Danube Blue

I'm in Vienna at the moment, a musical city and the foundation of such musical icons as Strauss, Mahler, and Falco. Vienna is a bit like Kylie Minogue; very attractive, but so wholesome as to be ultimately bland. (The same could be said of Strauss' music, and indeed Falco's. Not Mahler's though.) Communication is a bit limited since I haven't studied german for over twenty years, and the only phrases I now know are 'danke', 'bitte', and 'essen mein scheiße' (this last I picked up from South Park). I'm getting by, but after a few days the look on people's faces when I hail them with a cheery 'essen mein Scheiße!' is beginning to get predictable. I've now been reduced to being polite to people.

There's a sign in my hotel room that proudly states 'Vienna has premium water quality. Water from the tap may be drunk unscrupulously'. Nothing I do is done with scruples, but it's nice to know that I have permission to appropriately hydrate myself.