Flat Flat Flat

It gives me great pleasure to announce that I am no longer homeless. Neither am I living in a youth hostel. I am living in an actual, genuine, Altbau Wiennese Wohnung. Two doors down from the KunstHaus Wien. So yes, I went to look at the flat this morning and it's really nice. There's a living room with a huge telly which will be brillo for watching Das Perfekte Dinner and such things. My room is currently the lady's study, but she's going to clear it out for me and put in a bed and stuff so it will be great. The only thing that's a bit weird is that you have to go through the bathroom to get to the kitchen, but I'll get used to it. Until the room is ready I'm living in a flat upstairs. I have the whole flat to myself, it's brilliant! 

So I unpacked and went to the supermarket. Billa ist für mich da! Forgot what an ordeal it is, trying to pack everything quickly enough once they've scanned it. Now is not only Sturmzeit (finally had some yesterday!) but Kürbiskern (sunflower seed)zeit too. Today I had pumpkin soup at the Palmenhaus by the Albertina and I have got some lovely Kürbiskern bread.

Went for a drink with two of the other assistants last night, we had Sturm at the Steierischer Pub on Siebensterngasse. Very nice it was too. They seem really nice and up for travels which was music to my ears! I am already itching to go and see some new places! Now I have an address I can finally get my Vorteilscard and start travelling! When I got back to the hostel from my drink, there was a 12 year old boy asleep in one of the other beds. When I woke up it was a woman in her mid 50s. Oh, the joys of hostel life!


I can see living here being quite dangerous, I have already seen about a million beautiful books about art and stuff that I would like to buy. Also, I do not need anymore notebooks. I know I already have loads, but I saw a really nice Vienna one today so I thought I'd better buy it before someone else did. Things that have amused me today:
- a man on the U-Bahn wearing no less than 9 SK Rapid Wien (football team) scarves
- a tour guide wearily telling off his group for laughing at the von Köck shop on the Graben
- that I have brought 5 scarves with me that I will probably never get round to wearing

Wienna... is a windy city

Please please please let this be the last night in a hostel. It is not my favourite thing, though thankfully Naked Spaniard and Party Serb (he was an unwelcome addition to the room at 3.30 this morning) seem to have gone. Today I have spent wandering aimlessly and taking photos, and have spent a considerable amount of time sitting in the sun in the Museums Quartier. Which was nice. 

people watching in the MQ in the sun

Decided to treat myself to an Eis as I walked around. Was going to go for the ultimate combo of Himbeer, Heidelbeer, Zitrone (blackcurrant, blueberry, lemon) but at the last minute Banane caught my eye so I replaced Himbeer with that. V nice it was too. Today I:
- saw a tour group of about 30, all midgets
- made friends with an 8 month old baby called Hansi. And his mum, obviously
- got told off for sitting in the grass by the Kunst Historisches Museum
- was cursed by a gypsy because I wouldn't give her any money
- gave a Euro to the Clown Doctors who help children with cancer because the thought of a surgeon wearing a red nose and big shoes was just too awesome.


Meeting up with one of the other assistants for a drink, hopefully she will become my first friend! (sadly I don't think I can count Hansi the baby or the lady in the bakery who told me she liked my necklace.)
More tomorrow, hopefully when I am with flat!

First day as a Wienerin!

So, today was the day everything was supposed to get sorted. In my head I was going to ring this woman and she would say "oh yes, come over right now and have a look around, if you like the flat you can move in today!" However, things seldom happen in real life as they happen in my head. I rang her (incidentally, this means I have got an Austrian number now, gold star for me!) but unfortunately she is busy until the weekend so it looks like I am stuck in the hostel until at least Saturday! This may not have been so bad, had I not been confronted with a naked Spaniard when I walked in this afternoon. He didn't even seem bothered. In fact he was more annoyed that I turned the light on when I went in this evening than when I saw more than I wished to of him earlier. So, aside from the rather unsuccessful unterkunft situation, today has not been bad. It has been lovely and sunny, I knew I should have brought sunglasses! Spent most of the day in the gardens at Schönbrunn, wandering around taking photos. 

patriotism and imperial glory, doesn't get much more Austrian than this!

The Gloriette, just your typical garden ornament

Things I have seen today:

- a wedding party having photos at Schönbrunn, and some American tourists insisting on having their photo taken with them

- lots of women wearing camel, it is obviously a very in colour this season

-a couple in Trachten, looking over the Empire

-that the beggar on the bridge near my hostel takes a lunch break and goes to the cafe in the U-Bahn station.

Also, Strache's smarmy face is everywhere. I cannot think of a time when Austria hasn't been in the middle of an elections campaign. Tonight the moon is full and looks kind of blue, and I can hear lots of crickets. There is a song along these lines I think, but I do not know what it is. In the hostel tonight there are about a million school children, I think they are doing some kind of remedial German thing. Oh, another observation from today is how weird the Wien accent is! I know I'll get used to it eventually, but I don't think it is my favourite Dialekt, they all sound really whiny and mardy. Hmmmm run out of things to say now, plus I can see an Australian's builder's bum all too clearly so I think I will head off to Bedfordshire and maybe watch a film.

Over and out.

Good Landing in Our Network!

Grüß Euch! I bin daham!!! That means I'm home to everyone else. Heathrow is my new favourite airport, I am now saving up to be rich enough to afford Mulberry. Things that amused me in the airport:

- a woman eating sushi with collapsible chopsticks and making a bit of a mess
- a small boy playing with a lightsaber bigger than he was
- a really posh woman called Nina talking loudly on the phone about how beastly it was that Horatio's proposal had been rejected by the BBC
Things that did not amuse me so much were having to pay £35 to check my case in. The flight was quite good, free coffee and biscuits (viennese chocolate fingers, 2 of them) Had to wait ages for a train to the centre then the taxi to the hostel cost like 30€ because the Ringstraße was closed. Then the taxi driver got a bit lost. Turns out the hostel is actually so far out it's practically in Niederösterreich! Really hope I can move into an actual place tomorrow. It's alright here, but the room smells funny, kind of like salt and vinegar crisps but not in a good way. Nowhere to get food so I have got four squares of Milkybar to last until breakfast. May waste away. Think that is everything important I have to say for now.
Over and out.

First Blog Post Ever

Whaddup. So yes, this is the first of many posts. The adventure starts TOMORROW! Actually In 25 hours I will be in Wien. Homeless, probably sleeping on the streets, but I will be there. Then surely everything else will work itself out, no? Packing is going relatively well, though I am all too aware that red suede boots are not appropriate for a country where there is snow on the ground for 5 months of the year, so they have, regrettably, been tossed aside. Trying to make space for the Dirndl, though I don't suppose I would be too heartbroken if I had to buy another one out there. I could start a collection! Have stocked up on trashy magazines to keep me entertained until I find the Austrian equivalent of Pick Me Up. Have just booked hostel so will at least have a roof over my head for the first night. I know I said I will be homeless, but fingers crossed I'm going to live with a friend's cousin. Her flat is in the same Bezirk as my schools so it would be perfect. Also, internet is included so that's already an improvement on last year! Well, that is all for now. Time to go and watch one last Come Dine With Me and Coach Trip and Neighbours. Oh and last meal is lasagne and lemon cheesecake. Best. Thing. Ever.