[ Paralipomena ]

Central Europe has its attractions, of course. During the long-stretching yesterday (you lose some hours in between) on my voyage back from Edmonton to Vienna, due to delays of both flights to Toronto and to Vienna I had the opportunity to talk to Canadians living in Vienna, while waiting.

As to be expected it's mainly the presence of history and its architectural manifestation that attracts Canadians usually living in western Canadian cities which look like this. This picture is, indeed, still a friendly view of one of the nicer downtown-areas. Imagine also famous monuments looking like this. In terms of architecture Vienna as the city of historicism, putting together pieces of old Brussels, ancient Athens and so on, is nevertheless a bad choice for experiencing the presence of history.

I'm quite ambivalent about my preferences for Central Europe or Western Canada. Although, at the moment I really wish, I would have stayed in Edmonton, since - as so often - Vienna proved to be the city of perfect disorganisation. To be more exact: Austrian Airlanes and the Viennese airport have been completely disorganised once again. Imagine a huge aircraft full of travelers from Toronto, already more or less annoyed by a considerable delay and in fear of missing their connection flights who are not allowed to leave the plane due to one single piece of non identified luggage which obviously caused great confusion and the shut-off of the entire entry hall. When we finally managed - after conflicting orders to leave the plane in the front, in the back, not at all - to get out, it happens what always happens when you - at least when I travel with Austrian Airlines: I was there, but my luggage wasn't. Of course, I was not the only one to miss her luggage, but there were about 15 pieces of luggage belonging to nobody on this flight instead. This is becoming the usual "Welcome to Austria".