We have sworn not to use them

Apart from the weather – which is much to hot -  this is a good time of year in Vienna. Many people have gone away and it is relatively quiet. There are – of course – hordes of tourists but they don’t bother us where we live because we are off the main tourist tracks.

The downside is that many businesses close for a summer break and this has an impact on my ability to conduct the household duties in the appropriate manner.

For example – I cannot buy the cat’s favourite Katzengrass because the florist is closed and cannot get my jeans altered because Sali – the Änderungsschneiderei – has gone home to Croatia.

He is a reluctant tailor and does not like his job. I asked him once why he did it if he hated it so much and he said it was because that was what he was good at.  

But - Sali takes more holidays that anyone I know and during the skiing season he is away every second week. But his prices are the lowest in town – perhaps he has another income – may be he is a ski instructor.

To prepare ourselves for our cycling trip we have been cycling the Donauinsel a few times each week. The intention is – of course – to do this daily but we can usually manage to come up with an excuse so that we get every second day off. Fortunately – Cate can often schedule phone calls for our cycling time.

Not that we don’t enjoy it – we love it. But it is a hard slog in parts and it wears us out.

The bikes we are using on our trip are equipped with electric motors but we have sworn not to use these under any circumstances.

Yeh right.