Shopping heaven

Note to all shopaholics out there: they aren't lying when they say that Vienna is a shopper's paradise!

I was aware of the main City Centre shopping area, and of several malls around town.  Then today I went to Mariahilfergasse, a street that is supposed to be fabulous for shopping.  Well, for you who are from or in Ottawa, imagine Bank Street on speed:  I walked only the "top" part of the street, about 10 blocks.  It is cheek-to-jowl stores of all kinds, small and independent, large chains, cheap and crappy, expensive and snooty: you name it,  it's there.  Add to this a blaze of advertising signs up to 3 stories high, and intense pedestrian and vehicle traffic.  In one sense it was exhilarating, on the other hand, my senses were quite exhausted after 90 minutes.  And I didn't even try the 2 main "side" streets, which are supposed to house the less run-of-the-mill stores.

If that shopping madness does not appeal, I could always go to the Ringenstrassen Galerie mall.  It's just a few blocks from my apartment, so it will make a great rainy day excursion.  However, I'm not planning on buying much there:  this mall contains only upscale, high end, and luxury retail stores.  Basically a nice place tzo window shop, but murder on the pocketbook.

Feeling cheap? I could hop on a train (or two or three) and go to the far outskirts of the city to an outlet mall whose name currently escapes me.

Looking for a bit more adventure? Why not try malls in Hungary or in Bratislava (Sloyakia), just for the sake of variety?

The moral of this story is: control is the key - or else I'll come back with a fabulous wardrobe and an empty bank acount! But oh, what fun!