Day 160: Olympic Innsbruck; Alpine scenery
01/09/08 09:29 PM
Day 160
— Olympic Innsbruck; Alpine scenery
09-January-1972 (Sonntag—Sun.)
I take a
quick look at Innsbruck’s Olympic ice stadium then
head off for Vienna. The Austrian alpine scenery is
gorgeous. Ah, this wonderful vacation is over.
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09-January-1972 (Sonntag—Sun.)
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Day 159: St. Anton—Ingrid? Innsbruck—Elisabeth?
01/08/08 09:15 PM
Day 159
— St. Anton—Ingrid? Innsbruck—Elisabeth?
08-January-1972 (Samstag–Sat.)
So who is
Ingrid? I love that name. Why didn’t I marry her?
Well, she was one of the English girls I danced with
last night. So, I leave Ingrid in St. Anton; make
plans to meet her in England in the summer; take the
train to Innsbruck; have dinner with Elisabeth; make
plans to meet her during Easter. I’m either
incredibly suave, handsome, and debonair, with all
the pretty women, or I’m extremely naïve, don’t get
it, and can’t figure out what is going on.
I think that, even today, I’m still incredibly naïve (with women). And I still can’t figure them out. Everything’s normal.
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08-January-1972 (Samstag–Sat.)
I think that, even today, I’m still incredibly naïve (with women). And I still can’t figure them out. Everything’s normal.
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Day 158: Beautiful Zurs
01/07/08 09:02 PM
Day 158
— Beautiful Zurs
07-January-1972 (Freitag—Fri.)
I hit the
Tirolian slopes of Zurs which offers good snow,
beautiful views, and long runs. I reflect on what I
like about St. Anton.
At night, Mr. Don Juan hits the dance floor. Read More...
07-January-1972 (Freitag—Fri.)
At night, Mr. Don Juan hits the dance floor. Read More...
Day 157: Sunny skiing
01/06/08 08:49 PM
Day 157
— Sunny skiing
06-January-1972 (Donnerstag—Thur.)
My last
day of ski class brings me a full day of skiing with
beautiful weather. At night, I go dancing. Did I meet
someone?
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06-January-1972 (Donnerstag—Thur.)
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Day 156: Great skiing; world conversations
01/05/08 08:30 PM
Day 156
— Great skiing; world conversations
05-January-1972 (Mittwock—Wed.)
Today is
an amazing day of skiing that brings me down the
backside of the mountain and many miles away from St.
Anton. How amazing is that?
At dinner, I come face-to-face with the emotion behind the conflict in Northern Ireland between the Irish Catholics and the British. At the same dinner table. A true-life learning experience.
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05-January-1972 (Mittwock—Wed.)
At dinner, I come face-to-face with the emotion behind the conflict in Northern Ireland between the Irish Catholics and the British. At the same dinner table. A true-life learning experience.
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Day 155: I’m in a fog; I’m naked next to a girl
01/04/08 08:00 PM
Day 155
— I’m in a fog; I’m naked next to a girl
04-January-1972 (Dienstag—Tue.)
I’m in a
fog today. Literally. As I don’t want to ski off of a
cliff, I decided to spend the whole day with the ski
class. I talk about money a bit.
Oh, and one of my fantasies almost comes to life—standing naked next to a beautiful girl in a white nurse's outfit, next to a sign that says “Massage.”
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04-January-1972 (Dienstag—Tue.)
Oh, and one of my fantasies almost comes to life—standing naked next to a beautiful girl in a white nurse's outfit, next to a sign that says “Massage.”
Read More...
Day 154: Great skiing at Valhalla
01/03/08 06:42 PM
Day 154
— Great skiing at Valhalla
03-January-1972 (Mon.)
A quality
day of ski lessons and skiing at St. Anton and the
cable car to Valhalla. Nice.
Suddenly I'm Don Juan, meeting girls all over the place. Read More...
03-January-1972 (Mon.)
Suddenly I'm Don Juan, meeting girls all over the place. Read More...
Day 153: St. Anton, Skiing Day 1
01/02/08 06:40 PM
Day 153
— St. Anton, Skiing Day 1
02-January-1972 (Sun.)
My first
day of skiing at the wonderful resort of St. Anton,
an international skiing mecca for the rich and famous
(and a poor American student studying in Vienna). I
take ski lessons again and spend the day skiing all
over St. Anton. Nice.
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02-January-1972 (Sun.)
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Day 152: Glückliches Neues Jahr; New Year’s Day concert; off to St. Anton
01/01/08 02:20 PM
Day 152
— Glückliches Neues Jahr; New Year’s Day concert; off
to St. Anton
01-January-1972 (Sat.)
What a
day! That’s how I end today’s reflections. I get into
standing room for the world-famous New Year’s Day
concert by the Vienna Philharmonic that features
waltzes and polkas by Johann Strauss’ I and II, dad
and son. What fun! Then, I head off on the train to
the Austrian Alps, stop in Innsbruck to give
Elisabeth a gift, and then head on to the
world-famous ski resort of St. Anton for a week of
skiing.
What a day! What a year!
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01-January-1972 (Sat.)
What a day! What a year!
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Day 151: New Year’s Eve—Die Fledermaus
12/31/07 07:47 PM
Day 151
— New Year’s Eve—Die Fledermaus
31-December-1971 (day.)
A day filled with New Year's Eve traditions—spending all day in a standing room line, an ad-lib performance of Die Fledermaus, sneaking in champagne into the opera house (?), Kärtnerstrasse, Stephansdom Platz, and partying. Great performances. Great traditions. Too much to drink. Read More...
31-December-1971 (day.)
A day filled with New Year's Eve traditions—spending all day in a standing room line, an ad-lib performance of Die Fledermaus, sneaking in champagne into the opera house (?), Kärtnerstrasse, Stephansdom Platz, and partying. Great performances. Great traditions. Too much to drink. Read More...
Day 146: My Christmas present
12/26/07 07:01 PM
Day 146
— My Christmas present
26-December-1971 (Sun.)
SUMMARY
My Christmas present comes today—a package of candy from the elderly lady whose money I found on the bus.
Other than that, myself and two girls wander Vienna's famous graveyard, the Central Cemetery, where many a famous composer is buried. It is foggy. It is eerie. Are the spirits talking to me?
A delightful Bedrich Smetana opera ends the day. Read More...
26-December-1971 (Sun.)
SUMMARY
My Christmas present comes today—a package of candy from the elderly lady whose money I found on the bus.
Other than that, myself and two girls wander Vienna's famous graveyard, the Central Cemetery, where many a famous composer is buried. It is foggy. It is eerie. Are the spirits talking to me?
A delightful Bedrich Smetana opera ends the day. Read More...
Day 145: Vienna! Frohe Weihnachten—Merry Christmas!
12/25/07 08:11 PM
Day 145
— Vienna! Frohe Weihnachten—Merry Christmas!
25-December-1971 (Sat.)
A
wonderful Viennese Christmas day with my roommate,
Pavel, his sister, and her friend who have come to
see Pavel all the way from California. A good day
with some sightseeing, dinner, and conversation. A
Verdi opera concludes a great day.
The spirit of Christmas is about families. Meet John’s family and brothers. A photo bonanza. (There are so many photos today—you may need a fast Internet connection for this post.)
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25-December-1971 (Sat.)
The spirit of Christmas is about families. Meet John’s family and brothers. A photo bonanza. (There are so many photos today—you may need a fast Internet connection for this post.)
Read More...
Day 144: Goodbye Innsbruck; Christmas Eve
12/24/07 11:09 AM
Day 142: Skiing Igls with Elisabeth
12/22/07 09:24 PM
Day 142
— Skiing Igls with Elisabeth
22-December-1971 (Wed.)
A short
day of skiing with Elisabeth. Trying to do too much
in too short a time. Igls has sunny skiing, providing
a day of good skiing and picture taking.
Being a student is a bond that facilitates meeting other students internationally. Being young is a special time. Enjoy it, responsibly.
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22-December-1971 (Wed.)
Being a student is a bond that facilitates meeting other students internationally. Being young is a special time. Enjoy it, responsibly.
Read More...
Day 141: Great skiing at Igls
12/21/07 10:47 PM
Day 141
— Great skiing at Igls
21-December-1971 (Tue.)
A great
day of skiing at Innsbruck’s Igls mountain. The
weather was sunny and the snow was in perfect
condition (not icy). I have a great dinner and
conversation with Elisabeth. I keep mentioning my mom
and seek Sigmund Freud’s help.
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21-December-1971 (Tue.)
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Day 140: Skiing; Elisabeth; naked men in a sauna
12/20/07 08:00 PM
Day 140
— Skiing, Elisabeth, naked men in a sauna
20-December-1971 (Mon.)
I have an
extremely long journal post today. Why? I love
Innsbruck. It was an incredible fun-filled day. From
rain in Innsbruck to snow in Seegrube, to the extreme
but pleasant torture of an Innsbruck health
spa—complete with sauna, cold bath, hot and cold foot
and body baths, and naked men in saunas.
There is only one Austrian in my ski class. She is a good-looking Austrian girl, Elisabeth. She becomes my skiing partner and a welcomed source of information on Innsbruck. When I said, “Where can I run around naked with a bunch of old men?,” she was right there pointing me to the health spa. Only kidding.
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20-December-1971 (Mon.)
There is only one Austrian in my ski class. She is a good-looking Austrian girl, Elisabeth. She becomes my skiing partner and a welcomed source of information on Innsbruck. When I said, “Where can I run around naked with a bunch of old men?,” she was right there pointing me to the health spa. Only kidding.
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Day 139: Innsbruck: Seegrube Ski School
12/19/07 09:31 PM
Day 139
— Innsbruck: Seegrube Ski School
19-December-1971 (Sun.)
My first
day of skiing in the Austrian Alps is at Seegrube. I
take lessons to improve my paralleling—after all this
is Austria. If they can’t teach me to ski, no one
can. I love it. I love the fresh air. Just thinking
about it, I want to go back. Right now!
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19-December-1971 (Sun.)
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Day 138: Arrival in Innsbruck
12/18/07 08:11 PM
Day 138
— Arrival in Innsbruck
18-December-1971 (Sat.)
I’m in
Innsbruck. Yay, my first look at the Austrian Alps,
or any Alps for that matter. A little bit of
sightseeing and then I get ready for some exciting
skiing tomorrow. St. Anne's column in Innsbruck's old
town is a well-known landmark.
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18-December-1971 (Sat.)
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Day 083: Celebrating the spirit of humanity
10/24/07 07:02 PM
Day 83
— Celebrating the spirit of humanity
24-October-1971 (Sun.)
I’m
sightseeing in Baden, Austria today and spend the day
walking and getting some well-needed exercise. I
rediscover the beauty of nature and the spirit of
humankind. People are people, and kids are kids—all
over the world. Something to remember.
Plenty of beautiful autumn-like pictures today. Also check out the photos and slide shows today.
Read More...
24-October-1971 (Sun.)
Plenty of beautiful autumn-like pictures today. Also check out the photos and slide shows today.
Read More...
Day 060: Austria—beautiful panoramas
10/01/07 05:23 PM
Day 60
— Austria 360—beautiful panoramas
01-October-1971 (Fri.)
01971:
Some letter writing to mom and my brothers relieves
some of my horn-playing stress.
2007: I discover two new websites, one Austrian, www.austria-360.at, and the other www.panoramas.dk, that display absolutely gorgeous 360-degree panoramic pictures from around Austria and the world. Absolutely gorgeous and a lot of fun. The picture at the left is from panoramas.dk and is of the Vienna National Library (© Peter Winkler). It is stunning in 360.
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01-October-1971 (Fri.)
2007: I discover two new websites, one Austrian, www.austria-360.at, and the other www.panoramas.dk, that display absolutely gorgeous 360-degree panoramic pictures from around Austria and the world. Absolutely gorgeous and a lot of fun. The picture at the left is from panoramas.dk and is of the Vienna National Library (© Peter Winkler). It is stunning in 360.
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Day 048: Stress relief: Donau Park and Tower
09/19/07 09:05 PM
Day 48
— Stress relief: Donau Park and Tower
19-September-1971 (Sun.)
To reduce
the stress of my daily frustration, I visit the Donau
Park and Tower adjacent to the Danube River.
Great views. Ah, I feel better.
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19-September-1971 (Sun.)
Great views. Ah, I feel better.
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Day 032: Amusement at Prater
09/03/07 09:24 PM
Day 32
— Amusement at Prater
03-September-1971 (Fri.)
A day at
Vienna’s Prater amusement park with Anjali. I get a
little dizzy, lose in ping pong, and eat a lot. As an
aside, I comment on my use of emdashes and thus
address some of the grammar issues of my journal
writing, and plea to Grammar Girl to set me straight.
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03-September-1971 (Fri.)
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Day 031: Anjali; the National Library; Hofburg Complex
09/02/07 09:32 PM
Day 31
— Anjali; the National Library; Hofburg Complex
02-September-1971 (Tue.)
Sightseeing
with Anjali continues. Just a bit of info on the
Austrian National Library situated in the Hofburg
Complex in central Vienna.
When visiting Vienna, you can’t help but imagine the expansive power and influence of the Austro-Hungarian empire as you enter the incredible Hofburg Complex through the Heldenplatz and look upon the massive Neue Burg.
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02-September-1971 (Tue.)
When visiting Vienna, you can’t help but imagine the expansive power and influence of the Austro-Hungarian empire as you enter the incredible Hofburg Complex through the Heldenplatz and look upon the massive Neue Burg.
Read More...
Day 030: Sightseeing with Anjali
09/01/07 07:30 PM
Day 30
— Sightseeing with Anjali
01-September-1971 (Mon.)
With exams
over, I spend some quality sightseeing time with
Anjali.
And I admit that I really like her.
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01-September-1971 (Mon.)
And I admit that I really like her.
Read More...
Day 029: The beautiful parks of Vienna
08/31/07 07:42 PM
Day 29
— The beautiful parks of Vienna
31-August-1971 (Tue.)
Last day
of German class exams. Studying in the beautiful
parks of Vienna. Travel the world virtually
with
Google Earth.
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31-August-1971 (Tue.)
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Day 027: My first song; Rick Steve’s Europe on PBS
08/29/07 09:26 PM
Day 27
— My first song; Rick Steve’s Europe on PBS
29-August-1971 (Sun.)
A two-line entry today. I’ve written my first young-love pop-folk song ever—“One Summer Day”—for Anjali. It may be corny but it was from my heart. (all girls swoon)
In the contemporary world (today), I happen to see a Rick Steve’s Europe video tour of Vienna. Wonderful video and commentary.
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29-August-1971 (Sun.)
A two-line entry today. I’ve written my first young-love pop-folk song ever—“One Summer Day”—for Anjali. It may be corny but it was from my heart. (all girls swoon)
In the contemporary world (today), I happen to see a Rick Steve’s Europe video tour of Vienna. Wonderful video and commentary.
Read More...
Day 026: Mahler’s 8th Symphony; Schönbrunn Palace
08/28/07 08:52 PM
Day 26
— Mahler’s 8th Symphony; Schönbrunn Palace
28-August-1971 (Sat.)
What a
day. A visit to the incredible Schönbrunn Palace and
gardens with Anjali, and an incredible performance of
Mahler’s 8th Symphony. Shivers…shivers…shivers up and
down my spine.
Practice on my new horn and sad to see Achille leave for Italy.
And a little rant on why the RIAA should change their policies and fees on licensing music for Internet-radio and podcasts.
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28-August-1971 (Sat.)
Practice on my new horn and sad to see Achille leave for Italy.
And a little rant on why the RIAA should change their policies and fees on licensing music for Internet-radio and podcasts.
Read More...
Day 024: Burgemeister’s Reception at the Rathaus
08/26/07 08:07 PM
Day 24
— Burgemeister’s reception at the Rathaus
26-August-1971 (Thur.)
Back in
Vienna, I return very tired and head off to German
class. I’m not tired enough to miss the Mayor’s
Reception that evening, however. A formal ball with
everyone dressed up. Especially Anjali, in her
soiree. Dancing and enjoyable company. Life is good.
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26-August-1971 (Thur.)
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Day 023: My new Alexander French horn
08/25/07 08:50 PM
Day 23
— My new Alexander French horn
25-August-1971 (Wed.)
I’m in
Mainz, Germany. I buy my first new French horn today
at the Alexander horn shop. I’m so happy. I meet Mr.
Alexander himself.
Nixon devalued the U.S. dollar a few days ago. He cost me money. Read More...
25-August-1971 (Wed.)
Nixon devalued the U.S. dollar a few days ago. He cost me money. Read More...
Day 022: I need a French horn—off to Mainz, Germany
08/24/07 10:05 PM
Day 22
— I need a French horn—off to Mainz, Germany.
24-August-1971 (Tue.)
After a
day at school, it’s off to Mainz, Germany to buy my
French Horn. I also provide a chronological timeline
of how I got started in music—ending with an amazing
secret.
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24-August-1971 (Tue.)
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Day 020: Salzburg finale; Festung Hohensalzburg and the Schubert B-minor Mass
08/22/07 09:29 PM
Day 20
— Day 020: Salzburg finale; Festung Hohensalzburg and
the Schubert B-minor Mass
22-August-1971 (Sun.)
I close
out my last day in Salzburg with a full day of
sightseeing (Mozart museum, Domplatz, and the
medieval fortress, Festung Hohensalzburg.
The highlight of the day was my attending a real Mass in a cathedral. 1st row. Oh, it happened to be a full performance of Schubert’s B-minor Mass. Heavenly.
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22-August-1971 (Sun.)
The highlight of the day was my attending a real Mass in a cathedral. 1st row. Oh, it happened to be a full performance of Schubert’s B-minor Mass. Heavenly.
Read More...
Day 019: Oom-pah-pah bands, yodelers, and folk dancers
08/21/07 09:23 PM
Day 19
— Oom-pah-pah bands, yodelers, and folk dancers
21-August-1971 (Sat.)
My 2nd day
in Salzburg, Austria is a day of
sightseeing—Hellbrunn Palace, Mirabell Gardens, a
concert, and a beer garden—with oom-pah-pah bands,
yodelers, and those “guys who hop and slap
themselves.” No, not Chevy Chase, "those guys."
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21-August-1971 (Sat.)
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Day 018: Salzburg, Austria; first train trip
08/20/07 10:49 PM
Day 18
— Salzburg, Austria; first train trip
20-August-1971 (Fri.)
Mozart’s
birth city — Salzburg, Austria. I take my first train
ride, totally standing up, to this wonderful city.
Salzburg welcomes me with a hail storm and no student
service to help me. What to do? Find a room, walk
around, listen to music, and enjoy. Which I do.
Photography is my hobby and Salzburg is a great place to take photographs. (Photos coming soon.) If you aren’t already taking digital pictures, you should be. Come on. Pictures are memories!
[Kodak, soon to advertise.] Read More...
20-August-1971 (Fri.)
Photography is my hobby and Salzburg is a great place to take photographs. (Photos coming soon.) If you aren’t already taking digital pictures, you should be. Come on. Pictures are memories!
[Kodak, soon to advertise.] Read More...
Day 013: Vienna Woods, Kahlenburg
08/15/07 08:17 PM
Day 13
— Vienna Woods, Kahlenburg
15-August-1971 (Sun.)
A quiet
day of walking in the Vienna Woods, and then up the
winding path to see a view of Vienna and outlying
vineyards from the heights of Kahlenburg. An
enjoyable day.
A little bit of an aside on my interest in photography and the Kodak slides that are from 36 years ago, and Austrians.
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15-August-1971 (Sun.)
A little bit of an aside on my interest in photography and the Kodak slides that are from 36 years ago, and Austrians.
Read More...
Day 012: Let’s go to the summer cottage, dear—Belvedere Palace
08/14/07 06:54 PM
Day 12
— Let’s go to the summer cottage, dear—Belvedere
Palace
14-August-1971 (Sat.)
“Hello,
yes it’s me, Prince Eugene of Savoy. Yes, the guy who
defeated the Turks in 1683. Well, thanks. We want to
take the kids and go to the summer cottage this
weekend at Belvedere. Can you round up the
1,000-person staff and have them get the place ready?
Chow.”
That was the owner of Belvedere Palace. This was the first palace that I saw up close. Palaces are huge. The gardens are incredible. The interiors are ornate and magnificent. This was only the summer residence. Wow. I'm ready to move in.
Oh, and Anjali also plays folk guitar, sings, and writes songs. And I’m supposed to be the musician?
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14-August-1971 (Sat.)
That was the owner of Belvedere Palace. This was the first palace that I saw up close. Palaces are huge. The gardens are incredible. The interiors are ornate and magnificent. This was only the summer residence. Wow. I'm ready to move in.
Oh, and Anjali also plays folk guitar, sings, and writes songs. And I’m supposed to be the musician?
Read More...
Day 011: Danube boat party, the Iron Curtain
08/13/07 07:38 AM
Day 11
— Danube boat party, the Iron Curtain
13-August-1971 (Fri.)
No short
posts here. Live on-the-spot journaling, documenting
an exciting full-day excursion on the Blue, err
Green, Danube River that flows by Vienna
(Wein).
Sightseeing, plenty of photos, and more.
I’m up to the task and only briefly let the armed patrol boat, barbed-razor-wire security fence (the Iron Curtain), and the armed machine-gun guards in the towers “shock” me. Welcome to Czechoslovakia and communism in the 60’s and 70’s.
Anjali, a young, pretty girl, comes to the rescue. We sightsee, eat, and then learn to dance. I’m her first dance partner.
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13-August-1971 (Fri.)
I’m up to the task and only briefly let the armed patrol boat, barbed-razor-wire security fence (the Iron Curtain), and the armed machine-gun guards in the towers “shock” me. Welcome to Czechoslovakia and communism in the 60’s and 70’s.
Anjali, a young, pretty girl, comes to the rescue. We sightsee, eat, and then learn to dance. I’m her first dance partner.
Read More...
Day 009: Grinzing wine tasting
08/11/07 09:48 PM
Day 9 —
Grinzing wine tasting
11-August-1971 (Wed.)
After German class in the morning, where I make a non-funny German joke, we go to wine country—Grinzing—for some, eatin’, talkin’, drinkin’, singin’, and tastin’ some of that mighty-fine Austrian wine.
Read More...
11-August-1971 (Wed.)
After German class in the morning, where I make a non-funny German joke, we go to wine country—Grinzing—for some, eatin’, talkin’, drinkin’, singin’, and tastin’ some of that mighty-fine Austrian wine.
Read More...
