We woke up early on Friday morning, had breakfast at the hotel (I spilled scrambled eggs on my shirt and stained it), and then headed across the street to the train station. At the train station we were accosted by a taxi driver trying to convince us that our train was leaving from a different station (so he could make some money) and demoralized by a convenience store clerk for not understanding Magyar (the Hungarian language). Needless to say, we were happy to get on the train and get out of the country. I don't know who cancelled the farewell party and replaced it with mean, belligerent people. At least they were not representative of the majority of people we met during our stay in Budapest.
The train was awesome, much newer and nicer than the trains we have been on through eastern Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, and into Hungary. This probably had to do with it being an Austrian line that was heading to Salzburg. We enjoyed the large comfortable seats and free snacks. Check out Daryl working away on the laptop.
After three hours we arrived in Vienna, where we changed trains to head to Villach, in the south of Austria near the border with Italy and Slovenia. As previously mentioned, we were heading there to visit Daryl's cousin Lisa and her family, who were nice enough to let us crash at their apartment for the night and to take us to one of Kevin's hockey games. It was another 4 hours on the train, but it seemed to pass fairly quickly, maybe because we had a little fun with the camera (check out the photo montage below). At 5pm, we arrived in Villach.
We also took some pictures of scenery along the way.
*Check out the mountains in the distance
Lisa and her little boy Sully were at the station to meet us; her husband Kevin was preparing for that evening's hockey game. It was a short ride to their apartment to drop off our bags and get rejuvenated. We then set out to the downtown area to walk around a little and grab a bite to eat. The downtown was charming and we had some excellent food (with veggies I might add, which were excluded in most Hungarian, Polish, and Czech meals). We then walked over to the hockey arena.
Kevin plays for Villacher Sportverein (VSV) in the Austrian Hockey League. Daryl and I had no idea what to expect of the game as we have never watched live hockey in Europe. It was awesome. The fans were REALLY into the game, standing, shouting, and singing songs. They even had permanent drummers in the crowd who kept a constant beat going throughout the game. In summary, it was a little like what I imagine a football (a.k.a. soccer) game to be like. The seats were great, right behind the opposing team's net (Villach was playing Vienna). They were made even better by my fellow spectators. On my right was Daryl and on my left was Lisa and Sully, who looked pretty adorable in a little jersey with his Dad's number. He was pretty into the game.
The score was tied 2-2 going into the 3rd when Villach scored two quick goals at the beginning of the period. The crowd went wild. Every time the home team scored, a huge banner was lowered which read Tooor! (which we are guessing is the German word for goal).
*Kevin (#2) in blue
*Kevin taking down a guy from Vienna
*Crowd going crazy (and Tooor! sign) after a Villach goal
*Crazy (but awesome) fans
At the end of the game, the players with children took them out on the ice for a victory lap. Kevin even gave Daryl a team hat, which he is super-psyched about.
*Team victory lap (Kevin with Sully)
After the game we got to go into the VIP room for some drinks and then headed home to unwind with some National Geographic and Discovery Channel (it was nice to be able to get more than BBC World News in English).
In the morning, Lisa prepared a great breakfast spread, including juice, coffee, eggs, bacon, and hash browns and then dropped us off at the train station. It was really nice to see family (and familiar faces), as we have been away from everyone for so long. We really appreciate that they put up with us for the day and introduced us to the crazy European hockey crowds.
We took the train back to Vienna, which was smooth and seamless. On the train, Daryl rocked his new Villach team hat. We also got a few more pictures of the Austrian countryside.
When we arrived in Vienna, we took the very nice and modern transit system to our new apartment, which sits just outside the old town center. Currently, we are settling into our apartment (which is really nice, with working internet and a washing machine) and will later grab some groceries and dinner. Tomorrow we set out into the city...we are really looking forward to it. Check out our trials and tribulations in the coming days.
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