August 15th

Today a small group of us went to Café Zul because the Internet was down at our apartment complex. I ordered a mélange which is one of the classic Viennese selections at coffe houses. It is most likely comparable to the cappuccino. It is served with milk and just a little whipped cream to top it off. The cultural importance of the cafes in Vienna is apparent when you are in one of the many cafes that pop up all around the city. People were sitting out front enjoying good conversation. Most common are the people who take their dogs for a walk and then sit outside in the beautiful weather to enjoy a nice mélange or Brauner. It is a great opportunity to converse or to just enjoy reading a chapter out of your current book or get up to date on current events by flipping through the paper. The importance of coffee in Vienna dates back to 1683 when Eugene of Savoy pushed the Turks out of the city limits. When the Turks retreated, it has been said that they just left mass quantities of coffee behind to the victorious Viennese. This Turkish influence however is very noticeable as there still continues to be countless coffee houses all around Vienna. After my cup of coffee I was feeling hungry and decided to pay a visit to the SchnitzelHaus. The pork schnitzel burger is very tasty and they batter and beat the pork meat right there in front of you when you order. I thought I would be polite and order in German and ordered correctly until the employee asked me in German whether I wanted chicken or pork schnitzel. I didn’t know how to respond correctly so he became agitated and asked me in English. This is just one of my examples of encountering less than friendly Viennese. I just try to be polite and friendly but most people in Vienna I’ve noticed don’t want to be bothered with pleasantries. After this Mike, Misha, and myself went to The Duke, an English pub, to catch the Liverpool-Arsenal game. We are big soccer fans and wanted watch the game live. It was quite interesting to be in an English pub where no one was actually English. Don’t get me wrong the people working at the bar spoke very good English, but they were all 100% Austrian. But they were showing the Liverpool- Arsenal game so we were in no rush to leave. It was not the greatest atmosphere for watching a soccer match, no one was really into the game but we enjoyed it and made our own atmosphere in the bar with our enthusiasm while watching the match.