Trip to Vienna, Austria for Sandia as part of a team writing site selection criteria for international nuclear waste repositories.
May 10: I arrived in Wien at 2:00 pm (6 am Albuquerque time) after a long 22 hour journey through the clouds. My luggage was lost somewhere along the way. It was drizzling rain, 5 degrees C. Based on my last day in Wien 15 years ago in 1967 I thought that maybe it always rained in Wien. I changed my money (12 shillings per dollar), rode the bus (42 schillings) to the city air terminal at the Hilton. During the bus ride we passed a few oil refineries, a large granary (elevators made of stone rising 100’ into the air, one junkyard and many parks as we approached the city.
I hailed a taxi at the city terminal gave him the address of Pension Wiener and he looked confused. I knew I may be in trouble if the cabbie didn’t know where the hotel was, but he, after talking to two other cabbies found out where the hotel was and drove me there. On the way I was impressed by many wonders and the sameness but charm of Wiener buildings, a type of Wiener stucco (plaster?) over something. All buildings are grey, buff, or brown, smooth-walled with plain windows and peaked roofs ornamented all along the edge of the roof. There were many posters in the parks advertising men’s underwear with genitals proudly displayed. I thought of the contrast where in America female sex symbols are the dominant ads whereas here it is male. Perhaps men are more concerned with machismo here. I noticed also that all songs on the radio are in English, rock and roll, country and western, etc. or are “classical” music.
This made me think, later reinforced by news in German on TV that the American way of life dominates this country, maybe Europe in general. Perhaps the machismo is related. Perhaps a feeling of impotence is prevalent in view of the dominance of America after WWII. Anyway, despite the diplomatic bickering, this country is VERY Americanized – they love us; and hate us in a very special way, expect US to do all that should be done and do it right, but are not willing to admit they are dependent on us.
Arrived at Pension, taxi left (50 shillings), and I found the door to the building locked. I found a buzzer to ring and pushed it. A girl answered. I told her my name. She said “wait.” While waiting in the rain I noticed to outer door; a beautiful wrought iron door, opening both ways from the middle with iron flowers, leaves, and lacework all wonderfully crafted and cast. When the girl let me in she took me upstairs to the 3rd floor (actually the 4th because the first floor is really the second; the first being only the entrance) and showed me my room. I only had reservations for six nights and she warned me to get reservations for Friday the 16th soon because of the music festival and the elections. Also I must change rooms after 3 days to a single bedroom. I went to my room and collapsed in bed (4:00 pm) to the music of Beethoven on the radio.
10:30 pm the phone rang. My bag was at the airport. I had failed to declare anything for duty and the lady on the other end of the phone in broken English and my broken German informed I owed 345 shillings for duty on cigarettes, about 30 dollars for 3 cartons. She said she would pay and bring the suitcase to me. I took a bath in a large wonderful bathtub. Hot water was turned down to about 90-95 degrees F. When I dried I noticed the towel, 5’ x 5’, just right for wrapping around under my armpits. When the delivery woman arrived with the suitcase she said she had talked customs into charging duty on only one carton (2 are permitted from for US citizens with US cigarettes). I was relieved and gave her 200 shillings (115 for the cigarettes) but meant to give her only 150, 35 for tip. I guess I was too sleepy, confused over money not knowing the color of 50 or 100 shilling notes and happy it was not 350 shillings as she has prepared me.
In the lobby I asked where I could find food (now 11:30 pm) and lo and behold the night lady, a wonderful Austrian about 55-60 years old, fat, worldly and a big smile said in German, “I will fix for you eggs”. So after scrambled eggs, milk and a wonderful brat, hard rolls and rye bread, I collapsed in bed again.
May 11: 8:30 am alarm rings. I get up, opened the window and inhaled a sunny 50 degree F Wiener air. It doesn’t ALWAYS rain in Wien. A beautiful day. I called for my breakfast as part of the 610 shilling room fee, washed and dressed. My breakfast: more great brats, very strong coffee, orange juice, milk, jelly, butter, and very thin sliced salami arrived. As I was eating the city air became filled with the peel of bells. I jumped to the window to listen. The cathedral is only a block away. As I sat in the window and listened I noticed the statures ornamenting the edges of the roofs of the buildings. The gods and famous people were everywhere, overlooking the city and protecting it. Also stone flowers in intricate planters decorated the roofs. The plainness of the buildings is an illusion stripped away when seen from rooftop level.
After eating breakfast and listening to the music of the bells (and writing this) I decided I must go out and taste this beautiful day in Wien, the city of the world where East and West meet. Later adding "I had a conversation with the Ghana Ambassador to Denmark (Copenhagen) whose family moved here from 72 – 78. I noticed a woman with a cane window shopping at 8:30 Sunday morning" (end of narrative).
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