I spent a few days in the Austrian capital and I must confess, everything I heard about the nasty Viennese is true.
Let me cite a few examples:
When we reached the city centre from the airport and asked for directions from a stranger on the street, the man actually went out of his way and walked us to the famous Cafe Pruckel. The mean person wanted to know about Bombay and how life is in India these days. He talked about how beautiful Indian culture is and how he would like to visit the country sometime. He was so nasty that he even offered to wait with us outside the cafe until our friend turned up! What an awful way to start a trip to the Land of Mozart!
Then there was the bicylist who nearly knocked me over on a sidewalk. What nerve did that man have to nearly hit a foreigner who was walking on a bicycles only lane? Not only did he apologise but stopped his bicycle ahead to check if I was alright! When he saw a thumbs up for me and a smile, he rode on. What a bad guy!
These evil people of Vienna. They smile all the time. Young or old people, whether you see them on the street or in a tram. They smile at you and say Guten Morgen or Guten Abend. I am sure the pretty girl sitting next to me in the tram to Belvedere was exhibiting her meanness with that charming smile. These Viennese!!! They even make an attempt to respond to questions in English when asked in German!
Oh yes, the service culture is so bad at the cafes like Landtmann, Pruckel and Sperl that you get great coffee, desserts and snacks for reasonable prices and rather quickly from polite employees.
It's good that I set my expectations low after warnings from my friends and from the movie 'Before Sunrise.' Else I would have been saddened with the hostility of the people of Vienna!! NOTTTT!
I LOVE YOU, VIENNA!!!! You are one of the friendliest cities on earth. Thank you for your warmth, courtesy and welcoming nature!
Let me cite a few examples:
When we reached the city centre from the airport and asked for directions from a stranger on the street, the man actually went out of his way and walked us to the famous Cafe Pruckel. The mean person wanted to know about Bombay and how life is in India these days. He talked about how beautiful Indian culture is and how he would like to visit the country sometime. He was so nasty that he even offered to wait with us outside the cafe until our friend turned up! What an awful way to start a trip to the Land of Mozart!
Then there was the bicylist who nearly knocked me over on a sidewalk. What nerve did that man have to nearly hit a foreigner who was walking on a bicycles only lane? Not only did he apologise but stopped his bicycle ahead to check if I was alright! When he saw a thumbs up for me and a smile, he rode on. What a bad guy!
These evil people of Vienna. They smile all the time. Young or old people, whether you see them on the street or in a tram. They smile at you and say Guten Morgen or Guten Abend. I am sure the pretty girl sitting next to me in the tram to Belvedere was exhibiting her meanness with that charming smile. These Viennese!!! They even make an attempt to respond to questions in English when asked in German!
Oh yes, the service culture is so bad at the cafes like Landtmann, Pruckel and Sperl that you get great coffee, desserts and snacks for reasonable prices and rather quickly from polite employees.
It's good that I set my expectations low after warnings from my friends and from the movie 'Before Sunrise.' Else I would have been saddened with the hostility of the people of Vienna!! NOTTTT!
I LOVE YOU, VIENNA!!!! You are one of the friendliest cities on earth. Thank you for your warmth, courtesy and welcoming nature!
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