Days 23 & 24 Back to Vienna and Homeward Bound

We're train pros now. Or we thought we were. It never hurts to talk to a local. We planned to return to Vienna with a very short connection a few towns away, still in Slovenia. At the ticket window we were  warned that trains may not run on-time. She suggested an earlier departure connecting in a different city, with a slightly longer connecting time. Good call. Slovenian trains do tend to run behind schedule, which the Vienna-bound fast train almost recovered. The tickets also cost much less than the online price.

We were relieved to be back in the now familiar, bustling Vienna with a little sadness. It was time to get Covid tested and checked in for our homeward flights. Vienna also felt a little chilly and hollow without our travel buddies. Hope they were enjoying their onward journey. The folks at Hotel Domizil in Vienna recognized us. They were super helpful with travel details like the taxi to the airport and setting up free PCR tests. They've been so friendly throughout our stay. It's a comfy, boutique hotel next to the biggest church, St Stephens. Do check them out if you go there.

One day remained for any last gotta-see museums and souvenir hunting. We explored the Sesession Building, hoping to see a collection of Gustav Klimt works. The thing is, there is no Gustav Klimt collection. There's one picture in the Albertina Museum we visited earlier. There's the Beethoven Frieze at the Secession Building, and I understand there are one or two more hanging in the Belvedere Palace, or was that the Schönbrunn Palace? The best collection can be found in every souvenir shop on t-shirts, scarves, shopping bags, mugs, keychains....we should have done our homework.

At least we saw the Secession Building. Have you ever been to an art museum with NOT ONE painting on the walls? That's the Secession Building. Downstairs is the Klimt Frieze. Elsewhere there are contemporary art or "art" exhibits within the temple-like open space. The main attraction is the building itself. Pretty interesting, but most of the details are on the outside. We did not save the best for last.

Maybe we were just out of gas. Almost one month is a long time to be gone. It was time for wheels up and home-sweet-home. What an amazing adventure.

Hello Bay Area...