I can hardly believe that our time in Vienna is already coming to a close. Dan and I were happy to find out that the annual Sommernachtskonzert (Summer Night Concert) was going to take place during our last week in town. This is a free outdoor concert featuring the world-renowned Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Plus, it’s set on the spectacular grounds of Schönbrunn Palace. This year’s concert was also going to include music from Star Wars.
On Tuesday evening we arrived at the palace more than two hours early, knowing the event would attract a crowd of many thousands. The weather was wonderful, and the people-watching was even better. We strolled past a few people sporting Star Wars costumes; others were decked out in their Sunday best; and many, like us, wore casual summer clothes. Settling on a blanket, we waited for the sun to drop and the concert to begin. Read more…
May marks Dan’s and my two-year wedding anniversary. To celebrate, we decided to spend a few days in Venice, Italy. Hoping (in vain) to avoid huge tourist crowds, we planned our trip for the end of April.
Stepping off the overnight train and into Venice last week, groggy after a night of constant interruptions, I was swept into a sensory feast that had no bounds. Here are some samples from the buffet: Read more…
My teeth have been nudging me to go to the dentist for about a year. Low-cost dental work is available in Hungary, which borders Austria to the east, so Dan and I got a recommendation for a good dentist, then made an appointment in Budapest for last Friday. We decided to extend the trip and stay in town through the weekend.
Friday morning we arrived at the train station with plenty of time to spare, happy to put our discount train passes to good use. We hopped on a car just behind the one crowds of people were cramming onto, and were pleasantly surprised to find that we had it all to ourselves. Dealing a game of cards, we waited for the train to depart. And we kept waiting. And waiting. Finally Dan headed for the bistro car in search of information. An employee told him that the front part of the train had split off and left for Budapest some time ago. The back part—which we were on—was staying in Vienna. Obviously we didn’t get the message, which must have been announced in German! Read more…
Over the past five years, I’ve been living on the West Coast: first in Oregon, then in California. 2009 brought with it the feeling that I’d become so merged with my environment that it had become part of me, as natural as breathing. I thrived on this sense of belonging, community, place. Yet, inevitably, restlessness to push my “edge” again started to kick in.
When my husband landed an internship in Vienna, Austria, we were both thrilled about the opportunity to explore a new culture and language. January was a blur of packing, saying goodbyes, and tying up countless loose ends. In the blink of an eye, we found ourselves nestled tightly into our airplane seats, zipping across the pond and musing about life on the other side. Read more…
