Vienna - Friday and Saturday (bike ride Donauinsel)

Friday 6 July 2018

Friday was a bit like Thursday.  As expected Veronika had received my message too late and I wasn't really in the mood to undertake anything.  As it was I ended up with a few days of walking around with a headache, so that was sort of in the making...

Saturday 7 July 2018

And on Saturday my headache got really bad, so I took it easy.  By afternoon however, I decided that a bit of fresh air might do me good, so I got on the bike and rode to Donauinsel, a long stretch of island between the old and new Donau. The ride I had been on earlier during my stay here (the photographs with the graffiti) was actually along the Donau canal, and not the Donau.  The map was wrong.

Most of the ride was pleasant, although in the beginning the bike tracks are hard to detect when you are not used to the system.  Sometimes you're looking for a track on the right side of the road, but then both tracks are on the left.  It takes a bit of getting used to.  I have noticed that the return ride is mostly done in half the time!

I said 'most' of the ride was pleasant.  Unfortunately not all of it, because there was a strong wind and to and from the bridge to the island was quite steep.  No problem in ordinary circumstances, but it aggravated my headache.  I had a lie down on one of the benches in the park and took it easy, but that wasn't really enough.  After a while I had enough and made my way back. 

I mentioned earlier that the Donau isn't as blue as we are made to think, but..... I noticed a distinct difference between the old Donau and the new one.  The old one has very clear water and looks actually quite blue when the sun is out.  I don't know if it shows in the pictures, but I made sure I took photographs of both sides. 

The brown water of the new Donau seen from the Reichsbrücke

the Donauturm

the blue water of the old Donau

pontoons at every 50m for sunbathing or swimming

Everyone is flocking to the water on a warm, sunny day

Plenty of swans around

Hard to see, but plenty going on in the distance

Restaurants galore along the water

The ride back home was along the Stadt Park as usual, so a stop for an icecream was mandatory.... ;-)

At home I crashed, managed some dinner, and tried to stay awake long enough for normal bedtime.  This proved to be a bit difficult, because I don't have my usual headache tablets, but a new sort.  If I take half of one it doesn't work (as it was proven during the day), but when I take a whole tablet I am sound asleep before I know it.  At home I will get my usual penadeine again for sure!