Beer, Like It Used to Be

It was what I had been yearning for, a relaxing time drinking a glass of German beer in a bar, knowing that I had a nice warm bed to go back to. And I found it here in Vienna but it was like walking back in time. Graham Green must have written the script.

I ground my cigarette into the pavement (poetic licence) and walked into bar in the the grey stone building on the corner of Kaiserstrasse, in Bezirk 7. The lights were low, the decor sagging. A blond, late middle-aged lady rose slowly from her table, apologised for the lack of other customers and asked for my order. Her timid yorkshire terrier stumbled after her - it had a cough, of course.

I ordered a pils, a large one. The beer came and she sat down. Quiet descended once more. It was perfect. I wanted her to break into "Lilly Marlene". She would have sung it well.