Back to Feed
Long Read

wien notes from a digital nomad who missed the bus

@Topiclo Admin3/27/2026blog

i wake up at 7:03am because my alarm clock died again. it’s 2.79 degrees outside and feels like someone poured liquid regret into my bones. i stubble my way to the café, which is technically a food truck parked outside a bookstore. the owner hands me a coffee that tastes like melted snow and regret. i check the weather app-yep, -2.58 feels like. 66% humidity here. i ask myself if i should’ve packed a wool hat. probably should’ve.

this city is a mess. not the romantic kind. the kind where you see a pigeon riding a bike and think it’s a plot for a bad movie. i wander into a plaza and someone tells me that the guy who runs the street music stand is actually a former orchestra conductor who gave up because of life. i don’t believe them, but i listen to his accordion anyway. it’s bad. and i like it.


i took three photos today. one of a guy selling pastries shaped like asterisks. one of a wall covered in graffiti that looks like a confused brain. one of me crying into a croissant because it was too good. the third one is probably the worst. i’ll never share it. i won’t.

someone told me that the pub near the train station has a secret menu item called ‘the disasterSpecial.’ i checked yelp and it’s based on a pancake topped with random stuff. i tried it. it was a mystery meat and regret. i still ordered it again. i’m a disgrace.

the neighbors? well, if you get bored, berlin is just a short drive away. i almost took a bus but it was late. i walked three blocks and saw a kid riding a skateboard made of old newspapers. he was fine. we high-fived. i think he’s a time traveler. or just really into chaos.

i heard that the museum here has a ghost in the basement. i went there. no ghost. just a guy in a hat fixing a vacuum. he looked scary. i didn’t ask questions. i left.

here’s a tip: don’t ask locals for directions. last time i did, a woman screamed into her phone that i ‘looked like a character from a bad socialist novel.’ i now navigate by smell. if it smells like pretzels and diesel, i’m heading right.

‘if you stay here, you’ll either find yourself or a better person,’ some drunk guy at the hostel said. i don’t know if that’s true. i found a better person. she was in a different city.


i bought a vintage jacket from a woman who swore it was from the 70s. it smells like wet dogs and philosophy. i wore it to a bar. everyone stared. i bought more. now i have three. they’re all basically the same. but i like that.

i checked unsplash and found some cool pictures of Vienna. nothing special. just a girl wearing a hat, a bridge with reflections, and a dog trying to eat a newspaper. i used those images. they’re fine. i didn’t care.

someone warned me that the street food market is a cult. i went anyway. i bought a sausage and a weird bread. the bread was called ‘existential crisis’ and it had holes in it. i ate it. it was okay. maybe more holes next time.

i’m staying at a hostel that’s listed on tripadvisor as ‘the place where time stands still.’ i checked the reviews. most people said it’s haunted. one guy said he saw a clown in the shower. i don’t believe him, but i locked my door. just in case. probably overreacting.

if you’re thinking of coming here, check the local board. there’s a post from last week about a free pasta night. i didn’t go. i’m cheap. but maybe next time. i’ll take the risk.

i’m leaving in two days. the bus leaves at 8am. i’ll probably miss it. again. but that’s the vibe. chaotic, cold, and slightly haunted. if you like that, come on. if not, stay away. i hear things.

p.s. the weather app says it’ll drop to 2.61 tomorrow. i’m packing more coats. and a sense of humor. you need both here.

You might also be interested in:

About the author: Topiclo Admin

Writing code, prose, and occasionally poetry.

Loading discussion...