My home town, Vienna, is located in the zone of 99.5% maximum darkness,
but that wasn't enough for about half a million people (which is one
third of the inhabitants!).  They took mainly their cars and drove
about 100 km southwards to observe the event in the zone of total
darkness, within a stripe of about 100 km.  Of course, most of them
tried to move to the center line, expecting 2 minutes and 20 seconds
of darkness.  And as the weather was cloudy, and radio stations told
everybody there would be a better chance to watch more clearly in
a certain small area, you can imagine what huge congestion occurred
there.

But I was lucky to get to a previously checked good place within
only two hours drive (it normally takes one hours drive): the
mountain peak Stuhleck, 1800 meters high at Fischbacher Alpen.

Because the peak was completely covered with fog and heavy gusts of
wind, I tried it 100 m lower where I found some shelter, but still
the sky was full with banks of high clouds moving very slowly.

Okay, when the eclipse started at 11:22 AM I could spot it about
every minute between the holes of the clouds.  With the help of some
fog 'filtering', which came down the hill occasionally, it was even
possible to watch and take pictures without some special sun-glasses
(reduction factor 1:100.00 !)  Additionally, I could follow the event
through projection of the sun done with binoculars mounted on a stand
for music, although it was very hard to find the right direction
because of the clouds and when there was no shadow.  (See photos
transmitted with an earlier message).

And then at 12:46 PM the phase of total darkness started within a few
breaths.  I was very lucky to have clear sight as the moon covered
the sun, leaving only a small sickle; the light turned more and more
from a gray (as you can find in twilight) to a deep blue, and things
changed very fast: a sundown at high speed.

Then I could detect the so-called "diamond effect" -- when the last
sunbeams find their ways through a valley of the moon -- and darkness
appeared suddenly.  Needing no more sun filter the corona come into
visibility, as it was the case with some planets and stars, and in
a darkness like full moon (the only light came from the corona); the
2 minutes 10 seconds passed in such a short time, full of indescribable
emotions.  Far from writing more sentences I can only point to the
article by Adalbert Stifter, "Die Sonnenfinsternis am 8. Juli 1842",
when more the 150 years ago there was a total eclipse here in Vienna.

Well, as the diamond appeared again when the moon started to leave
covering of the sun, the event came to an end with rapid sunrise and
returning to normal celestial circumstances -- which was not the case
driving home.  It took me more than three hours to drive home, only
100 km (60 miles): traffic jams on all highways, down to even the
smallest roads, which I know as good secret paths when there are
accidents.

We spent some fine time at the peak pub (Yes, yes, with beer and
good food) and listening to the band performing and singing cute
tunes with two violins, contrabass and "Steirische Knoepferlharmonika",
a diatonic (non-chromatic) button-accordion from Styria.

I thought of borrowing an instrument to play "Eine kleine Nachtmusik"
('A small night music'), from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, during the time
of total darkness, but then I followed the tip of an expert to concen-
trate on the event and enjoy it.

Servus !

Claus Kucher