The starting point had been announced in an obscure street near the completely revamped Vienna Hauptbahnhof area (the old Südbahnhof in a former life) and without technical guidance by another obscure application on my mobile device it would have been tricky for me to find the place. What have YOU done when there was no Internet, no mobile phones, no Hash Blogs ;-), just a piece of paper with an address written on it? Of course you would have used the part of your brain cells left intact by excessive beer consumption.
Anyhow, Hares Ice Queen and Primadonna were out to spoil us with a trail leading from the Schweizergarten (not the Schweizerhaus) right into the vast space Arsenal with its Heeresgeschichtliche Museum and for a while through backroads of the 3rd and even the 10th district.
Repent you sinners!
At some point there was a richness of motorway bridges coming from and leading into all possible directions. (Kind of a Liliputian version of Los Angeles Freeways). Naturally, the right trail was pointed right in between those roads, some with cars on, some without. "Now would Primadonna have the audacity to lead us onto the nearby Motorway?" Of course he would! Even without cars passing by it was a weird scene with the Monday evening traffic whizzing by on the A23. The explanation was that the Hares have used a motorway ramp that had been built all those years ago but had never been opened for traffic, one of the wonders of life in the Ostrich Capital. For an explanation on all this see here.
Nearer my car to thee?
The end is nigh!
Right at the end of the Motorway ramp the green area started again, showing that best laid architect's plans can lead into a void sometimes. My courage was rising at the prospect that we were getting near the lovely Böhmische Prater and a Beerstop that we've been promised (by reliable people, Prof. DDr. Felch, are you reading this?) After some more running the Böhmische Prater with its great Beer Places came up and, normal for Hashers, within 15 seconds everyone was sitting and after another 15 seconds with a beer in hand. After the beerstop it was on back through the 10th district, passing by the old Ankerbrot factory (with Eurohash memories being discussed again) and at some point the walkers trail ceased to exist as there were no marks anymore. Fair enough, the carpark was only a couple of streetcorners away.
The Böhmische Prater in full swing
"Sahnehäubchenschnittchenbrücke", look that on up.
During a joyful circle in a public park not far from densely populated building blocks a police car drove by, slowly and attentive and DID NOT STOP to ask questions. We seem to be losing our radical edge, or rather we may start looking the way we are, geriatrics on the booze loose. Like I said in the circle, this run gets a five star rating from me. Hash Flash pics can be watched here.
Right before the start of the holiday season at the end of June (for those with schoolkids, ahem) a Full Moon run in Traiskirchen was offered by Casting Couch and TwoBob. A speciality of the Thermenregion, the area to which the village of Traiskirchen belongs are the recurring wine fests beginning in June and going on in various other villages (Guntramsdorf, Mödling, Pfaffstätten, Gumpoldskirchen, Sooß) until the end of August.
No, of course there was no wine drinking stop being offered by our friendly Hares. The trail was showcasing various places of Traiskirchen and back to the carpark alongside the local waterway. The small crowd of less than a dozen was entertained during the circle by the R and A Ice Queen and Slush Puppie.
OnIn afterwards was booked at the Heurigen Karl Alphart, with wines and food to be recommended.
A piper (duckwhistler rather) at the Gates of Delirium
is another term in use for the annual run near the Donau-Oder Kanal which is a long way if one comes from the south of Vienna or just around the block if you heading out from this place, for instance. Justin Beaver successfully started this tradition that shines with regular BBQ and THE POSSIBILITY of swimming in the Donau-Oder Kanal, something that I have never seen taking place, mostly because of poor weather.
Bring your swimmers, mates!
Long and flat running stretches are possible within that neighborhood (and from one year to the next there are plenty newly-built houses to admire), and the outskirts of the Lobau have been visited many a time. Neatly being split into a runners and a wa*kers trail, the run lengh did not exceed the standard of one hour. There is a Tennis club nearby the Hare's domicile, and obviously there have been complaints in the past because of the World's Worst circle noise so there was no choice left but to move the festivities even further away and into the adjacent fields. As always after the end of the circle, fine grilling and drinking until late at the JIB's house.
is the annual run chez No Mercy Mistress in the 22nd district, way across the Danube river in the Hirschstetten area. Just Ruben (according to our who is also his mother the only Hasher remaining unnamed in more than 20 years) lay a trail out into the green areas neat the A 23 motorway (yes, this is very possible) and which in one way or another always seemed to touch the Hirschstettner Badeteich. After the experience of many years we all know to come here for a bit of light jogging, as well as the swimming pool and the Barbecue afterwards.
Since the soccer World Cup is in full swing public viewing was also offered and thankfully taken by LGB, OVH, after all it was an England game on that evening. Many thanks for the hosts ever generous Hospitality.
On Monday June 11th S. Energy decided to host a run in Himberg, a town southeast of Vienna. I had the pleasure to be the CoHare and after two reccies of the area we came up with a run length of 50 minutes which started right outside the local train station building and, after a short whole of admiring local shops and houses there were vast fields of green all around. And high temperatures, of course. S. Energy clevery improvised by coming up with a shortcut (walkers trail) leading along the local waterway called the Neubach. The bigger part of the pack decided to take the longer way out in the fields and the heat, and after a sharp right turn that was leading along a boundary ridge all were reunited again to tackle the last part of the trail. A well kept gothic church along the way and crossing over the Neubach again with some green spots were the visual highs and, after the circle, the OnIn had been reserved at the Gasthaus Steyrerhof. The pleasant surprise was that after initial service was performed in snails tempo, the hosts were knocking out the menus real fast. Well done and a recommendation for further visits, whenever.
P.S. My apologies to those who arrived on the train and found us gone. The delay in public transport has not been our fault. Since everyone turned up during the course of the run the flour marks must have been clear to follow.
Run theme was the departure of Wayne Fecksky and Just Debbie (who may habe received a Hash name which I forgot). The location was the oft used corner of Zelinkagasse around the corner of the U2 stop Schottentor. The special feature of the run was the re-appearance of one of the two founders of the Vindobona Hash in 1982, look here for the mention on the VH3 History page.
The run itself was another one of those all too common walking trips down and up the Donaukanal again. It should be considered to entrust a two-wheeled coolwagon to a good accompanying soul to distribute cold refreshments during exercise. A highpoint of some sorts came up at Gaußpatz in the 20th district in form of a beerstop at a newly opened sort-of supermarket. From there onwards it was OnOn through some more parts of the 20th as well as the 2nd district and eventually back to the start. Just Lan, the aforementioned founder of the World's Worst came along to the carpark and for those who knew him from way back (LGB and Cardinal Munk both OVH) it as the first encounter in person after more than 30 years.
Just Lan had been named after the circle in a small and private subcircle since, according to local Hash History, there were no Hash names used in the early days. To honor just Lan for his deeds and as an hommage to what he and Just Hans, the other founder of the VH3 had started, Just Lan from now on will be known as OUR POUNDING FARTER. Thanks for everything and farewell to Wayne Fecksky and Just Debbie.
or the part south of Vindobona which comprises the Thermenregion and the Wienerwald, area of high living quality and a countless variety of Hash trails, was used by a quartet consisting of Casting Couch, S. Energy, Kuty Pi and yours truly for a run through the vineyards and up the local hill with its own microclimate, the Eichkogel.
I remember the day (Whit Monday) as a sunny and warm one, therefore we had a songstop on an elevation and a picturesque way back down towards the Windradlteich with the circle being held nearby. OnIn at the local Heurigen Baitschev with a remarkable buffet and even beer (which is not a certainty in wine places).
