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Woke up at 5 am for some unknown reason. That would be 11pm Monday real time. Grabbed my PowerBook and started warwalking. Found a bunch of hotspots right by
the hotel, but they must have had a MAC address list, because I couldn’t get an IP. Finally found a place on Southhampton Row, AEC, that advertised in their
window that they were a WiFi hotspot. Download my mail from the last 4 days (including almost 800 junk mail messages…thank you Mail.app filtering). The
florist that was opening up next door to AEC asked if I was using the wireless ‘net, and when I replied I was, he remarked that since they had gotten that
hotspot established, his business had picked up at least 10%, as well as the two caf
?
?s next door.

Went back to the hotel, gathered my bags, tubed down to Victoria, then the train to Gatwick. Thinking I was golden, having actually gotten to the airport 2
hours before my flight, I was not worried when I saw the huge line to get checked in. Then I looked at my ticket. Seems I was actually only an hour ahead of
takeoff. Oops. One of the BA attendants hustled me to the front and got my bag checked, then I took off for the gate, actually getting there with enough time
to play a few games of pinball.

Managed to get about 3 or 4 hours on the flight, as well as finally see Catch Me If You Can (and, I hate to admit, DiCaprio did a fine job). Got into
Intergalactic a bit after 2, made it through customs and immigration with no hassle (although someone needs to tell them about queuing theory, and that one
master line is better than 12 seperate lines), and Matt collected me after only 2 or 3 circuits. Home by 3:15, where was greeted by both Festus and Arminius.
The End.

Lazy morning, since plane not til 11. Uneventful flight to Heathrow, where I parted company with my folks as they continued on to Johannesburg and then
Australia for the Rotary convention. I took the Picadilly line into town, stopping off at Leicester Square to buy a half-priced ticket…had originally planned
to see Michael Richards in Arsenic and Old Lace, but instead opted for a new translation and production of Pirandello’s Absolutley (perhaps).
Continued on the tube to Russel Square, ditched my bags at the hotel, then walked to the British Museum and Library. Forgot that they had built a new facility
for the British Library next to King’s Cross, so took a cab there, only to find out that they were closed for the bank holiday, so no getting to see Gilbert’s
prompt books, but did find out that copies of said would be about $4 a page…so looks like time to order the microfilm.

Walked back over towards the British Museum and looked in on the books stores that were still open. Picked up a copy of The Man Who Broke Napoleon’s
Codes at Unsworths. Wandered down to Trafalgar Square, dropped into St. Martin in the Fields and listened to the rehearsal that was going on for the quartet
performing that evening, then went down to the Strand to look in at the Savoy, Unfortunately, it was closed as well and couldn’t take a peek, so I consoled
myself with some dry cider at the Coal Hole.

Walked back up towards Leicester Square and had a nice dinner at Young Chen’s on Wardour Street, then on to the Wyndham for the show. It was fabulous. I didn’t
realize that Zefirelli was still alive, much less actively directing. Joan Plowright was spectacular, as was the rest of the cast. I’m going to have to add
Pirandello’s plays to my reading list.

After the show I did my traditional wandergawk throuh SoHo…kinda like Montrose, crossed with South Main, on steroids. Finished the evening by watching some
guys in an arcade compete on one of those dance machines.

Went to the Augustinerkirche this morning and heard their resident choir and orchestra do the Bruckner Mass in E minor…outstanding. Got recordings of three of
there other services. Went to the Museum Quarter (they converted the former Imperial Stables into a huge museum complex) and went into the Leopold Museum and
saw a exhibition of Toulouse Lautrec as well as part of their permanent collection of Jugendstil (I’m a big Klimt fan). Took the Badener Bahn to Baden, had a
great late lunch outdoors with the Fischers and their friend Lucy, then threw away $25 at the casino.

Came back, and got ice cream on the Kartnerstra
?
?e and some more candy-coated peanuts…the guy at the stand must be able to transact business in at least six languages.

Got up at 5:50am…voluntarily.It was so I could catch the 7:15 to Budapest. My folks get up early anyway (don’t know where they get it from), and we had a
little breakfast at McDonald’s before I took the tram to Sudbahnhof. Got to Keleti, walked all the way to Ferenciek tere, stopping at all the antique stores
along the way and then the map stores near the museum, but nothing worth bothering with. Headed out for Esceri, and though it was Saturday morning, was a bit
disappointed in the stuff on offer…the machine gun guy wasn’t even there! Only found a couple of theotokos (which I had promised David I’d get him for
Christmas), none of which were impressive, and all of which were expensive, even after haggling on the one I thought about getting. But I did manage to get
something which I think he’ll like. 🙂

While wandering around, I was approached by a group of women from Vienna who were on a bachelorette trip. They asked me to pick from a list on the back of the
bride-to-be’s t-shirt (which was in Hungarian) and to perform that task, so I said why not. I ended up painting her toenails alternate colors while singing
“Maedchen oder Weibchen” (the songh was my choice). They\re supposed to send pics to me when they get back to Vienna.

Went back into town, but all my other book and map stores closed at 2pm, so I just wandered and ate ice cream. When I passed in front of the Opera House, I
realized that what I thought (when I was working in Buedapest) was Cyrillic writing on the front was actually Greek, and the two plaques were labels naming two
of the Muses, Erato and Terpsichore.

Took the train back to Vienna, and made it back to the hotel just in time to get cleaned up and over to the concert at the Musikverein. Nicholas Harnoncourt is
now my favorite conductor. And I wish I had a twentieth of Thomas Hampson’s ability. Absolutely incredible.

Think I’ll start a dangerous precedent and go to sleep early two nights running.

I love travelling with my parents…the hotels are much nicer. 😉

Breakfast at the Imperial is always special, even without the Imperial Torte.

While getting into the car with Kurt and Erica, noticed the sign for tomorrow’s concert at the Musickverien: Nikolaus Haroncourt conducting, Thomas Hamson
singing. Walked over to the kassa, and we were able to get three outstanding seats.

Today was Otto Wagner day for us. First we drove out to the Wienerwald and went to the Ernst Fuchs House, built by Wagner in 1888. Fuchs (one of the founders of
the Fantastic Realism School) saved it from destruction and has made it a private museum. Very nifty stuff, and after the tour, while my mom was buying a print,
Herr Fuchs showed up! My dad and he had a long discussion on biblical themes and the Shroud of Turin, and then he signed my mom’s print. Very neat.

Next we drove through Penzing (sorry, Kathy, I forgot the name of the restaurant) and up to the Vienna Metnal Hospital. No, it was not to drop me off. Wagner
(no relation to Richard) designed the church on the grounds there, an incredible Art Noveau structure that is currently being completely rennovated in time for
its centennar in 2007. We then strolled on the grounds (very peaceful) and smelled the elderberry blossoms, which Kurt’s mother used to dip in batter and fry.

?Finally we went to Ottakring and ate at Gr
?nspan, a biergarten run by one of the former owners of the Drei Hussaren. We were met by a former colleage of Kurt’s who had met my folks a trip or three ago.

Will be crashing early tonight, since my train for Budapest leaves at 7 tomorrow morning, and last night I was up to my old tricks of not gettin gto sleep until
3. 🙁