Barb's celebration

We were still in Salzburg until the afternoon, when we took the train to Vienna. Some of the gals slept in, while others continued shopping or sightseeing. Mark and I opted to wander around and pick up some wine for the train ride in which we would then celebrate both Barb and Vicki's birthdays.

The wine was a hit and helped make the train ride that much quicker. We laughed, drank, and took many pictures of the scenery both in the train and outside of the train. Even the Austrian who had asked if we were ever going to be quiet, couldn't dampen our spirits for celebrating Barb's and Vicki's day.

That evening Barb made plans to celebrate her birthday in a castle, followed by drinks at a bar close by our hotel. No need to take taxi's when one can stumble home.

Everyone dressed for the evening occasion and off we went to have a fun filled evening.

Well, since there were 10 of us, a few of us arrived ahead of Barb and the rest of the group. The first question Kim asked was; are we in the right place? The taxi driver assured us, that yes this was indeed the correct place. The next question was; where's the castle? Perhaps we are missing something Jo countered.

What was once a castle appeared to be part of one or as Jo put it, perhaps where the stables once were, though the rest of the castle appeared to be missing and the fact that the restaurant felt no need to set aside any funds to restore this building.

It was quite dark inside when we first entered, and wondered if this was indeed the place that was recommended to Barb. The waitress finally decided to break with her two friends to acknowledge us but was in no mood to work or be helpful. Did I mention that we were the only guests? Yup, this was going to be an interesting evening.

Well, the rest of the gals showed up to the same quizzical look we gave upon entering the restaurant.


We ended up having a good time, with 11 different types of schnitzel and lots salad and wine. We clearly ordered too much. Barb was a trooper, despite the surroundings and the fact that she had expected something different didn't deter her or anyone else from having a good time.

We later went out for cocktails, enjoying the beautiful evening, and laughing, okay, perhaps not so much at that moment, but later on, about the dinner.

Hey, it's not about the venue, it's more about the friendships that have survived over the years, and the fact that Barb's friends came to Europe to help celebrate her birthday. So, hats off to you Barb and I'm sure it will be a night you will always remember.