Today is Valentine’s Day, and the differences between Valentine’s Day here in Vienna and back home are quite dramatic. Walking around today, I saw a few people waiting in line to get flowers, and a few stores had hearts in the windows, but other than that, there isn’t that much of a Valentine’s Day theme in the city. When comparing it to America, it is actually pretty ridiculous. To illustrate:
Picture I made my friend take of a CVS.
A bakery’s Valentine’s Day “display.” In case you can’t tell, there are two decorated krapfen.
Thinking about these differences made me think about all the little quirks Vienna has and why I have come to appreciate the city so much. From the beginning, one of the big things everyone noticed was how well behaved the dogs are here. I once saw a dog run up separate stairs from its owner without a leash and then wait for him at the top. That would never happen at home. There are also a couple of interesting transportation-related things that come to mind: 1) many an adult rides a Razor-esque scooter around the city; 2) this:
It’s a unicycle.
I love noticing these little things that I definitely don’t notice/don’t see at home. You for sure aren’t going to see a grown man riding a scooter to work in the morning in New York, but I appreciate it here.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Auf Wiedersehen!
Katherine (Nina) Jones
<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">Nina Jones is a junior at George Washington University studying International Affairs and History. In the future, she intends to pursue a career in either law or research. In addition to her interest in travel, Nina likes to read, play tennis, and listen to music. While in Vienna, Nina looks forward to taking advantage of the history, art, food, and language. She cannot wait to immerse herself in everything Vienna has to offer.</span></p>
