A VIENNA EXPERIENCE

                                      OPIUM ICE CREAM

One evening on my third visit to Vienna, my traveling buddy and I finished a great pizza, and as we were walking outside she said, “Wouldn’t ice cream just top off that great meal?”

“While I awaited your arrival I scouted the neighborhood and I’m sure there is an ice cream kiosk around the corner about half way down the  block on the way back to the hotel.”

She followed my lead and as we turned the corner we could see the queue in front of the kiosk. We joined the queue, and when it was our turn I realized the young man understood no English. After several failed attempts to learn the flavor of the ice cream I was eying, I just opted for what looked like maybe chocolate chip but with micro chips. As we walked away, a young man standing behind us who had overheard my attempts to learn the flavor started talking to us. “That is opium ice cream you are eating,” he said.

            “What,” We chorused.

            “You know from the poppy, like they grow in Afghanistan.”

He repeated this twice and finally the light went on in my head as I said, “Oh,. You mean poppy seed.” Sure enough, that is what it was!

The young man continued on his way.  As he disappeared around the corner I said, “I wonder since that young fellow understood and spoke English why he didn’t come to my rescue when I was inquiring about the flavor.” 

My friend giggled saying,, “Now you can go home and tell everyone you ate opium ice cream in Vienna!”

TID BITS

SOME GOOD AND SOME ANNOYING

Pesky Hawkers are always annoying. Our first day in China set the tone for what was to come at nearly every tourist attraction.

In Beijing, it was very hot and humid but clear, and I was beginning to think I had taken the Texas heat with me. There were a lot of people about, but Tienanmen  Square was not a mob scene. This is where we experienced our introduction to really pesky, in-your-face hawkers.  They were relentless following one around, and never taking no for an answer. The price of whatever they were selling kept getting lower and lower, and eventually became a good buy if the article interested you.

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We were just finishing a city tour the first time I was in Auckland, New Zealand when I asked the driver, “Is there a floral clock in the city?”

He answered, “Yes, there is a lovely one in the park. Would you like me to take your there?”

 When we arrived he let us out to wander, take pictures and enjoy the area. I was a happy camper as I have been fascinated with floral clocks ever since I saw my first on in Niagara Falls in 1965.

I thanked this kind kiwi profusely for taking the time and going out of his way to accommodate a stranger to his city.

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QVB is short for Queen Victoria Building, a beautiful sand-stone structure, built in 1893. It occupies a whole city block in Sydney, Australia. The building has been restored and now houses 150 specialty shops. The tile on each of the three floors is different. Stain glass windows tower above the beautiful large marble stairways. A large clock dangles from the ceiling in the atrium in the center of the building. The basement level, which is under the street, is full of eateries.

This is a most unusual and beautiful building.