Saint Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

Part 1 of the funny things that happened to me while traveling in Europe and the UK

Tom and I stayed in Vienna for two wonderful nights at the beginning of June this year. Austria is my favorite country outside Australia. There is a certain irony that the two countries have such similar names.

On the day that Tom and I arrived in Vienna, Tom was exhausted from the flight from Paris and decided to have a sleep. I on the other hand was raring to explore so left the hotel with my travel book and my purse. I was fairly well dressed, in a skirt and top, and (with the exception of the guide book) didn't really look like a tourist.

I walked down the Graben (Vienna's classy equivalent of the Queen Street Mall) to the massive Saint Stephen's Cathedral.

I had read in my trusty guide book that there was a tour in English each day at 3:30 pm. All the other tours were conducted in German. As I walked into the massive church my watch read 3:35. I found the tour was only just starting. They were a group of about 20 people listening to a charming young Viennese man explain the history of the back stained glass window in English. I surreptitious joined the tour.

The tour was great. It was lovely to hear about the working of this huge church and the history behind the works of art within it.

The tour even included a look at the front alter and pulpit which was cordoned off to the public. The guide led us through the barrier to the front portion of the church and then replaced it so that no one else would follow us in. He showed us the three alters including one which they claim has the shroud of Jesus below it. There were a few churches that I visited that made this claim. Perhaps they shared it out?

Anyway as we were approaching the end of the tour one of the young girls in the group spoke up. She let the guide know that "we" (the tour group) were a choir from the US and asked if it would be ok for the group to sing a hymn.

It was at this point that I realised that I had not found the English tour. I had accidentally joined a private tour of the Cathedral.

I didn't know what to do. I briefly considered singing with them, but they had a choir master with them who, I thought, would probably dislike a random Australian girl with (at best) an ordinary voice ruining their harmonies.

I would have run immediately except I was locked in. The barrier had been closed when we came down to the front of the church and I had not paid any attention to how it was closed or how it could be re-opened.

So I thought I would just play it cool and sit down on one of the front pews and listen. It seemed like a couple of the other ladies were going to do that too. But I had no such luck. The entire group moved into lines and began singing.

So I had not other choice. I fled. I walked quickly away from the group. I hurdled the barrier (in my skirt) and I was free.

The real shame was that they sounded so beautiful. The choirs voices carried around the cathedral and everyone who was there stopped what they were doing to listen to them.

Except me. I just kept walking.