Today was another day of not so aimless wandering, but once again, over 18,000 steps. I admit, I am often challenged when attempting to follow GPS directions. The miracle is that I actually get where I’m going, and get back to my starting point at the end of the day.

Today I had a mission – I was going to find my family’s home in the 1930s on Bäuerlegasse, and then locate one of the many kosher restaurants, and have lunch there.

My walk took me across a bridge over a canal. It was so weird – when I got to the end of the bridge, the wind picked up and I stopped and stared: the wind was blowing tiny little leaves around and it looked like a shower of gold. I tried to take a photo but the leaves were tiny and blowing pretty quickly, and every effort failed. I guess it was one of those “you had to be there” moments.

I suspect the reason I’m walking so much further than the GPS would indicate is possibly all the backtracking I have to do – it’s fine when there are street names and the map’s voice tells me to turn, but all of those times when it just says to walk and turn left after 200m where there are 5 possible places to turn that confounds me.

The family home was an apartment building – nothing special but it’s the only place in Vienna that I can say my family lived, at this point.

I have no idea if this is the same building in which my family resided almost 100 years ago, or if this building is new, or had a facelift. It’s sort of like looking at a signed document from a long time ago – they touched it, they walked here, they lived.

The kosher restaurant to which I was heading wasn’t far, and there were many others I passed like Malka’s.

I don’t know why I chose Bahur Tov but it was charming. I had schnitzel (chicken) and the serving was huge. I thought before they brought it that I would have apple strudel for dessert, but that didn’t happen.

Today was definitely not as hot as yesterday and the walk was more pleasant, even though the wind was blowing. The sand castles in the sky kept my head swiveling around – I don’t want to miss anything. Oh, maybe what I keep missing are directions to turn!

Dinner was very casual but amazing. Most of the people I met up with as Cafe Savoy were from the CEJHG conference. People from Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Israel and Vienna gathered for drinks and dinner, and the conversation was non-stop and amazing. I am so excited to learn more from these people over the next few days.

Is that the best looking bagel sandwich you’ve ever seen? Hummus and beets – so delicious. walking past bakeries makes me want to stop and sample but I think the delicious odor must have calories because I’m just not hungry! What a shame – if I’m walking almost 7 miles a day I should be able to have guilt-free pastries.