without a few quirks. Well, I’m here. I have something to say. (more…)

Vienna is big, colourful and quirky, old and new. The only annoying thing is that Vienna is full of Viennese. The sun can shine as brightly as it likes, but as soon as someone behind you notices how full their glass is, you simply feel obliged to join in. In all the fun, life is infinitely slow, long and empty.

I’m celebrating my birthday in Vienna. Tom and Christiane are travelling 400km for it. Sabine brings a couple of biologists. On the roof terrace of the Faculty of Biology, Vienna tries to impose its mood on us: For the first time in weeks it’s raining, and it’s raining hard and almost all night. A Hawaiian party is going on next door. Inside. We press ourselves against the wall under a small eaves and refuse to obey the Leyd. (more…)

The last day in Vienna. Going for brunch with Sabine and Georg. Up to the Baumgartner Höhe. Otto Wagner built the Steinhof sanatorium here in 1907. The grounds are so beautiful that you could almost consider becoming a drug addict – just to enjoy a detox within the old walls. An old granny asks for directions to her room.

The Kahlenberg is very busy. The whole of Vienna wants to look down on its city from above over the Grinzing vineyards. In the evening we walk across the Prater. The Schweizerhaus is well stocked, the beer is as stale as promised and the prices are just as salty as the crust on the pork knuckle. I get sick on the chain carousel. Can only ride with lines. The Ferris wheel is just fine. (more…)

I’ve been in Vienna for six days now and apart from a few good pubs and the fan zone, I haven’t seen anything yet. Vienna calling. Work is taking a break today, I’m going into the city. So, Vienna. Wait, that’s the drawer at the bottom right of my chest of drawers: Viennese are rich, loud, annoyingly grumpy and arrogant. Anything else? Ah yes, the alpha’s licence plate of course says “iener” after the W.

That’s how I’ve got to know the Viennese so far. That was mostly when I was snowboarding or kiting. Fortunately, the Viennese aren’t like that at home. Vienna is very colourful. From a multi-ethnic state to a multicultural metropolis. City park. First bank: bums. Second bank: bankers. Third bank: Plemplem. Fourth bank: Rasta. Very funny. (more…)

I’m learning Austrian. Georg enlightens me: Heurigen is not the wine, Heurigen is the wine tavern that serves it. So Heurigen is not the continuation of the eternally yesterday and is politically more in the moderate centre. Yesterday we definitely went to a Heurigen outside Vienna. It was almost as unhealthy as it was fun.

It’s quite funny to constantly learn something new in the same language and a similar dialect very close to home. I learnt more new words in five days in Vienna than I did in three months in New Zealand. Which certainly doesn’t help me to memorise anything better. Just one thing: the online lamperl from the Heurigen is out. (more…)

So I drive to Vienna. Continue travelling. Visiting old and new friends. Three lads from Kelheim join me via Mitfahrgelegenheit.de. Lowers the adrenaline level when refuelling. We arrive four hours later and there’s no major traffic jam for the final game. For the first time I’m really happy about my sat nav. Across Vienna to Sabine. I haven’t seen her for three years.

It’s good to meet people who have been out of sight for a long time. It makes my own travelling seem slower. I drop my camera on the way to the first beer garden. Broken. Only mobile phone pictures today. On to Karlsplatz, extreme drumming, making a boat and listening to a favourite yodel. Finally to the Schickaneder. A pub that fits like a glove. And smoke. Inside! (more…)

We were never Pabst. But we’re travelling to Vienna for the final on Sunday! We deserved to win the semi-final of the European Championship. In the quarter-finals we were given the 3:1 as a gift, but today the referee stole a penalty from us. We deserved to win 3:2! The motorcade forms up in Regensburg, the drinks are drunk, the carnage doesn’t happen and we can continue to eat expensive rotten meat kebabs with a grin.

We? Germany! I am not Germany. I’m still a traveller. I watch the games from a strange angle. Like rugby in Fiji. I have my favourite. But it’s not “mine”. I’m happy for Germany. Good friends say: “Your country, here!”, and I’m very happy about that. But it’s like surf on a rocky coast. Water against stone. (more…)