OK, the Vienna bit's just to pull you in, (it does turn up on day three) but I'm going to do this chronologically and start with day one, and tomorrow will be day two etc.
Day One - England to France
The bus was starting off very early and so I stayed over at Eddie's. I can't remember what the weather was like the next morning, but it feels like it was misty as we crossed the railway bridge to the bus stop. I was all excited, I'd traveled abroad before, but that ended in a drunken time, and it was a there and back thing. This was actually taking in the culture of the area.
We kipped on the bus, and apart from squeezing in a very small bus toilet, I've really not much to say about it. We crossed the channel by Ferry at Dover, and I know that this has been said before (By better writers than me) but my heart filled with pride as the afternoon sun shone on it's white cliffs. I was going to be seeing foreign climes. I was going to see French people. OK, this does seem a little weird but I come from a small island, it's not like America with it's "melting pot", I come from a small village/town in Derbyshire.
Anyway, as we passed through France, the courier was pointing out different places to see, Eddie slept. I on the other hand, was listening avidly to his words. We pulled off of the AutoBahn (Not to sure about this, just trying to sound continental) and traveled through the streets of a small French town. This was going to be our hotel for the night. Eddie had woken up by then, and he was excited to be here. I was like an insane person, I couldn't wait to get out into the town.
We'd booked a double room, as it was cheaper and neither of use were proud. We'd slept in cars, caravans, tents and vans and through all that time, sharing a room was a piece of cake. We'd been told that it would be a mid morning start after a 9am breakfast, as we were near our Austrian destination. This meant that Eddie and I could explore the town. It seems from memory, it didn't take us long to get ready. I was going to see my first French town.
It was dark when we set out, I seem to remember that there'd been a rain storm, so all the streets seem to gleam with that orange street light glow. The whole street seemed french, (It may have helped that the street and shop signs were all in french) but it was magical. It was like being in " An American in Paris" except it was me, built like a brick outhouse (Gene Kelly) and Eddie, built like a brick short arse (Jerry Mouse). I loved it.
Anyway, we wandered the streets looking for a pub/bar. Just so that we could say, we'd drank in France. It wasn't far from the hotel, we found a bar and it was full of the most beautiful french women you could think of. It was like heaven. Eddie said to me. "Bugger finding another bar, we're here for the night", and I readily agreed. We were not aiming to get drunk but just have a nice "buzz on" so you're lucid and you can remember it the next day. (Hence me writing this).
It was up to me to go to the bar and order the beer. Eddie reasoned, and quite rightly so, that I'd left school way after him, (He was at least 9 years older than me) my elementary school "French" would be better. The barmaid was sweet, from what I can remember at the time, I wanted to leave the bus tour and just gaze at her. Anyway I got the beers (After finding out that her school "English" was better than my elementary school "French") and we sat and savored the sights.
It was bizarre, but there were no Frenchmen in the bar. We sat there chatting and talking about this and then a Frenchman appeared. ordered a short, sat down and started chatting to one of those beautiful French women. Then another Frenchman appeared and again, ordered his drink, and chatted to another beautiful woman. This went on through the night, and as each Frenchman finished chatting, he and the woman would disappear into the night.
We finally clicked on to what was happening, when the women started to return to the cafe. They were ladies of the night (and I don't mean vampires) and this was their pickup point and the cafe owner was getting extra from their gentlemen friends orders. OK, this took my idea of exotic to the point of no return and it was nice that when we left, a few of the ladies wished us goodnight.
On the way back to the hotel, we both got cut short. We looked in vain for a toilet but we couldn't see one. We turned the corner and like a glowing tower, in the middle of the street (on a island I hasten to add) was a modern toilet. It then turned into a no holds barred rush to this saviour in metal. Unfortunately for me, Eddie made it first and shot into the thing. I could hear music and Eddie was saying, " It talks to you, you know". This was no comfort to a full bladder and I devised a scheme to get him out. I told him that there was writing on the outside that said that everything was timed and that soon, he'll be in the open air with all his jewels on display. I'll be honest, written French was a foreign language too me. He shot out, zipping up I hasten to add.
We walked back to the hotel, both with a nice buzz on, and I noticed that on the corner of the street, there was a cinema. I love cinemas and try to get to one on each of my holidays. I suggested that we both go and see what was on (never mind that it'd all be in French) It turned out to be a porno movie... and the cinema was closed, so we took a slow walk back, and went to sleep.
End of Day ONE
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