07:10 - Meet at Operngasse 20
07:16 - Line 59A honks us out of the stop, the journey begins
07:35 - a first refreshing drink containing hops

Photo of Alex and Balint on the bus

© Christian Zaruba

Alex and Balint

Photo of Robert on the bus

Robert

Photo of Roman

Photo of Roman

14:00 - After a break at a rest stop we reach Postojna

Group photo on the train in Postojna Cave

Group photo on the train in Postojna Cave

14:30 - The tour through the stalactite cave begins with a train journey into the mountain. Unlike the Emperor, whose railway carriage was still moved by a pusher in 1872, we are sitting in an electric vehicle. The journey into the cave takes us through a number of cave rooms, some of which are lavishly lit and decorated (including chandeliers). The grotto is filled with stalactites (hanging), stalagmites (standing) and stalagmites (continuous columns). Stalactites, as we learnt, ideally grow as hollow tubes from the ceiling. Only when the tube becomes blocked by impurities, for example, does the stalactite transform its shape into a cone or icicle.

Photo in Postojna Cave

© Christian Zaruba

Photo in Postojna Cave

Any colour changes result from the different minerals that the water washes out of the rock drop by drop. The growth rate of the waxy formations is a remarkable 1 metre per 10,000 years, i.e. in the same order of magnitude as the growth of the rail network for the new U5.

Comic by Robert Kahlenberg

Comic of Robert and Philipp

At the end of the tour, we are allowed to stop by a basinl with grotto olms and then it's back to daylight.

Photo of a sleeping colleague on the bus

The hike through the cave shows its effect

Photo of a sleeping colleague on the bus

for several colleagues

Photo of Heinz Kaminski

Heinz is eagerly awaiting us

17:30 - Arrived at the Hotel Albergo alla Posta in Trieste

The first step is to check in and take a shower. Anyone who feels the need to pull the funny red cord in the shower out of childish curiosity immediately realises that the accident alarm is definitely working. When you rush to reception to give the all-clear, you are told in a friendly and calm manner that the alarm has been registered, but that it is always a false alarm anyway and that no further attention is paid to the matter. The information invites speculation as to how many involuntary permanent guests are currently staying at the hotel. In any case, they are unlikely to die of thirst in the shower.

Comic by Robert Kahlenberg

Comic of Robert and Philipp

Group photo from the dinner in Trieste

© Ernst Kozeschnik

Group photo from the dinner in Trieste

19:30 - The evening ends with a pleasant meal and a rollercoaster ride through the quality levels of Italian wine. The finale is a sip of limoncello from the most elegant bottle a condiment can possibly end up in: Brand Vinaigrette at the salad buffet in the Freihaus canteen. A friendly street musician, whose performance "takes some getting used to" is probably a euphemistic description of her music. Although not particularly melodious, it is highly effective - the pressure of suffering flushes out the ransom... the donations in no time at all.

Finish in Trieste at night

Comic by Robert Kahlenberg

Comic of Robert and Philipp

Comic by Robert Kahlenberg

Comic of Robert and Philipp

Report: R. Kahlenberg, P. Retzl