Day 37, Continued - Vilified in Vienna

Tasty lunch

The following morning I had planned to leave early for Vienna, considering the train ride from Aarhus is about 19 hours.

Yeah, didn't happen. I tried, but unfortunately I had just missed the last day train, meaning I would have to wait another 6 hours before taking the night train. This meant a few unforeseen costs (ie, couchette reservation), but in the end I got there. While I was still in Denmark I decided to have a look at hats (as a musician I feel I need a hat), and found one that pleased me. I bought it for 59 DK, amounting to around AU$13, which I thought a bargain. Especially considering that it is a very nice hat.

I had an uncomfortable sleep on the night train, but a sleep nonetheless. I had James Brown's classic "Night Train" running through my head the whole journey, for obvious reasons.



The view from my hostel. Truly amazing.

The result of taking this Night Train was that I lost a night in Vienna (having already booked my hostels a week in advance). I, therefore, made the decision to get right into busking so as not to miss the opportunity. So, upon arriving at my hostel, I gathered my things and trekked into the city centre.

It has become my custom to try my luck in the city centre first, and busk for as long as I can before the authorities ask me to move along (as they invariably do in busy cities), after which I happily move to a more secluded location, like a park or a promenade beside a river, where I generally enjoy myself more than in the city's centre anyway.



Spot next to the University

My stay in the city centre was particularly brief this day, but not due to the authorities. Instead, I was made to move on because of a particularly self-righteous Austrian man, who defended the system of street performer registration with disproportionate passion. The details of my conversation with this man (who approached me of his own accord) form a story on their own, but are a bit long-winded. Long story short: he stormed off to call the Police. I think he misunderstood what I was trying to ask him.

So, I moved to a park next to Vienna's University and played happily there for an hour or so. Thank you to those who bought a CD :)

The next day, I left for Bratislava :)