On track in Austria

Just back from Austria on another Trans Euro Express Trip. Actually We landed in Bratislava Airport and then by Coach to Vienna. Coach trip itself gave an oppurtunity to see another country and save money by using a Budget Airline. We had been told Austria was an expensive country but somehow Ireland has now caught up with most of Europe and it didn't seem that expensive to me. Switzerland still holds the most expensive tag. Vienna itself is one of those too perfect cities and full of formal buildings and vast open spaces with guilded statues everywhere. Also its a very clean city and has excellent Bus, Tram and Underground lines. Compared to Dublin, a weekly travel ticket was at 12.00 euro a bargain!
One very nice short trip was on the no 38 tram to Grimzing and then the 38a Bus to the Vienna Mountains. We went in to a very elegant Circular Café for a Melange and Cake. Mum liked the Cafe and immediately said her friend Marion would have declared 'This is a Sheila Place' Sheila was one of Mams best friends and would have loved the Café. My Daddy would have liked it too, it was elegant and a bit old fashioned, had a lovely view and was a place to while away a whole afternoon. The kind of establishment that would never be built today, it would have to be a fast food place or some really expensive pretentious restaurant for rich snobs or 'riff raff' as Basil Fawlty would say.
Another longer trip was by train to Mariazell, went by regular train to St. Polten, then a delightful narrow gauge train up the mountains to Mariazell. In total the journey was 85 Km bit it took over 2 hours and went through beautiful countryside. Arriving at our destination We really only had time for a meal and a long walk back to the station. There was supposed to be a local vintage tram trip also but of course I could not find it, and anyhow it only goes during June through August.
Anyhow another really enjoyable trip, a nice relaxing day with not too much walking and loads of photos as memories.
Finally Vienna and Austria was very nice, maybe a bit too formal and 'Germanic' especially the irritating recorded announcements on all public transport. The messages all sounded a bit too reminiscent of a era no one wants to remember.
As Basil infamously said, 'Don't mention the ...'