The Parrots

Much biking, but also shopping on Wollzeile and around, wandering through Stadtpark after Coffee Break, and walking near Kahlenberg with Mungo.

Enjoyable ride, weather reasonably warm. The day before, Sunday, we go for Haydn’s Nelson mass at the Augustiner. The service was endless…..

Tram 41 takes us there, where we walk round admiring the park and its flowering azaleas. A short pit stop for apfelsaft gespritzer at Steirerstöckl. Weather suddenly good and warmer.

First time ever there, to see Shostakovitch 6 and Mahler 4, a dream combination. But I have to go on my own, as Mungo can’t face the former. So a lowly and cheap Organ Balcony seat with limited view. No…

Larry joins us at the infamous Scarabocchio, followed by a noteworthy crawl to two Irish pubs. A few days before Trude goes to the opera with Christina.

On Sunday we visit this old and lovely cemetery.

Alone I head out to show solidarity with my fellow comrades, streaming to the Rathaus for inspiration and friendship. After this follows a quiet coffee in Cafe Diglas, tram 41 to Pötsleinsdorf and a walk round the busy sunny park…

We arrive early at 840am on Tuesday. So in the afternoon Türkenschanz tempts us for a short stroll. Spring is in the air. On Wed we catch U6 and a tram to visit Trude, almost 5 weeks in hospital after…

Axel & Heidi kindly pick us up for a lift to Grand Hotel Estergom, from where we take a taxi to our stables, an Airbnb. Next day Larry flies in after a Survivor interview in London, and Laszlo picks us…

On Saturday, whilst Mungo entertains Susannah, I head to the den of iniquity. Arriving in a short shower, the first of the imminent rainy season, Richard and Louise are in great form, excited about the sudden possibility of opening a…

Mungo cudgels the poor lazy driver, me, to going into the centre of town, ie hell, in search of a skirt. A Nicaraguan from India helped Mungo while I played with skirts and panties. Finally we narrowly escape with a…

Yet another Easter falls. On Saturday the eggs are hidden, bubbles disappear along with ham and the finest reindling that Mungo miraculously conjured out of the rabbit’s hat. On Sunday Susannah comes round, and looks amazing after her hip op…

Yes, exaggeration after many weeks of silence. No negronis, one market. We go to Caffe Negroni after buying eggs and green stuff from Escazu market. Where we first strolled round the impressively re-done plaza.

The Cardies surprise the neighbours, or at least the dogs, by shooting off early to the beach. Despite traffic we pass by Automercado, catch the Tarcoles crocs napping and then spend the day on the beach. Afterwards we climb up…

Almost a month after the previous blog post, we are honoured by Larry’s presence, his first birthday at home since he was 15. And Christina had arrived just 2 days before, a full house indeed. We started early for a…