Vienna was Vienna. This time, there was no ménage à trois, sleeping on park benches, or pleasant-smelling men. There was simply me and my backpack, wandering the streets of a new city.
In an earlier post I alluded to that fact that cities have personalities as distinct as people. And also that my travels have been a bit like speed dating (thus far, I’ve “dated” 33 cities in 84 days). If this was speed dating, then Vienna would be pleasant, good-looking, and articulate. He would possess an advanced degree, own a flat, and pay his bills on time. But, I wouldn’t necessarily go on a second date.
There just wasn’t any chemistry. Although there are plenty of positives about Vienna (check out some of these pictures), I didn’t find this city as compelling as some of the others I’ve visited.
More on Vienna…
Vienna and Berlin are clearly brothers. Both men speak German. Both have the S-bahn, the U-bahn, and a plethora of bicyclists. Both use the Euro and have similar architecture and family history. But whereas Berlin struck me as the rough, nonconformist brother with tattoos and a penchant for black clothing (translation: more my type), Vienna appeared rational, conventional and, in my opinion, a bit metro sexual. (I may be completely mischaracterizing Vienna, but it was speed dating, after all!)
Franz is nice, and since he invariably approaches me on a busy thoroughfare (as opposed to a side street), I generally converse with him a bit. Oftentimes, Franz has interesting travel tidbits to reveal. For instance, today Franz explained that Vienna and Budapest (my follow-on destination) are quite similar; according to Franz, Budapest is just the “dirtier version” of Vienna. This is because, as Franz reminded me, Vienna and Budapest were once part of a dual monarchy called Austria-Hungary.
After a time, Franz does what he almost always does: he invites me to visit his store (Franz is often a small business owner) or out to dinner. This is where I undoubtedly say I’m late meeting a friend for coffee (my strategy today) or I feign sickness or fatigue
A couple of times, I’ve accepted Franz´s dinner offer. This has sometimes led to follow-on propositions like, “Would you care to get a hotel room together?”
I hate that I’m constantly on the defensive. Yet, in my opinion suspicion equates to safety.
At the same time, Franz has enriched my travel experience considerably. It was Franz who took me on his motorbike to the top of the Monsoon Palace in Udaiper. It was Franz who showed me the other side of the Ganges River in Varanasi. It was Franz who let me chill out on his boat in Tel Aviv. It was Franz who painted my picture by the Sacre Coeur in Paris.
So, this has become my quandary as a mostly solo female traveler: Can Franz be trusted?
It really boils down to: Can men be trusted?
Do men always have an ulterior motive when they strike up a conversation and/or invite you to their shop or out to dinner? What percentage of men would be completely content with my company and conversation and nothing more?
I’m not trying to villify men. Many of my best friends are men. I’ve had the pleasure of dating several amazing men. At the same time, I also lived and worked primarily with men for the past nine years in the military and I’ve seen how they operate. While I do believe that men and women can be platonic friends, my experience is that it is far easier for a woman to be platonic friend with a man than vice versa.
