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The Twisted Biography of the author

ANTON VON STEFAN.



part twenty-four - from the Austrian Alps an echo is heard!

     When last I spoke of the author it was January 2015 and he had met with relatives and friends whereupon he went skiing in the quaint Austrian town of Wagrain. He was also seen at the Inn to the Holzwurm in Flachau where he took in the World Cup Night Slalom. I must say, I saw the author watch a most exciting race where, after the second run, Frida Hansdotter of Sweden beat Tina Maze from Slovenia by a mere 21 hundredths of a second.

     Jet setting across the arctic from Canada to Europe and back kept me from staying in any one place for very long as I continued to track the author throughout 2015.  He had remained in Canada for about one month when he followed his brother-in-law back to Europe where one of the author’s nieces was getting married. Taking the time to show his relative Bratislava, I was able to spend a few hours with them on board the Twin City Liner, a high-speed catamaran, as if flew over the Danube on an incredible journey from the centre of Vienna to Slovania’s capital. One month later, he re-appeared in Vancouver where he kept himself locked up in his estate working feverously on his manuscript.

     Yet, in just over four weeks, I was in Europe once more.  This time I followed him as he showed an elderly couple from Delta the same trip down the Blue Danube to Bratislava, spending four days there before returning to Vienna.  The group then left for Prague where they celebrated Canada Day in the main town square.  During that four day journey, the author was seen in Prague’s main police station where he had some fun sitting in the chief constable’s desk while watching his Canadian friends speak with an interpreter and fill in various forms. It was a simple matter of Prague’s professional pickpockets finding an easy mark. The author had not misbehaved and was free to go.

     Discovering Anton Von Stefan’s European plans for June, July and August, I arrived in Venice, a city the author had never visited, on the date noted that July. Having taken the night express out of Vienna in an effort to remain discrete, I was in Venice eight hours before their expected arrival. I stood on the platform at Venezia Santa Lucia to welcome them to that incredible Italian city. The plans had called for the boarding of a direct train at 6:30 out of Wien Meidling and they were scheduled to arrive at 14:05, but neither he nor the elderly couple could be found. Thinking I had erred in reading the author’s travel plans, I immediately booked that express train back to Vienna only to discover Anton Von Stefan had pulled a fast one on his biographer. They had conveniently left a day later, obviously to avoid paparazzi.  Thus, I only have secondhand reports that they saw St. Marks, visited many of the markets, hoped on a number of the city's ACTV run Vaporettos and saw Venice from the canals. They even took the 1.5km trip to the Island of Murano.

     On that fabled island, they toured the glass works, walked over the Ponte Longo, the Ponte Santi Donato and toured the ancient church of Santa Maria e San Donato. There, I was told, the elderly lady was turned away for entering the holy place with bared upper arms. Shorts and mini-skirts are also a no-no in many of the churches in Venice.

     Using the system of Vaporetto (Venice’s buses), they were able to view most of Venice in the three days of their trip. Those water buses are a most convenient way to quickly move away from a crowded area and find another part of the city where one can walk through the five districts in a less time-consuming way. They stopped in many a shop along the way, had lunches in shaded areas, cooled off from the oppressive heat with ice cream and cold drinks, and ambled along as their whim took them. Dinners were spent in leisure during the pleasant warm summer nights and, I’m told, were all over town. The waiter at a restaurant at the base of the Realto Bridge later wrote that our author had let him know that his meal was unforgettable. The author claimed it was the best Spaghetti Bolognaise he had ever tasted. I cannot say that I am unhappy that I missed it all, as from a very close contact, the group sweltered in +40 degrees heat.  Why any ‘sane’ man would opt for Venice in mid July is just beyond me, but then we are speaking of Anton Von Stefan.

     Returning to Austria, they toured a small town in the Alps, visited Mödling, Wiener Neustadt, and saw Sopron via the fabled Raaber Bhan (train). Taking express trains and the Local Bahn from the author’s European home into Vienna, the couple experienced that city in a more personal way. 

     Just two weeks before leaving Europe, they hopped on another train and headed to Budapest for a four day tour. Seeing both the Pest and the Buda side of that ancient city, the group walked along the Danube, saw the castle, the cathedral and the parliament buildings both by day and again by night. Shortly, our author flew back to Canada via London.

     Less than two weeks later, I had to follow him into the Fraser Canyon where he had sequestered himself into a tiny resort not far from Boston Bar. Yes, 2015 was a busy year.

     In October he boarded a plane with a fine lady in hand and flew into Calgary. From there they spent a week in Banff where he took in a tour of Sulphur Mountain. Climbing right to the top, he snapped photos of the old weather cabin at 2,451m. The couple also visited the hot springs, enjoyed the fresh mountain air, walked along the Bow River to the falls and, of course, they were seen in many of the bars, shops and restaurants while there.

     Mid November, wearing formal wear and disguised as Jane & James Bond, the couple was noted to have attended the 9^th Annual James Bond Gala in downtown Vancouver. The author was active passing out business cards and sipping dry martinis with enemy agents and friendly folk alike.

     Luckily, Anton Von Stefan opted to remain in Vancouver for Christmas, so I had a little peace and quiet. Late December, however, I had to pack my snow gear and head off to Sun Peaks Resort where the same couple was viewed enjoying a New Year’s vacation in the mountains. Skiing deep powder, visiting with friends who own hotels and restaurants, and then taking in a sleigh ride was a great way for the author to end the year, but it is also an appropriate way to end this part of his Twisted Biography. Much more to come; the book is not yet out!

Go to: Part 25 - Twisted Biography

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