It seems rather stupid to call it Vienna, the Austrian name for the city, Wien, is shorter and easier to say…
So after my eventful journey from Saalbach, I arrived in Vienna to spend some time with my lovely girlfriend, and also the rather scary prospect of meeting her family! I hadn’t needed to worry though, they were all really nice, and her grandmother took us out for a really good meal. Mmm wiener schnitzel…
I also spent 24 hours ont he red cross base where Trixi volunteers. It seems quite a strange system to me, being English, but the red cross volunteers are Austria’s only paramedic and ambulance service… It wouldn’t work in England (maybe we’re all too selfish), but fair play to them, giving up so much time to help people! The Fire Service are also nearly all volunteers…
Most of the ten days I was there we just chilled, but we also took a walk up a hill to see a cool old church, and went out with some of her friends for a meal, then on to the Ride Club in Vienna – which in some ways is a little bit like Smack at home. I also spent some time watching Trixi train for ‘cheerleading,’ which is actually much more like gymnastics than the American style of cheerleading – basically four people chuck her up a few metres in the air, so she can pull flips and stuff… it’s mental! On the same day I left, she was off to America with her team, to compete in the World Championships!! (In the end they came last lol, but still, the Worlds!)
