Vienna for COG’s
Contributed by: Lynn Hoffman
Here’s what us old guys do in Vienna.
•take the tram to Grinzing (a neighborhood on the north side) and
visit the heurigen which are small wine bars attached to the local
vineyards. sit at a table with the other viennese and you may discover
that you speak german.
•buy a transit pass that covers the time of your stay. go everywhere
on trams and see how easily a city can be connected to itself. trams
run every 2-3 minutes and they go everywhere. be sure to take the tram
around the Ring road.
•go the the Prater and ride the ferris wheel-it’s the one that was in
The Third Man
•have lunch at the art history museum under the dome. maybe the most
beautiful lunchroom in the world.
•visit the coffee shops-Caffe Central is the most famous. bring a
book, pretend you’re at home and have all the time in the world.
•visit a wine bar and insist on drinking only austrian wines- if you
brought your taste buds, you’ll be amazed
•wearing your best business casual clothes, have a cocktail hour
cocktail at the Black Camel. order wine and smile. I guarantee you’ll
make a new friend.
•in spring get an ice cream cone and walk through the park in front of
the Votivkirche where the young folks socialize and sunbathe. try not
to stare.
•in summer, go to the Donauinsel-the artificial island in the Danube.
rent a bike and visit the various beaches, each with their own
distinctive crowd. try not to stare.
•go to the movies. if you’re used to American movie houses, you’ll
laugh at how civilized the Viennese version is.
•go to the gym. i recommend Elixa. take the U6 to Handleskai stop.
work out, use the treadmill with the view of the danube, swim. then
retire to the steam room and sauna and see how civilized that can be.
•visit the Augarten, a formal park. marvel at the flak tower, one of
four or five that the viennese built to keep the allied planes from
bombing the city. when your local guide tells you what engineering
marvels they were,
be sure to ask how well they worked.
•if you understand German, go to a cabaret. it’s the last holdout of
satirical improv-gracious and hilariously funny
I could go on.
Lynn Hoffman Ph. D. is, (an old guy who hopes he’s too cool to worry whether
he’s a cool old guy.) He is the author of The Short Course in Beer and the
killer novel bang BANG. You can reach him at: drfood55@gmail.com