Vienna: Wein. def: a beautiful city filled with intricately designed buildings, delicate white frosted with gilded gold, filled with rich foods, lavish parties, and sleeping in.

We arrived on the late train on Saturday afternoon, a wee bit sleepy from the journey. We were greeted at the station by our lovely host Leo, the most gentlemanly, charismatic, witty, kind, and fun individual that we have met yet. It was a joint first Couchsurfing experience, and it was nothing short of fabulous. The glory of Couchsurfing.com is that it is a true social network, it actually brings people together, literally. We started with a long tea that evolved into a chat about life, the first of many during our stay on Neubaugasse St. There is simply too much fun to describe in Vienna, so I will limit myself to the real highlights.

To Prepare One (1) Four-Day Gloryfest in Vienna, Create the following dishes:

One Naschmarkt: stalls upon stalls of fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, dried fruits, delis, and pasta stands. Combine all to make a wonderful homemade dinner.

Two Belles of the Ball: Add two smelly travellers, rinse thoroughly. Add two borrowed prom dresses, cardboard,tape, houseplants, Christmas ornaments, and create masques. Transport in Black Mercedes to the National Library, combine with guest list to swanky event (Masque- A Night of Sensual Secrets). Blend in 1500 other posh Viennese, light well, and shake. Yields crazy Euro dance party and 5am bedtime.

Authentic Schnitzel: Travel to edge of town across street from one of the largest cemeteries in Europe, use only candlelight. Let them do the rest.

Language Barrier: Ask bus driver for directions, meet fellow couchsurfers, order dessert for dinner on accident, go to the supermarket. Should be easy to find.

Serve on lightly toasted Austrian afternoons for a real treat!