Saturday, March 2, 2013

A Walk Out Of A Frame


Here I sit, in the middle of an unnamed park. It is a bit cold to be sitting outside, but the sun on my face helps. I see two young men playing football, a child playing in a puddle and groups of people scattered over the hillside. There is a cafe right next to us where the more responsible of us reside. Maybe in a bit, once my hands are sufficiently cold, I will go find some lunch. But for now I am content to do not much more than watch the time go by.

My thoughts stray to a small Viennese restaurant snuggled into a back street. It took a bit of walking to find a nd my stomach is now as loud as my thoughts. Soon a Gemuseschnitzel will grace the table in front of me. This is some of the only traditional Austrian food that I can eat. It tastes as fried and as good as I thought it would. Maybe this Austrian food isn't as bad as I thought. There are only two other couples in the restaurant with me and the waiter is impatient. He paces around as much of his small space he can without being obvious. The inconsistency of eating Austrian food but hearing American music is something that will always leave me with the feeling of an un-itched scratch. I sneakily took a picture of my food, not wanting to give myself away as a hopeless tourist. I am not sure it has worked, I have caught both of the men who are working here looking at me. The waiter has found something productive to do. He brings me a candle. Watching it burn is soothing. I believe I will get the Apfelstrudel. When in Vienna, do as the Viennese do and eat Schnitzel and Apfelstrudel! I have a while for my train anyway. I will miss the food here. Sure, there are mass quantities of fried meat, but I have managed to deal in America, here is not too much different. But back home lacks dishes like my now favorite Gemuseschitzel and late night Kebap runs. Spatzel will be a thing of the past along with cheap breads and french cheeses.I suppose being healthy is a good trade off, but I know that once I get home, that will be a paltry recompense  An Apfelstrudel comes this way, begging for attention. How could I let it pass by unattended? it warms my mouth and soul as it goes down. What a wonderfully romantic dinner I am having with myself over candlelight. I should have started doing this earlier. Well, no time like the present. Going somewhere new you learn things about yourself that you may have never realized before.

Walking through some of the Hapsburg's abandoned rooms, I come to a room that strikes me as more beautiful than all the others. It has few colors, mostly gold, and other than the chandeliers, is not very decorated. It is long, almost a hallway. Windows break up the wall on the right side while nearly floor to ceiling mirrors echo the windows. I walk through, taking my time and letting my mind wander. Once I get to the end, I do not want to leave yet, so I sit upon a stool with a window at my back. Looking straight ahead I see me. I sit perfectly in the center of the mirror, with two white marble statues that flank me. It is one of the most wordless feelings I have had. But then the lady stands. While staring into my eyes, she walks out of the frame. I follow quietly. 

1 comment:

  1. Hey! wait lady in the mirror! Come back! We want to hear more of your adventures!!!!!! We are now addicted to your writings and want more ;o)

    ReplyDelete