Sunday: A Walk Through The Woods and Vineyards

We took a walk into the woods. From B's neighborhood, it's within easy walking distance.

Once there, you can wander the trails for hours if you want, covering many miles.

Along the path we saw three Muslim women up ahead. Two were on our right, kneeling in prayer just off the path. The third was sitting on a bench across from them on the left side of the path, reading something----probably not FEAR OF FLYING.

So the praying women bowed up and down and prayed as we passed them and I thought: "Hey, Mecca ain't that way, it's the other way!" But since you can connect any two points on a globe with a curved line, I guess it doesn't make a shit one way or the other. Face any way you want, draw a line from your head to Mecca, and it connects.





















ABOVE: We came to this old tower. It cost 50 cents to climb the 100 steps to the top and when you get up there, you see this, below (click on pics to enlarge them):


















By the way, this view of Vienna is approximately to the south. On the other side of the trees are vineyards, and where the vineyards end, B's neighborhood begins. The river to the left is the Danube.

After a bit we came to a nice restaurant where we had lunch, along with about a hundred other happy people sitting outside enjoying themselves. Then back on the trail, and eventually we emerged from the woods and came upon a Heuriger set up in the vineyards, as many of them are. We sat outside, thus:

















In a way I pitied these poor bastards, sitting outside in the Austrian sun, the vineyards and Vienna spread below them as they enjoyed good wine and conversation in the perfect weather. I know each of them in their hearts wished they were in Moore, Oklahoma, driving around looking for the WalMart. And who, really, can blame them?

And turning my camera 180 degrees the other way, I saw this:





















Click the pic to enlarge and you'll see the nice little monastery on the hill in the background.

A nice glass of white wine and some snacks, then the walk through the vineyards, downhill toward B's neighborhood.

















ABOVE: Almost home


















ABOVE: The butterflies had a good day, too.

And for dinner, to round out the evening, B made this:





















ABOVE: Fresh cherry tomatoes from the garden, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil, topped with salt and pepper and a bit of good olive oil. A decent but very inexpensive white wine, and some good bread.