I have remarked how people are always stopping me to ask directions when I’m travelling. It happened twice tonight, but once with a twist.
After dinner, we walked over to the Fraziskaner to see what music was going to be performed at the service Sunday morning. A couple of Spanish ladies stopped us and asked us for directions to Blümenstockgasse, and we were able to oblige them. About five minutes later, on Seilergasse, a man stopped, asked us in very broken English if we spoke Italian, then asked how to get to Mariahilferstraße. While I was trying to show him, another man came up and flashed a badge, saying (in good English) that he was security wanted to see our papers, The other man showed him something, and I showed him my passport. He then said that there was a lot of illegal moneychanging going on in the vicinity, and wanted to see our money. The other man complied, but I – having noticed he had a tattoo on his hand, which seemed odd for “security” – said I had left my wallet in the hotel, and my dad added that we only had a credit card. He asked again, but we persisted, and he just warned us not to change money and shooed the other man off. We went on our way, but turned back to see the “security” man following after the other man.
I think if we had shown the man our currency, it would have been the last we had seen of it.
That is so weird, and so scary. It’s too bad that neither you nor Dad could get a quick picture taken via your iPhone. I would certainly tell the staff at the Imperial about it so that they can alert the proper authorities. Or ask Kurt.
Find my pig yet?