One of the most frequent questions I am asked by folks in the USA is: "What's different about living in Vienna?" I usually take this to mean "other than the obvious." The obvious, of course, it that things are old here. Very old. Folks were living here a long time before the Romans showed up to build a garrison and that was a very long time ago indeed. In fact, archeologists using ground penetrating radar have discovered a Roman gladiator training facility just outside Vienna. Excavation has not begun on this recent discovery, but it illustrates just how long civilization has existed here.
Within walking distance of our apartment, for example, are the Kammerstein ruins (pictured above). A steep trail up into the Wienerwald will lead you to this site. Built around 1250 by one of the local dukes, it was burned in the 1300's. How do you burn a castle? Set fire to the timbers on the inside and the walls collapse. The point is, if you wind up and throw a rock in this town, chances are you will hit something that is older than the United States of America. A lot older.
On my regular walk to the market, I pass buildings that are hundreds of years old, and some that just look hundreds of years old.
After living here for awhile, one sort of ignores the massive stone buildings that all of the tourists are busily taking pictures of. It's a bit of fun, actually. Ah, yes, ho hum, the Opera building. Gee, I hadn't given that a second thought. So when people ask me about the differences between living in Vienna versus the USA, I reckon that they mean the small things.
Cars are smaller, as are parking spaces. This is where my soon-to-be father-in-law parks his little car. It's best to exit the Auto prior to his parking it.
Seriously, lots of things are other than what one would expect. Here is my very far from scientific list:
Construction sites. Even on large construction sites, it is fairly typical to see workers without shirts working in short pants. This is so antithetical to all of the rules I am used to that it is a bit of a shocker to me. This is simply not done on, say, a union work site in Seattle.
The Dinner Check and Tipping. Yes, not a city in China. The general practice for tipping a waiter is a bit off-putting until one gets used to it. First, getting the bill is no small feat. The Viennese love to linger and talk, whether over a coffee or a meal. No decent waiter will ever bring a party the dinner bill without being asked. In some cases pleaded with. In fact, the wait staff have a habit of disappearing for a smoke or a brief sexual encounter just about the time your ass is finally falling asleep and you really do want to leave. I mean, it's been three hours a the same table. "Bitte, bitte, Zahlung, bitte?" Once you actually have the bill, the waiter will hover at the table while you do a quick reckoning. You must tell the waiter what amount to round up to and then he or she will give you the appropriate change. There is no opportunity for private reflection nor is it permissible to simply leave the tip on the table. Foreigners consider it hovering. Wait staff consider it polite. Adapt to it and do your math quickly. Ten percent is solid tip. I always tip higher than the typical Viennese so my regular cafe' folks are happy to see me.
Smoking and Dags. Everyone in Vienna smokes. And everyone has a dog. While this is not literally true, you will soon come to believe that it is true. As as aside, if you wish to meet a cute Viennese girl, there are lots of them. This town is full of beautiful women. If you wish to meet a cute Viennese girl who does not own a dog or does not smoke, good luck. If you want to meet a girl who neither smokes nor owns a dog, well, I would suggest looking elsewhere. People in cafes smoke. Inside and out. People in cafes bring their dogs. Inside and out. Get used to it. The Viennese think their dogs are a lot cuter than you do.
Public Transit. You see, the thing about public transit in Vienna is that it is cheap, reliable, functional, safe, and will take you virtually anywhere. In the USA, public transit is a last ditch effort to allow the poor some means of getting to work. Big difference. I love the U-Bahn.
Apotheke. There aren't really any "drug stores" here. There is DM and Bipa, stores that sell hair color, soaps, shampoos, and shaving cream. Then there are the Apotheke. The Pharmacy. Almost anything that we in the USA would construe as a vitamin, aspirin, pain medication or cold remedy can only be had at the pharmacy, the Apotheke. Everything is behind a counter and you must queue up to ask the pharmacist for it. The good news is that many. many things that require a doctor's visit and a prescription are available by simply asking for them. The bad news is that things like aspirin and vitamin supplements come at a heavy price compared to the US.
Holidays. Every third Thursday on alternating weeks is a holiday. Also second Tuesdays, the odd Monday and then all of August. While this is not, of course, literally true, you will believe it to be so after a short while. The Austrians love holidays and have a great many of them, often Catholic Saint's days, which everyone gets off work even if you are a devout atheist. Cool, huh? And in August, the town really does empty out, with the locals fleeing to the Adriatic or Italy, abandoning the town to the tourist who flock here in even greater numbers during that month.
Sundays. Speaking of things being closed, Sunday is the day. And all holidays. Stores close on Sundays and holidays. And I do mean close. As in not open. As in grocery stores. Closed. Period. Restaurants, cafes, etc, are open, but forget it if you want to buy a liter of milk. Some bakeries are open for a short time on Sunday morning. The exception to the rule is the flower stores, which stay open for the Sunday cemetery visitors.
This picture doesn't mean anything. It was just time for a pictorial interlude.
Bread. Speaking of bakeries, the bread is great here. When you throw the above-mentioned rock, you are just as likely to hit a backerei as an old building. Maybe even both with a little luck. Bread is serious business here and although you can buy the pre-sliced sandwich kind of bread in the stores, I don't see why anyone ever would. Real, fresh baked bread still seeping warmth through the paper wrapping. Yes indeed. Gluten free maniacs, take note: You will suffer here.
Politeness. This is a polite society. When you enter or leave a small cafe' it is considered good manners to great your fellow diners or bid them farewell. Formal greetings are always required before asking any question. It can also be a grumpy society, with people ignoring each other on the street. Greeting passersby with a big grin and friendly greeting can rattle the Viennese. It's pretty fun. Make sure you give it a try.
Water. No, you are not going to get a glass of water at a cafe'. Unless you order a coffee and then you will get a small glass of soda or mineral water. That's just the way it is. Get used to it. You're going to have to pay for what you drink.
Bicycles. Bicycling is a valid way for Austrians to get from point A to point B. Bike trails, bike routes, and bike lanes are a ubiquitous part of the transportation system. Woe betide the errant driver who so much as looks like they may get too close to a bicyclist. The hard thing about it is getting used to people stopping for me rather than trying to kill me. The only time I have been yelled at here is when I did not immediately plunge ahead when a driver stopped for me. Forgive me, unknown Austrian person, I am used to being run down, not stopped for.
So, what is it that I miss about the USA? Not much, really. I certainly don't miss strip malls, which are blessedly absent here in Vienna. One of the things that I do miss is decent corn chips. The Austrians wouldn't know a decent bag of corn chips if it bit them in their Lederhosen. So, yeah, corn chips. Upon arrival in Seattle next week, I plan on getting a full one pound bag of my favorite organic chips and stuffing my head into their crunchy salty goodness. Then I'll start missing the bread.
So there you have it Friends and Neighbors, the little differences between living in the USA and living in Vienna. Now you know. As always, Ciao for Now!
Oh, yes, and they have flak towers here. Bye!
