10/10/2011, still raining in Vienna/Ubahn station/Naturhistorisches Museum

Vienna
Monday 10/10/2011, Raining and grey

I had breakfast a bit late, I kept sticking my head out looking for a break in the rain. It was slowing a bit so I finished breakfast and made a repair to my folding umbrella; the collapsible handle had twisted around so the auto-catch was not holding. The Umbrella would not stay up, which was less than useful. I fixed it but it is not completely "stable". Just killing time waiting for the weather.

I made a quick dash to the Line 4 Ubahn station (Vienna Underground train station), then sorted out a ticket and the date/time stamping machine (honour system but if caught evading a fare the fine is "Huge"). More beggars! Three stops and I was at the bottom end of the Museum district.

Using my faithful tourist map I got it 180 degrees wrong until a Street Name finally corresponded with my map!! Then it made sense and I headed in the right direction (they give you English translations of the street names, for heavens sake). I found the German Language Ubahn map was more useful. I got to the Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) but it was all closed up, or so I thought. Then a school group came along and opened the little "service door" in the massive wooden front doors and went in. It was marked "Entrance" so I followed the school kids. When I got inside the heat hit me like a physical blow. The kids had stripped about three layers down to their T-shirts but I simply sweltered. I had worn my "thermal" underwear so could not effectively de-layer (it was really cold outside).

I had a chat to the entrance "guard" and he suggested that official visitors went in through the side "group" entrance after signing appropriate forms/visitors book. I gather someone has to come a get you and escort you to the inner sanctums. Very similar security measures to both London and Paris now I come to think of it. I hopped out and around to the side entrance (you could fit a bus under the archway) and talked to security there.

Having sorted out the directions and procedures for tomorrow I went back and paid my entrance fee and did a tour of the Museum. Lots (and lots) of taxidermy. Examples of at least one of every animal you can imagine, marine, avian, and terrestrial. I also went across the park to the Art Gallery/Museum the "Kunsthistorisches Museum" (I had seen the advertisements along the road as I made my way the Natural History Museum). About the size of the Louvre and a marvellous collection of paintings and is the "pair" to the Naturhistorisches Museum.

By now it was late afternoon, and it would take many days to go through either of the Museums properly (or any of the other multitude of Museums making up the "Museum Quartier"), so I decided that a late lunch and walk back to the hotel in the light dizzel was in order. No photos, maybe tomorrow if there is a least some sunlight.

My cold/flu is abating or the symptoms are not so bad due to the medication. My enthusiasm level however is a bit down! Grey skies and cold rain does that to me. I sent off my emails to the UK over the weekend and should start getting replies!

[Later] When I got back there was a message at the Hotel desk from the Natural History Museum telling me that the appointment was at 11'oc not 10'oc and giving me a telephone number to ring. Just after office hours but I used SKYPE and got onto the professor's secretary to confirm the appointment. That reduces my time with the collection to 4 hours, but he did say they had sorted out what I wanted to look at. At this point I simply took two paracetamol and went to bed.