Weird Facts About Austria and It's People

1. They do not sell cookies anywhere. It is hard to make them from scratch because vanilla extract is super hard to find and even when you do find it, they still taste different.
2. You can't turn right at a red light.
3. People always wait at a crosswalk for the green man even if no cars are coming.
4. Some Austrians think that if you walk around barefoot, you will get a bladder infection.
5. They are sticklers for the rules.
6. Austrians really do wear lederhosen and dirndls- they aren't just for the movies and Halloween.
7. After drinking beer here, the beer back in the States tastes like water.
8. The weather here changes all the time. For instance, earlier this week it was in the 80s and today it was in the 60s.
9. Dogs are allowed to go everywhere unless a sign is posted. This includes but is not limited to: restaurants, movie theatres, shops, hair salons, work, bars, parks, beaches, lakes, etc.
10. Flats and houses don't usually have closets, you have to buy wardrobes instead. Still looking for Narnia...
11. People drink beer all the time, even on their lunch break from work.
12. Most families share one car.
13. Not everyone has a TV, let alone multiples TVs in their homes. We are one of them.
14. Automatic cars are rare.
15. Heels are difficult to wear because of the cobblestone roads.
16. You have to bag your own groceries real quick before the person behind you starts to get rung up.
17. Tipping at the restaurant is not manditory, as service is included in the price of the bill. Usually, you just round up on the change.
18. Most people learn to ski when they are children.
19. Kids only have to go to school until they are 14. Then, they can choose a career path- high school/college or specialty program. Awfully young for such major life decisions...
20. There are no good "real" Mexican restaurants.
21. There is no air conditioning in most places, including apartments. Jason hates this!
22. Many restaurants sell turkey salads instead of chicken salad.
23. Prostitution is legal and there are several whorehouses in town, one being next to our favorite restaurant.
24. The legal drinking age is 16 for beer/wine and 18 for liquor even though no one ever gets carded.
25. There is no open container law.
26. Coffee shops serve beer.
27. There are no donuts.
28. Austrians don't like to wear wet bathing suits. They change their bathing suits in public to let their wet one dry off and think nothing of it.
29. Going topless is ok.
30. You can walk anywhere in the city on a sidewalk and get from one point to the other.
31. Austrians are very religious.
32. Before a light turns yellow, it blinks green. Before it turns green, it blinks yellow. Red never blinks.
33. Lines on the road are only white.
34. Taxis are Mercedes.
35. People live in buildings that were built before Columbus found America.
36. All retail shops and grocery stores are closed on Sunday.
37. Gas is over $8/gallon.
38. McDonald's serves beer.
39. Getting fake nails put on costs more than $120 USD.
40. Shampoo always comes in bottles bigger than conditioner.
41. Many drinks come in glass bottles rather in plastic so they can be recycled.
42. Everyone saves their beer bottles and returns them to a grocery store or liquor store for money.
43. There are co-ed, nude saunas everywhere.
44. Instead of going to the pool, most people lay out by the river or go to a lake.
45. Many restaurants have dog bowls with water for those with pets.
46. Tipping is not customary.
47. The smallest bill denomination is $5.
48. Gelato is everywhere.
49. It rains a lot. On average, it rains 200 days per year.
50. People have longer relationships before marriage. It's not uncommon for a couple to date 8+ years.