Day 57+58 new schedule and a push north

There isn't much to this pair of blogs really, they're sort of just pushing progress on a bit! 

Day 57

Having a lay in is a rare pleasure, but this is needed in a few ways, firstly yep tired obviously.... But it also gives me time to reassess my progress north, it's needed.

I'd spent too long in Italy no regrets really but it has caused me to rush north to Denmark! 

My intended next stop was Prague that's no longer happening and my stop in Germany is being reduced to one day..... I'm adding an additional day in Denmark tho..... That will be interesting😉

I now know how long I have to spend in Sweden and Norway and then into Iceland......

Not exactly having my route decided by where the wind blows me, but I'm reaching the end of my time in Europe and the cherry on the cake Iceland does require a reasonable amount of time, and my interest generally in Scandinavia does to!

Now I can work on how to approach the itinerary! 

I'm not letting on what, tho anyone who knows me will know the theme!

Beyond this planning, today was spent dozing and eating.

Day 58

All of yesterday's rest didn't help with getting a good night's sleep! But I've allowed plenty of time for my paid for breakfast and walking to the station.... So no panic. 

After arriving with plenty of time to find the right platform my 9.13 train is off, a greyish morning as we pass through the countryside, the Danube being a regular companion until lunch time nice to have seen it ... Not exactly blue! 

passing a variety of church tower styles from spires to curious globular twin towered churches

Shortly before turning north at Regensburg I see on the maps that we've passed Walhalla! A German Valhalla to its heros.... Something to look into with a better internet connection!

Beyond Regensburg the land stretches flatly to Nurnburg (Nuremburg) a forty minute stop to change trains and I get some food, incredibly this is my first bagel! I'm almost certain I've never eaten one! 

nice if a bit chewy! 

Watching the world going past mostly unnoticed it's not until my ears pop that I notice we've gained height and that we're passing through what I assume is part of the Schwartz wold! Hilly covered in trees and snow! 

I'm now re-entering winter! For a bit! A few hours later with other passengers entering the train wearing gloves, woolly hats and scarfs even tho outside a blue sky and setting sun do look inviting, it seems my push north is effective! 

It's 5.30pm now wishing my journey ended I still have two more hours to reach Hamburg! 

Now I'm leaving Berlin and into the countryside the sunset is rather nice! 

This is without a doubt the longest train journey of the trip!

But good planning when I get to Hamburg at 7.30pm means my hostel is literally just over the road from the Haupbahnhof! 

Grab some food and sleep! 

Day 56 I Create a Verb!!!

Another night coughing, I'm not alone tho everywhere you turn someone else is in harmony with you! (Positivity rocks!!)

I made a brief friend of Mathilde from Argentina, nice lady whose off to Bratislava this morning, she was nice company and nice to chat with someone my age! In the bigger hostels strangers talk a lot less! 

Still I'm used to and comfortable with solitude. 

I've plotted a few places to visit so I'm on to the nearest UBahn into town.... Keplerplatz-Karlsplatz.... I emerge into the daylight with eyes eager for the Vienna architecture it'll be nice to not see yet another museum to Davinci!! 

As I'm briefly in another country my first need is to hunt down a souvenir and as is becoming the norm I've located a Numismatists shop luckily in the centre of town, I was hoping to find a coin from the early 1270's as this was the time period that Richard first earl of Cornwall was king of the holy Roman empire, not a lot of coins from that time in this shop but I did find a small silver Viennese Uniface pfennig hammered coin which was close enough for me! 

zero added weight! 

Away from the shop I head towards the cathedral of Saint Stephen, spired not domed a welcome change!

beautiful inside

and on the outside I see a remnant of the holy Roman empire.... The old coat of arms of Vienna with the double headed eagle....

At the time of the empire Vienna had been the Germanic centre.

A short walk and I'm following the steps royalty! 

This is the Hofburg the palace of the Hapsburgs since the 1300's

Also home to the stables of the Lipizzan horses.... Who just happened past! 

at this point I had thought that the glass building was an orangery and at one time it probably was but now it's the home of Schmetterling! Aka butterflies! 

they were very used to nosey tourists, and their cameras! Occasionally landing on people's heads but always skitting around in the air with no apparent direction..... My moment of inspiration! 

From here on my time wandering will be referred to as going Schmetterling!! 

What a great verb!! 

And what a calming experience! 

Into the gardens, past the front of the palace is a statue to Mozart! With pretty and appropriate display of pansies!

Through the volksgarten at the rear of the palace and over the road is the Parliament of Austria! ..... I'm ashamed to say I hadn't realised at the time! I just thought wow pretty! 

True Schmetterling!!! 

Adjacent is the Vienna town hall and university, skirting these I head towards another church, the Votive Kirche.... So named as it was given to the people of Vienna by Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian brother of the emperor Franz Joseph the first who had survived an assassination attempt.... Hence the Votivekirche!

Quite an offering!

Heading north I come across a small brass plaque in the pavement a reminder of more recent and more horrible times

these people will always carry this weight I think. 

Street crossings here give a nicer reminder to all who notice....

Pretty sweet!

I reach a canal it could have been pleasant but the graffiti did it no favours.

So I head towards the UBahn and back to the hostel for a kip, four nights of disturbed sleep with the cold have left me drained. 

Rousing myself to get some food before giving into sleep again!