h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Beatrice has blogged about Vienna, and it made me revisit my journal about the Albertina. I could spend a whole day there. And did. Twice. But the reason I went there was to see Albrecht Duerer's drawings, but I still haven't seen them.

The three things I loved best about Vienna were 1) the coffee 2) the Albertina and 3) me oul' friend Mala. Not in that order.

is the coffee that good? I think I need to visit the fact you've not yet seen these pics you went to see, each time, so far, indicates, surely, your in need of another visit! huzzah! - I've got serious cabin fever right now.... feels like I've not left this city in..... well, since I can last recall doing so, which was way back last September! gona try escape one day soon, even just for an overnight somewhere non-too distant though I'm still hoping some air travel might be possible before the year is out

Glad you enjoyed it, and how lovely that we both visited the Albertina!

For me, the nicest thing about it was that there are lots of benches to sit down on, and just let the art do the talking.

The coffee is a whole new ball game - there are many varieties, not always the same names you'd be familiar with. For example, a cappuccino will be Viennese style (duh!) ie with whipped cream on top. The coffee with frothed milk type is a "melange"

Hi Bea - nice to see you. May I ask for a link to the blog KB mentioned above. I'd love to hear more about Vienna from your POV.

https://dancingatlunacy.wordpress.com/2015/06/13/euroviennaslava/

'ere you go. The blog itself is mostly "running with a bit of dancing", but the odd travel write up does make an appearance. Currently working on our cruise report.

"For example, a cappuccino will be Viennese style (duh!) ie with whipped cream on top. The coffee with frothed milk type is a "melange"
"

Ah! That's really interesting - I used to go to my local café for a "Vienna Melange", and it was a mixture of coffee and chocolate with frothed milk, and it was really good - not as bitter as a mocha is usually - but then I was disappointed when I went to a different café that served "Vienna Melange", and it was just a coffee (admittedly very smooth) cappuccino type thing...

My main memory of Vienna was the crisp cold weather, and eating hot chestnuts and potatoes in the street

But a "melange" is a mixture, by definition. A mixture of chocolate and coffee .

Don't the Austrians use the German word and call it Kapuziner?

I remember swimming in a pool on the grounds of the Schonbrunn Palace. I walked seemingly for miles trying to find it. My hotel was just around the corner from Joseph Haydn's house, which has been turned into a museum of sorts. I also went to the Central Cemetery
http://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/sights/from-s-to-z/central-cemetery
and the Central Café
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_Central
but the Central Station was not yet open in 2004 when I was in Vienna. They seem to like to give the "Central" to lot of things, though. I remember Saint Stephen's Church, and the little kiosks outside where candies with Mozart's face on them were sold.

I don't specifically remember Vienna's coffee, but the food was good wherever I went.

One day I will go to Vienna.

The only problem I have heard with the food is that the waiters are constantly bothering you to ask if everything is OK.

Actually it's funny you should mention waiters. We were served by one of the most obnoxious, smartass, annoying ones I've ever met. I think he took personal umbrage at the fact that vegetarianism *exists*, never mind that he was serving two of them. Like putting a plate down and saying "There. Vegetarian enough for you?" W

I hasten to add, he wasn't representative of Vienna at all. The service at the fast food stands in the street was better than his (and much more pleasant). But it was his loss. I would likely have been back to that place quite a few times and spent quite a bit of money if it wasn't for him. (And I tend to tip overly well when people aren't dicks, too.)

The food words in Austrian German are the most confusing! In Germany, tomatoes are "Tomaten" - self-explanatory. In Austria, they are "Paradiser".

And "eine Aubergine" is "eine Melanzani".

Not all the differences are due to Italian :

Quark = Topfen
Pancakes are Palatschinken instead of Pfannkuchen (although in some parts of Germany a Pfannkuchen can be a doughnut)
Horseradish is not Rettich but Kren
Dampfnudeln - no idea what we would call them in English - a sort of sweet dumpling - are Germknödel. Although there again, in Northern Germany they are translated as Hefeklösse.
Cream is Schmand
Whipped cream is Obers
Pastries are "Mehlspeisen".

(Hope Tav excuses me if I've got any wrong.)

For a German who is unfamiliar with that sort of thing, reading a menu in Austria is as baffling as reading one in French.

I worked as an au pair for an Austrian lady in Madrid, and got to know all the words through her. Her husband was German so she knew the German names.

Words for basic foods can vary over very short distances, especially when there are mountains in between, which prevented communication for many centuries.

It was mostly the foodstuff names that baffled me.

The different coffees in different countries will be a meme in my cruise blog!

Vienna - melange
Italy - shakkerata
Spain - cortado
France - I don't tend to drink coffee in France.

Those aren't all the same coffee, by the way, just my preferred option.

what's wrong with French coffee?

I hadn't really thought about it, other than I don't often order it there, but when I googled "what's wrong with French coffee" I find I'm not alone!

http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/2005/11/french-coffee/

Surely France is for drinking brandy and wine in!

On coffee...I'm getting *really* fed up with trying to find decent coffee in Belfast. I swear it's gone downhill within the space of the last three months. (Know anywhere good, Bea?)

Twice in one day I was asked if I wanted milk, said no, and was completely ignored!

And the other favourite stunt is, if you don't want milk, they just dilute the hell out of it with extra hot water, which isn't a great improvement really.

Hmmm, I dont really drink coffee in Belfast much! Friends who do say Clements is the best option.