Training Log Archive: BillD

A young Austrian lady with a PhD in Business and Finance but has made a career as a gourmet chef and food critic took us for a food tour through an open market (sampled sausages and strurm), a cheese shop/factory (daily production of cheese from milk of water buffaloes - dissertation by the owner, samples with wine), backstage at a bakery, and a coffee/chocolate shop. We’re stuffed and are canceling our dinner reservation for tonight - want to stay awake for the Vienna Philharmonic concert.

Driven out to spa town Baden. Visited the Beethoven Museum. Will never think of him quite the same after hearing the stories we were told. Expresso in the beautiful town square then off to Heiligenkreuz Abbey to hear the midday Gregorian chants followed by a tour of the abbey. Lunch in a lovely country tavern in Gumpoldskirchem (site of company that makes 90% of the world’s slot machines [allegedly]) near the Thallerm winery ( nice Reisling!). Then back to Vienna.

Until today the longest walk Susan has taken in the last three years was 1km around the empty parking lot at Kohl’s. Today with our personal guide she covered about 3.5 km as we visited the upper Belvedere Palace, took in the classic view northward across the old city (we’re in Vienna), and toured the artwork inside (particularly the Klimt paintings). After a tram ride around through the middle of the old city, narrated quite well by our guide, we walked through the MQ (Museum Quarter), lunched in an outdoor cafe (ah, the beer!), and walked back to our hotel to rest up for our evening event. Susan was stretched but held up well. Of course, now exhausted but delighted.

C • Great news 2

400 M in a small, 2 lane, 20 m pool in the hotel basement. All stainless steel, smoothest, best feeling water I have ever experienced (the water in Venice is piped in from the mountains of the Tyrol), long arched low ceiling adorned with five crystal (faux, I assume) chandeliers. 20 lengths went quickly. Nice.

S added another kilometer walking to the Kumsthistoriche Fine Arts Museum) where we had an elegant dinner in the domed, three story rotunda. This was followed by a one hour private tour of the Curiousities collection with a member of the museum’ Education Department. Our docent provided a wheelchair for S which let us travel faster from one highlight to another. He had an archive of detail pictures on his iPad of the objects he showed us and lectured us on . These were astounding objects with details and histories of which untutored passers-by would have no inkling.

Got to find bandaids: S raised a nasty blister on her heal. Fortunately the rest of our week calls for less walking.

S added another kilometer walking to the Kumsthistoriche Fine Arts Museum where we had an elegant dinner in the domed, three story rotunda. This was followed by a one hour private tour of the Curiousities collection with a member of the museum’s Education Department. Our docent provided a wheelchair for S which let us travel faster from one highlight to another. He had an archive of detail pictures on his iPad of the objects he showed us and lectured us on . These were astounding objects with details and histories of which untutored passers-by would have no inkling.

Got to find bandaids: S raised a nasty blister on her heal. Fortunately the rest of our week calls for less walking.