Excitement and Mixed up in Vienna

We closed the museum and ventured on, touring the gardens in a light sprinkling of rain. As soon as we opened our umbrellas, it let up, and we managed back to the metro. That however, was just the beginning.

Getting off the metro at Ünter St. Veit, to look for Luise’s flat – which I knew the way already, having walked twice from her place to the station. However, after one block the school didn’t appear, and we kept going -looking for it. I kept saying that I knew the way, although it seemed that we had gone too far in the wrong direction.

After about 20 minutes, an old man asked if he could help us. At first, he thought I said, “Karlsplatz,” and that we were really lost tourists. Then he figured out that I was saying “Gützkowplatz,” and showed us, straight ahead to the fourth left, near the tennis courts. (After motioning and abruptly turning me in the direction of the second tennis courts, according to Priendlgaße.) We walked the proposed path, then back again, as it didn’t look right.

Mom asked what the plan was, and we said, “To look for a phone, on the way back to the metro station.” Now, mom waited outside, while dad and I went into a pub to call Luise.

Everyone in the small, dark cavern heard us, and knew we were looking for “Gützkowplatz 9” (or 7) and the bartender as well as a local resident gave us the same directions as the old man had. Luise’s line was busy, so we decided just to try again, since everyone in the joint was staring at us.

Somehow, it turned out right, and we made it home – much to Luise’s amusement, as we had gotten off the metro at the wrong stop. We needed Öber St. Veit, the next (and next to last) stop!

Amid the exited girls, who had just gotten back from Emily’s  birthday part, in their precious cute China print cotton dresses- showing us their Polaroids and eating candy watches and other sugar bonbons -Luise managed to prepare a beautiful salad 🥗 of grilled chicken, balsamic, and lettuce, with seemingly little effort.

We spent time packing and day-packing for our trip tomorrow. Meanwhile, on the news were the flooding which happened in south Germany 🇩🇪 right after we left.

Friday 21 May 1999