Sunday March 27: Arrival

Now this was one of our luckier timing events. We landed 25 minutes late: 7:25. Train departed at 8:15. Sooo... off the plane, dash through the airport, wait in a passport control line of at least 30 people, zip through customs, flee to the airport train station, get in line to validate our Eurail Passes (thank goodness no one in line!), down the escalators... pant, pant. 8:09! Three minutes later train pulls up and we jump on. Close call! The train ride was smooth and quiet and fast but still 6 hours. Certain unnamed people (whose initials are both IM) slept through a great deal of the trip, leaving Dad to talk to himself, but there were brief interludes of wakefulness! The entire trip was moderately hilly (no big mountains), with lots of forsythia blooming, but spring is not completely here yet. Alex met us at the train station in Vienna, with lots of big hugs and smiles. Into a can we went for a brief city tour and then on to a brand new apartment, provided by a friend of Alex's who refurbishes and manages flats. We are the FIRST tenants, so the place is spotless and new. See Alex + I + I. Also see Ida, who spotted an iron and ironing board and thought "What better way to start a Viennese Visit than... by ironing my scarf!" We all showered and cleaned up and soon Alex will pick us up to go to dinner. Yippee!