On the Ground

Good morning from Austria!

My flight landed in Vienna at 9:33am local time (3:33am Michigan time), which was about 32 minutes ahead of schedule. At one point over the north Atlantic the display indicated that we had a 150mph tail wind, so that probably helped. It was a pretty standard 9-hour flight, with a full dinner (tortellini) and a continental breakfast (bagel & banana). One thing about Delta is that they still provide a complementary drink during meals on international flights (although it's not advertised). I had a wine, as it seemed the "European" thing to do. I also watched one of the movies, Leatherheads. I could never get comfortable enough to fall asleep for any amount of time, as their didn't seem to be as much room on this plane as the 747's we took to/from Japan in 2006.

Once we landed in Vienna and walked down the jetway, we were immediately in the gate area. This is different than some other countries where you're immediately shuttled to immigration. The first thing I noticed when I got off the plane was that it smelled like a casino - lots of people smoking; much different than American airports. As information for those traveling behind me, getting into the country was a breeze. Immigration didn't ask one question, they just stamped my passport and handed it back. And customs was non-existent. You just follow the signs that say "Nothing to declare" and your out, didn't talk to a single person.

So this is where my travels get interesting. Once I exited "customs" I was immediately met by a fellow carrying a sign with my name on it, as well as the World Championships logo. Paul (who arrives about 4 hours after me) mentioned that I might be able to pickup our van, and this was the guy who was going to give it to me. He immediately led me out to a short-term lot where the vehicle was waiting. He was very nice, but I could tell he was in a hurry to leave. He gave me a quick run through of the vehicle (it's brand new), provided some directions (of which I understood about 10%) then said he'd meet me at the lot exit so he could pay the parking fee. I asked him where I should park for the next 4 hours, to which he replied that I should drive around. He also said I could park in the nearby ramp, which looked to have a height clearance of about 5 feet. He said I definitely shouldn't park in the lot he did, because it was very expensive. In addition, the van was so big (and his parking spot so tight) that I couldn't get in the driver's door - I had to climb across from the passenger's side. So after doing that I took about 5 seconds to get myself oriented in the vehicle before trying to put it in reverse (it has a manual transmission). Bump - I hit the curb, apparently in first gear. After a couple more tries I waved him over for some advise. He informed me that I need to pull up on a little knob connected to the shifter in order to engage reverse. With that detail, I executed a 62-point Austin Powers-like departure from my parking space, exited the lot, and started out on the road.

It's probably important to note at this point that I've never driven in Europe, and here I am trying to find my way (to no place in particular) around the country's largest airport. I quickly figured out that they drive on the same side of the road as in the US, their stop signs look the same as ours, and ausfahrt is German for "exit". I also figured out that although I've driven a stick since I was about 13, I must be rusty because I stalled it twice pulling out into major roads. However, I did finally get in a groove and was able to make my way to a nearby gas station, which is where the above photos were taken. There I got my airport map out and decided that the long-term lot C would be a safe bet. After making my way to it, I parked and hiked back to the terminal, where I'm sitting now. The van is in the farthest possible parking spot from the terminal, but that's just too bad. The rest of the gang missed the adventure, so they're going to have to hike it.

I connected to the airport's free wireless and called Robyn (via Sightspeed) to let her know I'd arrived okay. This aiport has great wireless - really fast. After I finish here I'll go exchange some money (the best I've seen so far is $1.50), grab a bite to eat, then wait for the rest of the gang to arrive. Paul Petrehn & Erica Hahn, Bruce & Bonnie Hahn (Erica's parent) and Shawn & Sandy Raya are supposed to arrive at 2:20pm (2½ hours from now). We'll then drive to Salzburg (about 3-4 hours) where we have hotel rooms already reserved.

To the right is my first interesting Austrian sign. This is in the tunnel leading from "Siberia" lot C to back to the terminal. My best guess was that it was telling me to walk on the floor, not the ceiling or walls. After thinking about it some more, maybe it has something to do with finding the emergency exit...

Another interesting observation: There's an airline here where the flight attendants all wear blue jeans and bright pink hats. I haven't figured out the name, but it certainly is different.

One technical note: The times attached to my post are going to be local (Austrian) time. To get Michigan time, just subtract 6. For everyone not on Michigan time, the easiest thing for you will probably be to visit Michigan for the next 2 weeks and read this blog from there. I recommend the west side of the state, near Lake Michigan.


ADDENDUM (2:54pm): Their flight just landed, about 30 minutes late.