Metros and Museums and Cigarettes, oh my!!

Day 2.

30 January 2011

            Today I decided to brave the public transportation system in Vienna.  It went very well because it is very similar to the metro in D.C.  I hopped on at the Kardinal Nagl Platz station two blocks from my apartment and rode the U3 line to the Volkstheater station to visit the Museums Quartier.  The Museums Quartier takes up several blocks with many different museums – it reminded me of the Smithsonians except they were all connected by a huge courtyard and not free.  It is a true cultural center, or so the sign said.  I ventured into The Leopold Museum to check out some paintings and sculptures.  I saw a portrait Picaso did of his girlfriend…if I was the girlfriend, I would have been pissed!  I also got to take in one of Andy Warhol’s self-portraits among many other fantastic pieces of art.  In the Leopold, I sat down at my first café in Austria and ordered coffee with Bailey’s.  Being in a high-density tourist area, she did not scoff at my non-Austrian order and knew to bring me black drip coffee with a shot of Bailey’s.  Note to self: Focus outings in the touristy areas until my German vocabulary expands beyond 10 words.

            Once I grew tired of walking around the museum, I got back on the U-bahn and headed back home to find some food.  Darren, one of my travel advisors, was right.  Nothing is open on Sundays…except very few restaurants and many pubs packed with Austrian men.  I was a bit too intimidated to step in the pubs and be the only American girl amongst many drunken Austrian men, so I turned another corner and found an oasis.  A pizza place!  I went in and accomplished ordering a pepperoni pizza to-go.  The man behind the counter spoke no English, but again, the universal language of pointing and nodding saved the day.

            Smoking is very prevalent over here.  I guess they haven’t heard the horror stories of what became of the Marlboro Man because they smoke like chimneys.  Everyone seems to love their little cancer sticks and the promotion of tobacco products here is a bit disturbing.  They have cigarette vending machines on the street that are more common than ATM machines and have even invested in special rubbish bins for cigarette butts (see pictures below).

            My second day is drawing closer and closer to bedtime.  Before I can sleep, I will finish my homework and enjoy the slice of chocolate cake I picked up in the lovely bakery next to cigarette vending machine #1,256,389.  They spoke English in the bakery; I think I might visit them again.

Yep, that's Picaso's Girlfriend up there...