Am Elften Elften Elften um Elf Uhr Elf!

Craving some rogale świętomarcińskie right now. Happy Dni Świętomarcińskie (Poznań), Veteran's Day (U.S.), Remembrance Day (Canada), Karneval (Germany- Koelle Alaaf!), Super Singles Day (China), Narodowe Święto Niepodległości (Poland), and 11/11/11. What a day.

Poland released this interesting video last year to mark their Independence Day and show an animated history of the nation. It would be interesting to analyze this video in terms of what historical events are depicted and how they are portrayed, thus given insights into the national psyche (or at least, the PR that the Polish government wants to present to the world). Note the stress on the glorious medieval and Renaissance years, the darkness of the 200 years of occupation, and the glorious EU banner to mark a happy ending. Still, a great summary of the national story, and with accurate depictions of many of the great Polish cities.

7 Billion

Countdown the last few hundred thousands of people being born over the next few days with the UN's 7 Billion and Me page. BBC is also offering this chart to look at the world population when you were born and how each individual fits into the picture.

The world is due to reach a population of 7 billion people this weekend.

Smoleńsk: A Year Later

A year ago today, the plane carrying Polish President Kaczyński, his wife, and countless other senior officials in the Polish government crashed in the forests of Smoleńsk, Russia. The leaders of the Polish government were on their way to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyń massacre. All 96 people on board the plane were killed. Many consider this one of the worst tragedies Poland has suffered since World War II.

The tragedy has since become politicized, including the debates over a cross in front of the presidential palace in Warsaw, where Kaczyński should be buried*, the heated divisive politics of twin brother Jarosław Kaczyński and others, and even clashes over the wording of the memorial plague and how the solemn anniversary should be commemorated. Relations between Poland and Russia, which initially seemed to thaw, have since returned to a questionable state, though leaders from both countries continue to commemorate the 2010 Smoleńsk tragedy as well as the 1940 Katyń tragedy this year.

* Rather than being well-loved by all, he was a rather divisive figure, yet he was buried with Polish kings and heroes in the Wawel Cathedral of Kraków, a place considered to be THE heart of the Polish nation

Humorous Depictions of History

Cross-posted from Transitions 21

For a humorous interlude...

Here's the Economist's take on what would happen if World War I were a bar fight. This is one way of understanding the complexities of WWI by applying it to a more simplified and perhaps common scene. Also check some of the links in the comments to the Economist's post.

Similarly, here's the continued version that leads to the World War II bar fight.

All of this reminded me of this excellent comic with characters for every country and a colloquial picture and humorous interpretation of World War II. Poor Poland.

Of course, wars are no laughing matter. But for all the history buffs out there, the divergence into humor can sometimes provide more illumination to the complex facts of history.

New Blog Project

Through a generous travel-grant from my university, I've been given the opportunity to travel throughout Central and Eastern Europe to examine current 21st century perceptions about the communist past and the recent decades of transition in Central and Eastern Europe. After much delay, I've finally launched a blog project for this purpose (entitled Transitions 21).

I'll be focusing mostly on my observations and studies within Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and hopefully also the Baltic and Balkan states, but I also intend to examine the perception of other countries, especially my native USA, toward this period of history and the Central and Eastern European region.

WM will continue to be my personal blog, and Transitions 21 will solely focus on this travel-study project for the next year or so.

Check it out: Transitions 21

Spotted: Kraków

Famed 19th century Polish actress Helena Modjeska (Modrzejewska) is trying to get more Facebook friends, so she's asking all of Kraków to search for her (or to "facebookować" her).


Billboard across from Kraków's main train station

Public History

From my ex-pat perspective, the people here (here being Europe) seem acutely aware of place and of history. Sometimes this takes the form of celebrating ancient anniversaries, sometimes more recent anniversaries, sometimes just celebrating the history of a building or the evolution of a public space. My Russian studies professor used to joke that in Europe, there were so many anniversaries that you could find something appropriate to commemorate for any possible date on the calendar. Indeed, dates are very important (just ask the Obama administration, who made the mistake of announcing the changed missile defense program in Poland on the anniversary of Russia's WW2 invasion of Poland). Regardless, the public administration seems very keen to provide such celebrations and commemorations and the public seems apt to take part.

For example, at the beginning of this month, posters appeared in the Stary Rynek (old marketplace) and Adam Mickiewicz Square of Poznań, marking the 30th anniversary of Solidarity. In Kraków this past week, I observed the final celebrations of the 600th anniversary of Grunwald, the battle between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Teutonic Knights. Celebrations took place across Poland, but some of the highlights were in Malbork, the former castle of the Knights, and in Kraków, the seat of the Polish dynasty at that time. And today, walking past the Zamek, I noticed a new set of posters chronicling the 100 years of history of this castle.

However, what surprises me most of all is not merely the initiative of various groups to mark such commemorations and arduously piece together the past and display the history, but the eagerness of the public to take part. The posters outside of the Zamek were completely surrounded today, so much so that I gave up trying to find a space to read them myself. Similarly, for the first week or two, there were always at least 5 people reading the Solidarność posters at any given time (the collections of about 30+ posters in each location are still outside on display). And the Grunwald ceremonies of Kraków were packed! It's not that I don't think that Americans would enjoy these commemorations and exhibits of information, but I doubt that many would take the time to gather to read, observe, learn, and participate.

Maybe America is still too young of a nation to have many public commemorations of places or events. But at the same time, 234 years is a longer history than many of the states of the world. (Though whether or not the nations of people trace a longer history of statelessness is another story). More plausibly, we are still too young to have become comfortable with our cohesiveness as a nation. Or maybe we're just not interested in (or the public administration does not think we're interested in) our own history?

Yet as I walked back today, I found myself wondering about many of the buildings in the cities where I have lived, and how I know next to nothing about them or what has happened in those spaces. I might be able to tell you the year for certain major events in American history, but almost never the exact date. (Whereas in Poland and in Europe, it seems like there's a different anniversary for every week!) I know nothing about the history or places of my home town, besides that it used to be all farmland and earned a spot in a footnote of history as a sometime stop on the Underground Railroad. I can tell you a little more about Rochester, NY, but that is mostly from ventures in urban exploring (be sure to visit the abandoned subway!), conversations during long car rides with older professors, and flipping through the tan Images of America paperback books. And even during my short stays in NYC and DC, my awareness of the history of each place was mostly only supplemented by what I had learned in schools or a paragraph in a tour book.

Friday marks the 2-month anniversary of my departure from the USA, but as I learn more about Poznań and Poland and Europe, I find myself seeing America in a new light, and wondering things about it that I hadn't considered before, perhaps giving me a new appreciation of home from afar.

Rumblings from the Rubble of the Wall

The anniversary of the Berlin Wall's opening is fast approaching, and rumblings of memory and warning are arising in the media. Today, the Times published a column written by Mikhail Gorbachev, reflecting on the momentous year of 1989 and the results of his perestroika and glasnost. Another opinion peace warns Americans to remember the facts of the day-- the sudden opening was an accident, a mistaken word that resulting in the quintessential image of the fall of communism and (from the US perspective) the perceived American victory.

The Passing of a Polish Hero

The last surviving commander of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Marek Edelman, died this past Saturday. The Warsaw Ghetto was established by occupying Nazis 69 years ago this month.

70th Anniversary of World War II

This is a year fraught with anniversaries. Not only did the Eastern Bloc open to the West 20 years ago this year, but World War II also began 70 years ago this month.

On this date in 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland. Sixteen days earlier, on Sept. 1, Germany had invaded Poland; this resulted in the declaration of war and the beginning of World War II in Europe.

By early October, Germany and the Soviet Union had divided and annexed the whole of Poland. This occupation continued until 1945 when borders were redrawn. World leaders have commemorated these historic anniversaries and apologized for the past, though some may argue, not enough.

My 1989 timeline has been a bit delayed, so keep an eye out as I go back to note the events of August and Septemeber 1989.

June 16, 1989

First of all, as we can't be neglecting our literary dates, Happy Bloomsday!

Twenty years ago, June 16 proved to be the second step toward the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. Just days before in Poland, Solidarity had emerged victorious in the first free, democratic election in all of Eastern Europe. June 16, 1989, was a day of symbolism for Hungary, but this symbolism proved most powerful. On this date, the Hungarians performed a reburial--a reinterment of a man who was once regarded as a traitor, an enemy of the state, and perhaps even Hungary's most potent criminal against communism.

In 1953, the Hungarian Communist Party selected reform-minded Imre Nagy as their new Prime Minister, but he only lasted two years before falling out of favor. In October 1956, the people called for a change and students discontent with communism, led to the Hungarian Uprising. Amidst tumult and revolt, the people of Hungary called on Nagy as their revolutionary leader. Indeed, it is hard to understate the significance of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution; not only is it regarded as one of the proudest moments in Hungarian history, but it also marks the first major revolt against communism and the USSR--indeed, a revolution against the revolution. But in November, Soviet tanks invaded Hungary. Nagy was arrested and, along with other leaders of the revolution, executed and dishonorably interred.

Decades later, the Soviet Union was beginning to weaken, and a more flexible and reform-minded Hungary was passing legislation toward democracy. In May they had removed barbed wire from the borders with Austria, the first step toward opening borders with the West (!), and thus slowly tearing a hole in the Iron Curtain. In this spirit, on June 16 the grave of Nagy and his revolutionary comrades was opened, and they were honorably buried with pomp and respect. 250,000 people are estimated to have attended his reburial.

The Reinterment of Nagy was just another step away from the USSR and toward democratization. However, historians today consider this symbolic act as the keystone in Hungary's strides toward democracy in 1989; the symbolism became the strongest mark in their break with communism. Like Solidarity's election in Poland, Nagy's reburial marked the rise of a New Europe, encouraging and accelerating revolutionaries in neighboring Czechoslovakia and East Germany.

Some time after Nagy's reinterment, a statue was built to commemorate the leader. He is posed on a bridge, staring wistfully toward the Hungarian Parliament building. Twenty years after the event of his reinterment, Hungarians celebrated their hero and the change he wrought--both in life and in death.


Imre Nagy's statue looking toward the Hungarian Parliament (my photo, May 2008)

Praise for Latin

In the age when foreign languages are frequently being cut from school budgets, the argument often arises: What is the value of Latin? What's the point in teaching students a dead language that they will never be able to use?

In high school, I remember many academically-ambitious students solely choosing to study Latin as a means to improve their SAT scores. According to their argument, the study of Latin would make them more aware of the etymology behind word roots, and thus they would have a distinct advantage in the vocabulary section--even if they did not know the word, they could recognize the Latin roots to guess its meaning.

Though this may be true, students of French, Spanish, or German might not be far behind thanks to all the cognates and crossovers between the languages. However, I firmly believe that Latin has a much more meaningful value beyond improving test scores.

Unfortunately, I have not yet had the opportunity to learn Latin myself, but I am familiar with some of the cases and I am very aware of the disciplined work required of any Classics major and the complex struggle to create a short translation. The Guardian recently reported the reinstation of Latin by many British schools and offered Charlotte Higgins' view to praise its value. Latin not only teaches word roots and etymology, but it teaches discipline, grammar, and structure. Thus, Latin is not only relevant when learning another foreign language (and may be especially useful when learning a language with cases, like German), but it improves our understanding of the prescriptive rules of "proper" grammar in our own native English. Harry Mount most eloquently puts it in his masterful "Vote for Latin" from 2007.

In Vienna, I taught at a Gymnasium (high school equivalent) and worked with students who were learning English. For most students, English was just one of many languages that they were studying. Early in their studies (I believe around age 10), the students would select to study either English or Russian as their specialty and continue this study intensely at least until graduation (and the Matura exams) at age 18. Around age 12, all students started learning another language: Latin. From there students could continue by starting French, picking up the other specialty language (English/Russian), and taking electives in Spanish or Italian. Competency in multiple languages was crucial for an Austrian student, given the country's central position in Europe bordering so many different language groups. Thus, instruction with Latin is essential and provides the disciplined foundation for all future language learning and made learning the Romance languages much easier. (Indeed, older students would ask for Latin, rather than German, translations of English words in order to more fully understand the meaning).

In America, we're not surrounded by so many different languages, and thus our education's focus is not on foreign languages and certainly not on Latin. Don't get me wrong, I know that there are other important things to study and the mastery of any foreign language is very difficult. But I think we suffer because of our lack of respect for languages in education. We even blindly declare the dead language to be "useless". But Latin is not just a language for monuments, but a tongue for intellectualism and deeper thought, for instruction and comprehension, for developing discipline and devotion.

June 4, 1989

June 4 was a tumultuous date in 1989. The Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, who led the Iranian Revolution ten years before to overthrow the Shah, died the day before; the funeral of this controversial figure was held on this date. Millions attended. Wikipedia informs me that June 4 was also the date that of an Ufa train disaster in Russia. In passing, two trains threw sparks at each other near a leaky natural gas pipeline; 645 people were killed in the resulting explosion.

In addition, two big events really mark this date as unique and significant--a date of celebration or infamy. First, if you have been following the news today, you will have seen on the front page, beside the news of Obama's speech in Cairo, the 20th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. (Missed it? Try this one, this one, Hong Kong's vigil, Beijing's silence, this collection of photos and commentary, and the photographer's perspective on returning 20 years later). In late May 1989, students began gathering in Beijing to protest corruption; however, these protests turned into a call for democracy, including a raising of the Goddess of Democracy. However, protests turned ugly when tanks rolled into the square. The army opened fire on June 4, and countless numbers of unarmed students were killed and injured in the massacre. Today, these anonymous protesters are remembered around the world as heroes for democracy, though controversy continues in China.


One of the most famous images of 1989 Tiananmen Square


Buried behind the headlines, you might have seen word of another remarkable anniversary: the 20th anniversary of Solidarity's victory in Poland in the polls. At first, this may not seem so remarkable, but consider that the pre-1989 world was divided into spheres--the Soviet spheres of influence and communist countries and the American spheres of influence and democratic countries. The Iron Curtain was not merely a metaphor, but a reality of life--there was no passage between East and West.

Yet on June 4 in Poland, a pro-Western and pro-democracy party (originally a labor union in Gdansk) achieved an incredible victory in one of the first legitimate elections held in the Eastern Bloc, thus marking a turning point in the entire course of European history. The success of Solidarity--which had struggled to exist for ten years, had been banned many times in Communist Poland, and was only legitimized again a few months prior to the election--was the first of many cracks in the rigid Iron Curtain. European leaders commemorated this turning-point today; in retrospect we can see that through this election, the Poles led the way in the anti-communist revolutions across Eastern Europe and the transition to democracy. And in Poland's case, this was all accomplished both legally through elections and peacefully without any loss of life.

Across the globe, June 4, 1989 was a date of cries for democracy and the beginning of change.


Solidarity founder (and later Polish president) Lech Wałęsa and Solidarity

Twenty years ago

History is fickle and tends to repeat herself, but every now and again, a year comes along that really stands apart from the rest. Maybe that year was a time of momentous beginnings, of unheard of discoveries and great advances in human thought that marked a change in mankind's progression. Or maybe it was a year of endings, of collapsing empires, slaughter and destruction, and of mankind reformed as the phoenix rising from the rubble. Either way, during these remarkable years, when momentous unrelated world events happened simultaneously or one set off a ripple to cause many others, these years changed the course of history.

The twentieth century was a remarkable time. One could argue that we had a number of such years. 1968. 1945. 1918.

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of one of the most remarkable years: 1989, the year of the sudden collapse of communism, the opening of the Berlin Wall, and the massacred cry for democracy in Tiananmen Square. Artists are reflecting on the meaning of this year, Writers are submitting their anecdotes, and everyday people are offering their stories.

Here at Waltzing Matelda, I will do my part by offering a summation and reflection on the majors events of 1989 (culminating in the collapse of the Iron Curtain) on the date of their anniversary. Stay tuned for regular updates on this feature, and check the new label 1989 for a chronological list as they occur.

Art on the Wall

Abstract Reflections on the Berlin Wall, which opened 20 years ago this year.

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Jakov Lind

We have a special birthday to celebrate today. Jakov Lind, lauded as one of the greatest contemporary German writers during his day, would be 82 today. In German-speaking lands he's right up there with Günther Grass and Thomas Bernhard as one of the best of the best. However, nowadays this great writer has drifted to become an international unknown, as his German pieces are virtually unavailable in English-speaking countries. (Thank goodness for Open Letter! They will be publishing a paperback translation of his Landscape in Concrete next month).

Jakov Lind, the name inscribed below these great works of fiction, lived a fascinating life of many names and languages. He was born to an Austrian-Jewish family as Heinz Landwirth, but escaped to the Netherlands in 1938 and took on the name Jan Gerrit Overbeek. He actually spent most of the war in Germany, hiding in full view as a Dutch laborer. After the war, he became Jakov Chaklan and lived briefly in Palestine. Returning to Vienna and finding his birth-city still overrun with Nazis, the man instead went to London and there began to write at last. Though many of his works are in German, he struggled greatly with his mother tongue, considering it a murderer's language. Later he mastered English and published works in this his fourth language; thus he is sometimes considered a British writer.

His writing style reflects his tumultuous, wandering life. Often compared to Kafka, Lind successfully pulls the reader into a wild and crazy adventure, but you can never quite trust his narration, his characters' biased perspectives, or know what is truly going on. In Landscape in Concrete, there is a sense that the end comes full circle with the beginning--Bachmann is still wandering, still alone, and still looking for his regiment. So much has happened in the pages in between, but readers feel a sense of symmetry and frustration, completeness and fragmentation, insufficiency and clarity. Definitely worth the read.

There are many treasures that have fallen through the cracks thanks to the ruthless advance of time, but Jakov Lind is one of the gems glittering between the floorboards.

The Rise and Fall of Empires, as told by Coffee

Stumbled across this old treasure from ages ago. In an amusing and surprising essay, Josef Joffe traces the discovery of quality coffee to the downfall of empires. History in a Hazelnut Shell

"There is a reason why the great empires of yore have gone under when confronted with a Melior full of freshly brewed Kenyan Blue. Either you tend to your gold-plated Gaggia or to your F-16. You don't fight with a frappuchino in hand. And as you admire that gentle dollop of steamed milk in your macchiato, what will you think about: the ''halls of Montezuma'' or the beaches of Cozumel?"


P.S. Despite that it might have caused the fall of the Habsburgs, I could use a good Melange right about now.

Hitler and Vienna

Today, or I suppose yesterday, was the 70th anniversary of the Anschluss. On this date, seventy years ago, Hitler and his Nazis marched into the streets of Vienna to be greeted with cheers and crowds of supporters. That evening, Hitler came to Heldenplatz (or "Heroes' Square), which is directly below the new wing of the Hofburg palace, the former winter residence of the Habsburg monarchy. He entered the palace, and climbed to the grand balcony of this Neueburg; from the balcony he spoke out across the square to the masses that had gathered in support. Hitler, who was born an Austrian but left Vienna after rejection from art school**, was welcomed back to the city as a hero. Following this event, Parliament was dissolved, the country was absorbed into Germany at last; Austria disappeared from the map for the next seven years and the world fell in to another more terrible World War.

**Adolf Hitler was born in Austria, not far from Linz. He came to Vienna to study art, but after he was rejected from the Art School multiple times, he moved to Germany. I have recently learned that his old apartment is only about a mile from where I live. He used to frequent a coffee shop, the Cafe Sperl, that is a short walk from my apartment and which I have visited multiple times. How eerie and disturbing!

Last night, on the evening of March 12, 2008, the Volksgarten and lawns of the Heldenplatz were covered in 80,000 candles as a memorial to the events of March 12, 1938. Last night there were masses gathered once more in Heldenplatz; but these were not crowds that were riled up by the words of one terrible man, but somber crowds that walked between the groups of candles, quietly remembering and reflecting on a past singed with guilt and so many lost lives. 80,000 candles were prepared for the memorial, one candle to signify each lost Austrian life. The people of Vienna took the candles at dusk and arranged them into meaningful patterns across Heldenplatz and the Volksgarten, creating a garden of light. Some common symbols were the Star of David and the peace sign.

Events continued through the day to mark the anniversary of the Anschluss. On Mariahilfestraße (a popular shopping street), I saw a woman dressed as Hitler, using a megaphone and a grave voice to call upon everyday shoppers to take a moment to remember and never forget the past. Various exhibits are on display at the museums, and the Opera will do a special study of how the building was used during Nazi occupation. Though an anschluss and merging with Germany was welcomed and praised at the time (since the end of World War I, the Austrians had longed to join Germany and return to some semblance of an empire), hindsight is 20/20. March 12, 1938, was a very grave day indeed in Austrian history.

To close, here is a picture of the candles of Heldenplatz. I am sitting beside one of the Stars of David:


I leave for Italy tomorrow and will not have internet access. Have a blessed Easter and a relaxing spring break! Tschüssbaibai!

The Politics of Memory

Noticed this article on the NY Times and was intrigued, especially as I will be traveling to Deutschland in less than a week: Germany Confronts Holocaust Legacy Anew

Even in Austria, a country that was not directly responsible and thus got off lightly for the events of WW2, there is at times a  similar sentiment.  There are memorials throughout the city not only to famous generals and Habsburgs, but also to victims of the Holocaust and WW2.  After all, Hitler was Austrian by birth.   

Just some things to think about.

Our center is offering a class on the study of the Central & Eastern European Jews, their struggles and conflicts; I like my course schedule, but I'm disappointed that I won't be able to take this class.

The internet has been very fickle lately (both at the apartment and at the student center), so apologies if I am not in touch.  Additionally, I am finding myself focusing increasingly more attention on the election; it's frustrating though that I'm on a different continent and can't do anything but read blogs and articles.  Also, I'll be traveling on Feb 5, and probably won't have internet access for almost a week after that big day!  :(

Coffee Houses

I think my last post satisfied the quota for pretentiousness. After all, who can resist a short brag to make one's self feel sophisticated? I suppose I did leave out the detail that that café reminded me of a diner, so of course I felt right at home. ^_^

The Viennese love their Kaffeehäuser, and it is no exaggeration to say that you can find a café on every corner (some are just better than others).

A personal photo of one of my favorite haunts--the Café Sperl.

The History (oder "Die Geschichte des Wiener Cafés"):
Coffee was first brought to Vienna by the Turks--the invaders! The second time that they besieged the city, the Turks fled before the Habsburg army and left their bags of coffee beans behind (1684 AD). The Viennese were rather bewildered by what these strange bags were, but after some experimentation, they discovered the wonders of Kaffee. A Polish general is said to have opened the first coffee house in Vienna, and since then it's been tradition. [Wikipedia's more extensive version]

There's coffee houses of all shapes, sizes, and styles. There's the over-priced touristy ones in the first district, there's the artsy and literary houses in the 8th and 9th districts, there's the famous ones that have been around for centuries, and there's the relatively new ones that are off-the-beaten-path and just waiting to be discovered. At all though, you are expected to sit and savor your coffee; while in the US we might only take a few minutes to sit with a cup of coffee or tea (if we sit at all!), the Viennese take their time, engaging in intense conversations or reading the newspaper or writing summer internship essays... for hours on end.

The fin-de-siecle architecture of the more laid-back Café Rüdigerhof

The Menu:
Many will have house specialties, but there are certain things you will find at any good Viennese coffee house:

-Melange- my favorite (rivaled only by the Schokolade-Latte, but not many places seem to have that). This Viennese specialty is like a cappuccino, but much better in my opinion. Here's the link to Wikipedia's explanation; sadly short though. It's also terribly disappointing that the first google search results I got for "Melange" was A) a fictional drug from Dune, and B) a geological formation.

-Brauner (großer or kleiner)- I believe that this is just your standard cup of black coffee, either large or small.

-Einspänner- about 1/3 espresso or coffee and 2/3 foam and whipped cream on top; it's an experience.

-Sachertorte- a chocolate cake (with fudgey icing and a smidge of marmalade), but really good chocolate cake. Invented by the Café Sacher (though its rival, Café Demel, also claims credit), this torte is now famous throughout the city and can be found in almost every coffee house; and for the most part, can only be found in Vienna. A must-try for any visitor.

-Apfelstrudel- another dessert for which Viennese coffee houses are famous--and well-deservedly! This flaky apple pastry is perfect for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, or dessert. Some days nothing pleases me more than a perfectly warmed apple strudel, with a flaky crust and fresh apples, topped with powdered sugar... mmmm!

-Topfenstrudel- Topfen might be best explained by comparing it to American cream cheese. Topfen, or "Quark" cheese, is a crucial ingredient to many Austrian desserts (including Topfenecken). Like Apfelstrudel, Topfenstrudel has many flaky layers of pastry and is filled with this delicious creamy cheese. In addition, it is often drizzled with a tasty vanilla sauce.

A good coffee house will serve a glass of water and a sweet with your coffee. The water serves many purposes; it is refreshing, it cleanses the palate so that you will savor your next sip of coffee more, and it is healthier to accompany coffee with water. [Viennese water is especially delicious, because it comes directly from the Alps-- no chemicals added!] Many coffee houses will serve your cup of coffee and glass of water on a small tray, accompanied by a small chocolate or cookie as the final flourish of taste.

I think that about covers it for now for Kaffeehäuser. Next week: Heurigen!

My photo of a typical melange inside the Sperl