Palace park

After lunch we continued to walk through the city, but my stomachache was getting worse. I have a high tolerance for pain but this was something I'd never felt before. I'd feel fine for a bit and then literally be bowed over in pain and unable to walk any further. We stopped by a pharmacy and bought some charcoal tablets for me which helped a little bit but I'd still have to stop every so often due to the stomach cramps. I tried my best to keep up, but after awhile it was obvious I needed to lay down and just rest. So we decided to separate - Uwe would go to the Post Office with Astrid to ship the books we purchased in Germany to our home back in LA - and I would go back to Palace park where I could lay down, take a nap, and wait for the pain to pass. Uwe took a photo of this sculpture on his way to the Post Office.

It's amazing how much art, music and philosophy have come out of Austria, such a small country. Austria has always felt like Germany's little crazy brother. But as Herr Geyhalter put it this morning at breakfast, "The world needs a little craziness." (Good/creative/constructive craziness that is.) Still on their way to the Post Office, Uwe and Astrid passed by this carriage pulled by two horses.Back at the Palace park (formerly the palace gardens) there were around 30-40 people, mostly students sitting on the lawn. A couple students were playing their guitars, surrounded by their friends and they were singing and having a great time.

Meanwhile I laid my jacket down on the grass and took a nap. An hour later I woke up and although I still had a stomachache, I was feeling a little better. However Uwe and Astrid were still no where to be found. I was intently watching the entrance to the park, hoping to see Uwe and Astrid walk in at any moment. But as the saying goes, "A watched pot doesn't boil."

I realized I had no money on me when I went to use the restroom in the park and the attendant demanded I pay before using the facilities. So I went to look for Uwe and Astrid and then when I didn't see them, I went back to the park and sat and waited some more.

Finally after 2 1/2 hours I saw them. Evidently it was a long walk to the Post Office and there was a ridiculously long line once they got there, and the service was slow too. But the books had been shipped which was great, because we wouldn't have to lug them back in our suitcases and have to pay a fine for being over the allowed weight limit.

The day was almost over so we decided to take a taxi ride over to see the Hundertwasser exhibit.