Just like coming home

We returned yesterday to our old friend Vienna. Being back seemed as if we never left, with all of the memories of the first visit returning. We even managed to find our way through the streets without too much recourse to a map.

Our bus trip from Budapest, which was supposed to be a leisurely three hours, turned into a six hour marathon which started when our bus broke down five minutes out of Budapest. Instead of dispatching another bus to transfer us passengers, we had to limp back to Budapest and wait three hours until the next scheduled bus was ready to leave. Nowhere to sit, and not even enough Hungarian coins to pay for a toilet (note to all aspiring travellers to Hungary, there is no such thing as a free number one or number two), we were forced to sit under the shade of a tree and devour what little sustenance we had with us, namely half a roll each and a packet of nuts. When the bus did finally arrive, some of the passengers from the first bus got into arguments with those on he second bus as the former had now lost their seats. What a scene. Of course, by this time the peak hour traffic in Vienna meant a further hour's delay.

Nevertheless, it was so good to be back, the previous six hours quickly drifted from our consciousness. Our hotel room is lovely and large and immaculately presented (like just about everything in Austria). It even comes with a Nespresso machine, with a supply of pods to choose from.

We have decided that we're not going to do that much in Vienna, since we have realised just how much we did the first time. Instead, it will be a slow strong along the Ringstrasse, some parks, and about three dozen of our favourite amarena gelato ice-creams (which we discovered on our first trip two years ago) from our favourite gelato shop. Vienna feels just like being at home.

Lovely Vienna with Hofburg Palace in the background.