One facet of life in the IAEA is a lot of professional mates drop by as they visit Vienna on business. Last weekend 7 March, two staff from the Office of the Supervising Scientist (OSS) dropped by on the last lap of a round the world (RTW) fact finding tour looking at various issues of best practice in uranium mining. Richard McAllister- who has been keeping a blog of their trip http://www.rtw18.blogspot.com/ - and Keith Tayler arrived from Brazil via Madrid on saturday evening. Once the lads were settled into the Hotel Pertschy we headed off to a wine bar for a beer or two. Ricardo is now Asistant Secretary OSS but was the previous incumbent of my old job, now called Director of Audit & Supervision - which is now Keith' s job.
After supper we all went our various ways and agreed to visit the Wachau (Danube Valley and Gorge) on Sunday.
Sunday dawned bright and dry so we set off in the car passing by the Risenrad on our way out of town, Vienna's giant ferris wheel. Once out of town we drove upstream to Krems where we left the motorway/autobahn and started up the road along the river. We stopped off at Durnstein to see the town and look up at the ruins of the castle where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned on his way back from a crusade. As this is still winter season there were few shops or bars open; and while is was sunny it was not very warm in the cold wind that was blowing.
Richard and Keith at Durnstein in the sun, the smiles belie the temperature. The ruins of the castle are on the hilltop in the background.
Keith and Richard at the other end of the town with the Danube gorge in the background.
We headed up the river again but found that both ferries were closed down so we had to drive to Krems to get to a bridge to reach the other bank. Then another winter season problem when we found that the road up to Agstein Castle http://www.photoglobe.info/hl_austria_lower/austria_20040808_007.html
was closed for re-building . So that side trip went west too. Still we had a great lunch at the local gasthaus and then drove back to Vienna after a stop to to see Melk Monastery and the flood marks at the riverside pub.
Once back in Vienna the lads went shopping for souvenirs - the only shops open on a Sunday in Vienna. For dinner we naturally went to THE place - the Gulaschmuseum http://www.gulasch.at/.
After an excellent meal ( as always) we had a quick schnapps and then home.
Monday morning the lads visited IAEA for some meetings -
and a couple of photo opportunities before heading off home
to Darwin via London and Singapore.
Here they are standing in theIAEA Plaza - the flags all went back up the next day!
For me it was back to work and preparing for next weekeend's mission to Maputo in Mozambique.
After supper we all went our various ways and agreed to visit the Wachau (Danube Valley and Gorge) on Sunday.
Sunday dawned bright and dry so we set off in the car passing by the Risenrad on our way out of town, Vienna's giant ferris wheel. Once out of town we drove upstream to Krems where we left the motorway/autobahn and started up the road along the river. We stopped off at Durnstein to see the town and look up at the ruins of the castle where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned on his way back from a crusade. As this is still winter season there were few shops or bars open; and while is was sunny it was not very warm in the cold wind that was blowing.
Richard and Keith at Durnstein in the sun, the smiles belie the temperature. The ruins of the castle are on the hilltop in the background.
Keith and Richard at the other end of the town with the Danube gorge in the background.
We headed up the river again but found that both ferries were closed down so we had to drive to Krems to get to a bridge to reach the other bank. Then another winter season problem when we found that the road up to Agstein Castle http://www.photoglobe.info/hl_austria_lower/austria_20040808_007.html
was closed for re-building . So that side trip went west too. Still we had a great lunch at the local gasthaus and then drove back to Vienna after a stop to to see Melk Monastery and the flood marks at the riverside pub.
Once back in Vienna the lads went shopping for souvenirs - the only shops open on a Sunday in Vienna. For dinner we naturally went to THE place - the Gulaschmuseum http://www.gulasch.at/.
After an excellent meal ( as always) we had a quick schnapps and then home.
Monday morning the lads visited IAEA for some meetings -
and a couple of photo opportunities before heading off home
to Darwin via London and Singapore.
Here they are standing in theIAEA Plaza - the flags all went back up the next day!
For me it was back to work and preparing for next weekeend's mission to Maputo in Mozambique.
The IAEA in Vienna is an Aussie enclave. They're especially thick in the corridors around the coffee bar, I've discovered. Pity to miss you this time, am at Dubai on the journey home. But congratulations on this new venture of Wags Inc. As well as letting us peep into your fascinating travel diary, it will be good to hear what's happening in the U-mining world.
ReplyDeleteRaddy
http://radwaste.blogspot.com/