Picking up Monica, Rathaus 1

Saturday 14.8.2010

Went to a Libro store to get supplies to make a sign for picking my friend Monica up at the airport. She was one of my closest friends at UCSD this year, and was in Europe for a language program in Spain. We decided it’d be a good idea if we met in Europe. Yay for bonding! I got the stuff to make the sign and also spent some time cleaning the apartment in preparation for her arrival (you’re welcome, apartmentmates!). Also went to the grocery store twice, because the first time I didn’t have a €1 coin and couldn’t unlock a cart, so I couldn’t carry much in my arms. Anyway, to get to that Libro store one much walk away from the U-Bahn station, so it was a way I’ve never been before, down around Neubaugasse. It’s really bustling! Lots of people and shops. I also saw a couple cool little cafés that I want to check out. Kinga, the apartment building manager, took some of us to see DJ Tiësto, who was spinning at the Rathaus. By the time we were on our way, it was getting close to the time my friend’s plane was too arrive so we parted ways at one of the U-Bahn stops and I went to Landstraße to take the CAT (City Airport Train) to the airport to get Monica. Everything went well. We got back to the apartment and made a dinner of bowtie pasta with oregano and sauce and sliced mini Bernerwürstel, which are bacon-wrapped cheese sausages, and the best thing I’ve ever, ever tasted. Monica is a vegetarian at UCSD, but she’s decided to eat meat while in Europe, since it’s very difficult not to. Another friend in my program, Marielle, doesn’t eat beef or pork, so I always have to help her find someone edible on the German menus. Monica said that in Spain they couldn’t even grasp the concept of veganism, and I image it’s the same in Austria; meat is a big part of their menu. Anyway the dinner was delicious. Afterward we took the U-Bahn to the Rathaus (which is magnificent lit up at night) to see if Tiësto was still playing, but he wasn’t (it was only 23:00! What’s up with that?). Some guy was trying to get us to go to a party I think, but I couldn’t quite understand him and just said “Nein, bitte” and walked away; he seemed displeased. The area around the stage was covered in empty alcohol containers and napkins and there were lots of young people about, most of them drunk or getting there. I’ve never seen a public area like the Rathaus in Vienna like this. It was the aftermath of a party. Anyway, so the young people of Vienna. Interesting to see the change in age groups on this particular night. We decided to just take the U-Bahn back to the apartment and go to bed.