We are currently sitting in British Airways lounge in Terminal 3, Heathrow waiting for our Qantas flight home QF 10.

On Wednesday of this week we had our third full day in Vienna. Together with Roz and Roger, John and Joan we attended the training session of the Spanish horses. This was indoors and went for a couple of hours where the horses went through their warm ups and various moves ready for their more formal shows in the afternoon.  Several hundred people attend their training each morning at a cost 15 Euros whereas the official shows cost 4 or 5 times that much. Then a morning tea of coffee with apple strudel at Aida’s.

Next we managed to get in as over 65 ‘rs to the Crown Jewels (saved 3 Euros  each whoppee) displayed in in a fantastic museum full of jewels, ornaments and historic  Royal clothing.  It must have been difficult wearing that clothing around with its weight.

Lunch was had in the Vienna Australian pub in the centre of town.  Apart from us, there appeared to be only one person from Australia ( the barman) but we suspected he was really a kiwi.

Food was good but it was not pleasant eating in a pub where smoking was still allowed.  We were all keen to wash clothes and hair that evening.

Finally we managed to get a seat in Hotel Sacher with the the famous Sacher torte .  So coffee and cake had by all. Really it was not that great a cake if I am honest.

Thursday, we went our seperate ways from Vienna and Cath and I flew to London with Austrian airways, visited our storage shed in Hounslow and took out our bags and my bike which we had left there at the end of the bike ride (LeJog). Then by taxi to our accommodation at Harmondsworth Hall near Heathrow for lovely last evening with dinner and drinks at the  Five Bells pub. 

This morning got another cab to Heathrow and here we sit waiting to go home after 7 weeks for me and 4 weeks for Cath in Europe. 

Harmondsworth is a village very close to the airport and amazingly just another small English village with its old buildings and historic pubs. Our taxi driver told us this is all likely to be demolished in next two years for the Heathrow airport to expand which is a great shame.