The train ride from Budapest to Vienna took about 3.5 hours all up, and is so much simpler than flying. No queue, no waiting, leaves and arrives on time, and no security searches. It was pretty nice journey, nice way to see the countryside and even catch up on some sleep. After the horror stories you hear of people having their teeth fillings being stolen while they sleep on these journeys I wasn't expecting much.

Vienna is a pretty city, very new and rebuilt after being pretty much destroyed after WW2. Walking the streets, you could tell it was the shopping Mecca for the region, shops lined every street and it felt like I was back on Oxford St with the large amount of people strolling around shopping. We were staying at Wombats Hostel - again highly recommended. Vienna is the home of Mozart, and they will not let you forget it. It happened to be the 250-year anniversary of his birth so every theatre, opera house and outdoor space was showing, replaying or performing a Mozart composition.

The next day, we decided the best way to see everything the city had to offer, get our bearings and meet some people to go out with that night was to hit up a bike tour of the city. The tour was fantastic, and not only would I do it again, I have decided that given the time and the opportunity I will do one at every city I go to. For a pittance you get to see everything (so you can pick what you actually want to go back to), get a wealth of history and meet some cool people.

That night we (Couple of people from the bike tour, Marie and I) went to an outdoor international food festival and sat at a free concert production of some opera I couldn't understand. I could get the gist, poor boy likes girl, girl engaged to rich military guy, poor boy gets girl in the end. Shame it had to go on screaming like strangled cats for 3 hours. I am so cultured!