Mucho Gusto, Vienna!

Today I’ve learned another value of food. Food quickly introduces you to a place and culture in a direct, genuine way.

We arrived in Vienna early Wednesday morning, having taken the overnight train from Cologne. As we began exploring Vienna with sleepy heads and crusty eyes, I was completely overwhelmed. Full of massive stately 18^th century museums, palaces, opera house, and medieval cathedrals, Vienna was a lot to take in. I felt like an awe-struck child, wandering aimlessly throughout the winding streets. Starving, we looked up a cheap cafe to grap a bite and decided on Trzesniewski, a small, discreet cultural institution, serving various pates and spreads on rye bread alongside mini mugs of beer. Women in yellow aprons meted out the rectangle rye bread, topped with mashed eggs, salmon, tuna, carrots, mushrooms, and speck. The place with packed so we stood by the heater and gobbled our food. It was delicious!

Now I don’t feel quite so lost; now I have a tangible feel of Vienna; now I feel connected to this vast bustling city, all because of a little piece of bread topped with tuna and mushrooms and a swig of beer.

In Spanish, when you’ve been introduced to a person, you can use ‘mucho gusto’ to say ‘nice to meet you.’ Now, after our little lunch at Trzesniewski, I feel I can say, ‘Mucho gusto, Vienna!’