Coffee, anyone?Kleiner Brauner at Café Museum

Caffè macchiato
A kleiner Brauner
comes with a bit of coffee cream,
served the Viennese way on a silvery tray
with a glass of water topped by a downturned spoon

Café Museum
Operngasse and Friedrichstrasse

Christmastime in Vienna
If you plan on visiting
between now and the 6th of January,
you may (no, you w i l l !) encounter long waits
for a table in coffee houses and restaurants.
I urge you to make a phone reservation n o w ,
to ensure a pleasant visit.
Yesterday, I arrived shortly after opening,
before 9 o'clock, and had first pick at a table.
By the time I left, though, the place was humming.
I had to return in the afternoon, and there
were lines out the door.
So, please, place that call now!

Generally speaking, right now,
it pays to be an early bird if you prefer
not to be pushed around by masses of people
roaming the streets. Yesterday afternoon,
it looked as if dozens of cruise ship
had emptied all their passengers at once.

Images and Text © by Merisi