Just like in Prague, the sounds of construction woke us but this time the noises were from inside the building. I think some of Thomas’ meighbours were adding a new wall! Still, we’d slept well and it was a late morning. I finished the pizza from the previous night, and the girls and I left at around 10:00. If I remember correctly, they were heading for Spain.

I, however, picked up a day pass for the public transport (EUR5.70 – good value) and walked around the city centre grabbing snaps of the places I didn’t see the day bafore. The Anchor clock was an accidental discovery. I spotted a crowd gathering looking upwards at slightly before midday so they had to be waiting for a clock to do something. On the hour, a progression of historical characters parade past as bells chime.

Nearby I managed to find the Holocaust Memorial to all the Austrian Jews killed during the war. It’s a strange sculpture – a crypt covered with books, their spines facing inwards. The square in which it is situated is lovely, with narrowm winding streets and traditional wood-fronted buildings wending away in all directions.

There’s an area with many (expensive) museums which is worth a visit for a few photographs and I got some snaps of Karlsplatz, including a handful of drunk students walking through the large fountain… and one falling over on his backside. Whoops.

The KFC challenge arose and with the help of a nice lady at tourist information who thought I was mad, located the only one in Vienna – a train ride away in an out-of-centre mall. I swung by Thomas’ place for a shower then back into town to meet Anita and her friend Agnes (a Polish import!) for more walking around.

Anita showed me a couple of things I would have missed, such as the Gaudi-inspired Hundertwasserhaus and the garbage-burning factory remodelled by the same artist/architect. Utterly weird, but still pleasing on the eye. Somehow. We then headed back to Anita’s where a rather nice spicy pasta dish and chocolate was consumed, washed down with a pretty decent Austrian beer. Anita – thank you for your hospitality! And letting me play with the cat!

Agnes made sure I got on the right bus for the city centre where I walked around the outer ring again, getting some decent (I hope) night snaps of the city. Back at Thomas’ we chatted until far too late and I collapsed in bed – another coach to catch early the next morning.