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.
On Saturday, the Nightwalk XI takes place on the Gürtel in Vienna. One concert follows the next for kilometres along the elevated U6 underground line. On the way there, as everywhere else in Vienna, all cycle paths suddenly end in nothingness. Then the transformation of the business world begins.
Vienna has an incredible number of brothels, strip clubs and sex shops. Even more here on the Gürtel. First one, then two, then another, more and more. I fall into the mantra “shop – brothel – bar”. After a kilometre, it’s easier to count the “normal” shops than the go-go bars. I develop a new theory for the Viennese Leydigkeyt: there’s sex on every corner. Maybe the poor Viennese punks stumble over it so often that something always hurts?
Bars have now moved in under the arches of the city railway. Bands are playing, crowds are partying, I’m all tired of too much work. Verena leaves at some point and says she knows when the evening is over. I vehemently disagree. For example: Today. I’m exhausted and should go home. But Sabine recommended Cafe Carina.
Cafe Carina used to be a sandler pub. This old charm has been spiced up a bit with fresh accessories and suddenly you have a really nice, quirky pub. Christian and Michael are playing today. They are probably something like Amy Winehouse on permanent rehab. They drink on stage, shout dirty lyrics and characterise themselves as the ultimate sexual proles.
I hate JBO. But these guys here are different. About the same as Marianne and Michael would never dare to be even when drunk. Filth with brains and plenty of humour brings the Carina Bar to the boil for two hours. Excerpts from the lyrics: “We form a men’s group and then look for reasons for it.” “Everything is shit, nothing is okay.” “I don’t have to live with you, but it would be cooler.” “My hands were with her, my heart belongs to you.”
A cameraman from ORF films the whole thing. The lyrics are so filthy mean that I can’t for the life of me imagine where and when this could be broadcast. Between the songs, Christian and Michael kiss passionately (here, for once, without the y). Then lines from Howard Carpendale are quoted. Finally, the two encourage the audience to let out all their pent-up hatred. The song for this is “Wipe the puke off your face and kiss me.”
That all sounds bad now. And it was. Very badly amusing. To raise our spirits a little, we pop into the Seinerzeit dance café late at night for a beer. DJ Ötzi limps across the squeaky dance floor. A grandad fondles his wife behind the burst sofa cushion. The chandeliers glow softly.
Frank Woelky, born in 1973. Kitesurfer since 1998. Since 2006, I have been combining kitesurfing and web design on trips lasting several months off the beaten track.