She said hello as she passed by, searching for her seat on the plane to Istanbul. We had talked briefly in the waiting area at the gate earlier. Then she came back up the aisle and sat down next to me.
How odd. How improbable a coincidence. That she, the only one of the 300 passengers on this fully booked flight to Istanbul to whom I had previously talked, would end up in the seat next to mine.
Was there some purpose in our improbable second meeting? Destiny, Fate?
A seasoned well traveled American (owing to a former career with the State Department) she was on her way to Lahore Pakistan for a journey into the highlands where along the remote mountain roads she would see K2, the second highest peak in the world.
A few days ago I had read about Pakistan and was intrigued and thought I would like to go there, but am fearful of the risks involved. Yet she is a year older than I. True, she will not be traveling solo as I do. Instead she will be meeting up with a diverse group of 15 others around our age with widely varying backgrounds.
I prefer to travel self guided and solo. But not there. So maybe this is a way to do it. And maybe this was the message I was meant to receive. Something to think about for the future.
This time, my forth visit to Ukraine. I’m going via Vienna and Bratislava the capital of Slovakia. I changed planes in Istanbul for Vienna and from there caught a bus to Bratislava. I couldn’t get answers from my hotel in Bratislava on how to get there best from Vienna and couldn’t figure it out on the Internet so I decided to "wing it".
In the airport I found the one hour bus and then took a cab from the bus station. Good thing I took a cab as it was a dark 10 minute ride down deserted streets, not the 10 minute “walk” the hotel had told me.
I checked in at my small hotel around 8 PM. And the next day was out and about in this compact clean and beautiful medieval city.
Today I took the 9AM hydrofoil boat up the Danube River to Vienna. I’ve been to Vienna before. Years ago. But, I decided I would spend just half a day to refresh myself about the city to which I like to compare Lviv, Ukraine where I’m headed for the next to final and long leg of this 5 week visit to Slovakia (1 week +1/2 day in Vienna) and Ukraine (4 weeks).
The boat takes 2 hours upstream to Vienna and 1 ½ hour back to Bratislava. With some nice views along the way. The last picture in the slides below shows us entering the big river lock.
Unlike in Bratislava where the boat landing is just a 7 minute walk from my hotel, the center of Vienna must be reached by walking to the subway then figuring out how to order the right ticket from the vending machine. A snap when you know how, bewildering at first. But within 20 minutes of landing I walked out onto the historic center in time to see mass in Vienna's most iconic St. Stephens Cathedral.
Here are pictures from my quick tour starting with St. Stephen's and ending with the Kunsthistorisches Museum the "history of art museum".
Jet lagged and rushed (to capture the key sights in the few hours I had before my return cruise) and midway through my old city walkabout, I was glad to sit down for a quick lunch.
I got to see Mozart’s apartment which I rushed through, and heard very little of the audio which went along with the tour. This and looking at all the exhibits properly could take hours and would be well worth it.
Still it was a thrill to hear his music on the audio tour on the player which they give you to carry around describing everything whilst you think that this incredible genius actually lived here in these rooms I'm now walking through.
Mozart has never been a great favorite for me, but for some reason, maybe actually being here (where his spirit still lives?), I think I may have finally "got it". Many rate him the finest classical composer ever.
I think I finally heard Mozart and appreciated his music as never before. Well worth the effort to get here to be able to add that quality to one's life.
After seeing the other top sites, my last stop in Vienna was the beautiful art museum. I debated whether to go in but decided to risk it. (I didn’t want to miss my boat ride back and be stranded). So I dashed in primarily to revisit one of my favorite pictures Peter Bruegel’s “Hunters in Winter” . A favorite since I have a copy of it hanging in my living room at home, inherited from parents’ home.
I wanted to take a picture of it but there were signs showing a camera crossed out. And yet I saw a couple of people taking pictures. So I did. Fearing the hand clasp on the shoulder at any moment.
I would have liked to spend a leisurely day in this beautiful museum but had to run. Maybe next time. If time and life permit.
After the faster (downstream) ride back to Bratislava I was delighted when I walked into town to see the beautiful National Theater opera and ballet house which compares quite favorably as does Lviv, Ukraine's with the grand opera house in Vienna. Not as large of course but the smaller ones are I think just as beautiful and are both in superior settings: at the end of long tree lined promenades.
I woke up the next morning thinking about the attractive, perfect family with whom I shared the boat ride down the Danube back to Bratislava. Mom and Dad in their early 30’s, their two young sons maybe 7 and 10 and grandma.
Mom sat next to me in the second row, the other 4 in the first row with a perfect 180 degree view as we “flew” down this great river. The two restless boys moving around a lot under the doting eye of grandma who was quite delighted to be with them.
Mom was continually handing the boys snacks and drinks from a well stocked cloth bag. Dad resting quietly with his feet stretched out propped up by the platform under the front window.
The youngest and most spirited son began to bother his older brother in front of grandma. Not sure how, since they were hidden from my view by the front row seats. And the family was speaking a language I did not understand.
Mom began loudly calling to the younger son to stop whatever he was doing but to no avail.
I wondered at dad’s not taking part in this event when he was much closer to the boys than mom and a big powerfully built muscular guy.
Suddenly Dad jumped up, grabbed the younger boy by his shirt lifted him up and then threw him forcefully down hard onto the floor.
Shocking totally unexpected violence.
The young boy lay on the floor. Now quiet he was apparently unhurt. Physically.
After a few minutes, his mother reached out to him and gathered him unto her lap where they played with each other’s hands.
Things returned to normal. Grandma smiling. The boys active and moving about. Mom nurturing and dispensing snacks to her sons.
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Dad again stretched out. Not moving his propped up legs making his sons crawl under them to get to mom for their on-going supply of snacks and nurture.
Distant and remote. He was no longer with us.
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