Welsh Davids Travel Blog: 11 and 12 April – Prague (Czech Republic) to Vienna (Austria)

The people on the trip

It was a late start this morning as we left the camp site at 0745 hrs for Vienna. On the way we stopped at a Tesco (they are everywhere) changed money to get rid of the non euro money we had, and bought food for the evening meal as I was in the group that was to cook that night. Not that I actually did the cooking, I helped by keeping out of the way and generally putting things out or tidying up. The evening meals so far have generally consisted of mince, vegetables (fresh, frozen or tinned) with either rice, pasta or potatoes. A liberal dosage of spices or chillies helps as well. What is produced is constrained by the cooking equipment which is two large gas rings. When pots and pans are put away after every meal they are all, including the tables, washed in disinfectant. The people preparing the food have to wash their hands in disinfectant before starting preparing the food as well. The group of 19 persons has been split into groups of three. The mathematicians amongst you will know that three into nineteen will go without anyone left over! It works for me as I have already packed my tent in the sleeping bag bag and the sleeping bag in the tent bag. The joys of travelling! The group that makes dinner then has to make breakfast the following day which usually consists of porridge, toast, tea and coffee. We did have the luxury of beans on toast once. The group then have to sweep and wash out the truck in the evening of the breakfast day. Those in the cooking group can then sleep in the truck if they wish as they often would have not had time to put up their tents with us travelling to late in the day and their priority on arrival at the camp site is to produce food and not put up tents. Six days later their turn will come round again.

If anyone has the choice of travelling between Prague and Vienna just go by air. Nothing can be worse than the so-called motorway between the two as it is of the old concrete construction which no longer lines up at the edges. It is bump, bump, bump for miles and very hard on the vehicle and the traveller. Good practise for travel further east is all I can think of.

On the way we stopped of at The Ossuary of Kiltna-Hora-Sedlec. This is the site of the All-Saints Chapel where, in the 18 century, the chapel was modified to receive and display the bones of up to 40,000 bodies. The bones had been moved from a cemetery that the council closed and were of the townspeople, soldiers and pilgrims that had been buried there. It took something like four years to arrange the bones and really, they were somewhat gruesome.

Skulls and Bones

And more!

Which one is Stephanie

Was it 'Yorik, I knew him well?'

Yet more bones

One is alive

Roof of bones

A special decoration

All-Saints Chapel

The temperature went up to 18C during the day, but it did not last long. The camp site in Vienna was a pleasant change to what had gone on before. It was very large with plenty on caravans and others camping. There were plenty of spotless toilets, hot water, heated toilets and shower areas where even the brass covers on the floor drains had been polished. The meal that night was cottage pie, in other words, mince, vegetables and potatoes. I did sleep in the truck that night but there was not enough room on the floor and stretching between seats did not work either that I was up at 0400hrs reading by torchlight.

After clearing away the breakfast things six of the girls and three of us gentlemen went into Vienna to have a look around even though it was raining lightly. We had an English map and instructions from the tourist office and walked around the sites getting wetter but we did dry out by the end of the day when the weather changed for the better. There are very many museums in Vienna and they all charge admission, some a small fee and others quite a considerable amount. We decided not to waste too much money so some of the others went into the Sigmund Freud Museum looking for enlightenment. The old buildings and parks were interesting though most of the buildings belonged to the government.

There was a tourist exhibition outside the cathedral where one of the states was showing off food, drink and products from the regions in the state. The food was very good!

I ‘mislaid’ a sock that morning while on the truck. It was handed to me as everyone knew whose it was for, “Would you believe it” but Mary sewed name tapes on my socks as well as clothes! At least if I look at my feet I will know my name!

On Thursday night I slept in Stepanie’s tent as she was sleeping on the truck, her tent was wet anyway and mine had not been put up because of being on food duty. It was also a test to find out if there was anything wrong with her tent as she said that she had been continually cold during the nights. I did have to pick the night when there was a heavy frost but it was aright so she will just have to wear more clothes at night.