One of my favorite past times in Seattle is grabbing a cup of coffee at one of the thousands of Cafes and walking around. Vienna has a ton of "Cafes," but they are not the same as what we find in Seattle. One cannot simply walk into a cafe here and expect a quick informal interaction. Going to a cafe here means sitting down, ordering, then slowly drinking while remaining in the cafe atmosphere. Many "cafes" here aren't even specialized in coffee. On one of the first days here a few of us walked into one that was actually more of a bar. Which still seems informal, but not when you compare it to Starbucks. On Friday, Mac, Monica and I went to the Sacher Cafe for the famous Sacher Torte. This cafe was so formal that we were worried we were not dressed nice enough. I have never had this experience in a Seattle cafe.
Like we learned in our German 299 class, Cafe Culture is a thing in Vienna. It is just not what I expected it to be. At first I was deterred by it, but I think with time it will become less foreign and I will come to enjoy my coffee as more of a luxury and experience. Which honestly, that is exactly how coffee should be. So out with the informal Seattle and in with the classy Vienna.
I also have such feeling. Last time Cindy and i went shopping at Stephanplatz, we were thirsty and want to get something to drink. We
ReplyDeletewalked around, and tried to find a Starbucks, but besides Mcdonald's, all the Cafes seemed like not service quick coffee. People in these Cafes just sat near the window, and cheat with their friends. I feel that people in Vienna must stay in Cafe for a little while every day. It seems like people in seattle must buy a coffee in Starbucks everyday morning.
I definitely agree! I'm also kind of a cafe nut, and I was surprised more by the service than the formality. One of the first cafes I visited was one right off of the Naschmarkt. The waitress was so cold during my time there, and afterwards, she stood right beside me while I counted my cash to pay. It was a little awkward for me, at first.
ReplyDeleteI think now, fortunately, I'm really learning to love the cafes here.
I've also noticed the differences in the cafe culture. Sometimes they look a little too fancy for me to go into and I feel really awkward asking for a menu (as in, sorry! I'm not a regular here!) Anyway. I'm getting over it. No point in that. I think I like cafe's around here more at night time. They're a bit livelier and people don't seem so cold.
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