Trip to Austria 4

In 2001, the euro was accepted in Austria and beautiful paper shill notes, pennies are a thing of the past.

Vienna, Mariastrasse, shopping street. Morning, the shops have not yet opened. Coldly. Winter, 21 meters per second, going against the wind is difficult to breathe. Winds rush from the hills to the capital.

On the street, there is a lonely wheelchair, a man dressed in camouflage, unshaven, with dark circles under his eyes, without a hat, in such and such a cold. He says only one thing - "Bitte, bitte" and stretches his cap forward.

The crowns scaredly shy away from him, the Americans and other tourists throw a few euros. He thanks, also abruptly - "dunk, dank."

Already in the afternoon I walk back, a man in camouflage joyfully stands on two legs near the beer hall, in his hand is a bottle of Kaiser and a couple of fried sausages on a plastic plate. His place was taken by some man in traditional Tyrolean clothes and played something, on the harmonica and small plates tied to his knees. In his box lay bills and coins. They even pay more for work. The police looked idly at his work.

On the Ringoplatz near St. Stephen's Cathedral, there were two organ grinders, one had a monkey, the other a parrot. They played some mournful music, foreigners crowded around them. For a photo with them or they had to pay 5 euros. One involuntarily recalled the Indian fakirs with cobras in wooden boxes who asked for 50 rupees for the photo. The world of business is the same everywhere, except that the cost of services is different everywhere.

A colleague sat in a cafe and drank black coffee without sugar, lying on a plate next to a piece of sugar cake, a treat cost 20 euros. He called his broker, who sold his second-hand inkjet printer and already unnecessary books. After talking with him, a colleague smirked quite a bit. I managed to sell trash for 45 euros. It is amazing how clearly everything is arranged, turned to the right person, and sold, which is no longer needed. He took his percentage, he is about 10-15. Everything is legal, the broker is licensed. And the house does not litter unnecessary things, 45 euros a good profit for the garbage.

On the streets closer to the station, shop windows of various shops are visible, on one of them are old supported laptops and computers, recently repaired, for ridiculous prices. Second-hand tweed jackets were sold immediately, for only 150 euros, compared to new ones for 500. Small flea-style shops with various trinkets from Greece, Turkey, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, India.

The Internet at that time cost about 3 euros for 1 hour. Time is the beginning of the 21st century.

END