There are no kangaroos in Austria, and for an outsider who doesn't speak German, the Viennese can seem a bit detached. In spite of a zealous tourist industry and its status as an internationally connected city, Vienna remains firmly itself -- self-aware, smart, and world weary. Even now, decades past its imperial prime, there is a cosmopolitan reserve and a daily recognition of the past's influence on the present, neither of which stand in the way of innovation and forward thinking. The attitude of the Viennese is deserved, and as a sandbagging visitor of long practice, it has never offended me. The coffee's pretty damned good, too, and no one, nowhere, serves it quite the same way.
BAYLOR: History and sausages in Vienna
... later on the very same day in 1985, I saw Franz Ferdinand's blood-stained tunic and the restored automobile in which he rode to his death, both on display at Vienna's military museum, itself filled with relics of far more battles lost than won. The Habsburgs didn't conquer their empire through battlefield prowess. Rather, they married into it, piece by piece.Photo credit
I enjoyed your column very much. Your description here of the Viennese is absolutely correct and reminds me of an exchange in the movie "Before Sunrise" where Ethan Hawke's character asks two Viennese if they speak English. One answers him "It would be nice if someone could speak German for a change".
ReplyDeleteMy own personal story of my first interaction with the Viennese was at Cafe Central, where Lenin and Trotsky were said to have plotted the Russian Revolution. I tried to pay for our coffee and food with a credit card. The waiter looked at it, sniffed and then said "Don't you have any money?". A red-faced Mrs. Bayern quickly pulled Euros out of her bag and then later scolded me for trying to use a card. Needless to say, when we later went to the equally famous Cafe Hawelka, I paid in cash...
Mrs. B lived in Vienna for 7 years while studying at the University of Vienna and then a pedagogical academy. We both love the city, the people, and the attitude. We didn't get to Vienna on our recent trip, but we'll get back there someday. Thanks for reminder.