Is It Wien Yet?

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So, it feels like Germany, they speak German, and mostly, they act German. One thing for sure, they love their ice cream and cigarettes. What a combination! My German speaking, or lack thereof, is coming back so very slowly. The brain cells are still there. They think we have gone bonkers with Trump. My hotel, the Ruby Marie on MariahilferStrasse is way too hip for me. Totally paperless, tablets everywhere, why don't we all do this?

Only an ice cream joint would serve beer here. Friday night, time for wurst, kebabs, or ?? With beer and some apple strudel for dessert? The train ride here was uneventful, except for one thing. The locomotive died about 20 minutes outside of Budapest. An hour or so later, we got another, and proceeded to stay an hour off schedule.



People are not very friendly on the Budapest line, but at least they serve refreshments!! One of you commented that all I do is eat and drink. Yes, there are no other options. Legally. Finally, I found CNN here, as I am sick of BBC, Sky, and Aljazeera. And the old American reruns like Big Bang, Simpsons, and Friends are more believable in German compared to Polish or Hungarian. The fires are awful, glad not to see it constantly, but have you ever noticed that no country offers to help us. Maybe we need to rethink some of our global disaster assistance. What do you think??

Needless to say, Austria appears much like Germany with regard to immigrants. It seems to be working here, as it does in Germany. My Cal Bears would pull off their best win of the season, when all I see on TV here is pfooootbol! It was rather difficult to find coffee here before 8am. The German, however little I can recall, is coming back rather easily. Frightening!!! The Budapest women dress much nicer, take better care of themselves, but smoke just as much as the frauleins here.



I am bracing myself for a concert at Schonnbrunn Palace tonight. I might fall asleep. The Middle Easterners are a big part of the economy here. I do miss the MLB playoffs, however. Rooting for the underdog Yankees and Fresno State's Aaron Judge.



So I am very spoiled or very tired, but I fell asleep on the Big Bus City Tour in Vienna. Everything looked the same!!! I really hope my Napa, and St. Helena friends are okay. What a disaster! So, same time, same station, the Spanish tourists are living up to their reputation as bad tourists. They started yelling at the bus driver and ticket sellers because the bus was full. Idiotic, I say.



The best fashion statement of the day was an Austrian tourist, forgive my lack of photo, who had denim jeans that matched her hair. The color was not blue, black, brown, tan or red. It was the brightest magenta I have ever seen. I wanted to ask her what happens when she wears another jean color. The Germans and Rooskies did bad things here. So did Napoleon. Centuries of really brutal control by others.



The beer here is quite good. I had a hefeweisen with my chicken satay wrap at lunch today at the pop up market. Now I am tired of both CNN and BBC. It never changes! World news is depressing. Give me local, home news anytime!



We are having their version of Viennese summer, and now no AC at hotel. For October , there are way too many tourists here, esp. large groups from Asia. You know which ones, the ones who might be 80, but color their hair black or dark brown. The US State Department told me to stay away from Die Gruner demonstration tomorrow at the Hofburg or Parliament. But I talked to them today on the street by my hotel, just the green movement, giving out hundreds of green balloons, green energy bars and green gum. The police were watching from their vans, each one with Swat teams about 9 deep. It seemed rather harmless to me. They gave me a tote bag.



So, Mike got home on time from Frankfurt yesterday, no problem. Is the hazy air starting to clear??? This hotel is circular, and I have a pie shaped room, I think. It has the feel of a hostel, but mostly veteran travelers like me. Plus it is on the best shopping street in the city, MariahilferStrasse. Many other similar hotels nearby.



Thanks for the rec, Ric. Love this Rick Stein on BBC travel. He was in Istanbul, where I should be right now!!! So, to put some closure on Vienna, I had dinner at a quintessential Viennese dinner house. Mariahilferbrau is about 4 or 5 blocks from my hotel. I was the only tourist there. The beer was good, but, oh my, so busy for a Saturday night. I leave early tomorrow for an 8am train to Munich. Should be just a 4 hour ride, then a two block walk to my hotel. See you there!!!

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