Last week was so busy, I can write a whole post about what happened in just 7 days!

The week before last, we got our first snow (which has since melted) and attended our first Christmas market to have the traditional Gluhwein (and I also discovered Caramel Punch - oh wow!).  Christmas Markets abound all around Vienna and in every small village with stalls selling handmade things, food, drink, carolers and lights.  It's a great party at all of them.

Christmas Market at Schonbrun Palace

Kids playing outside in the first snow.
It wasn't much but it was packing snow!

Monday
Last week began with a visit to the Snow Globe Museum, home of the 'Wiener Schneekugel' company.  It's a fourth-generation family company. The founder 'invented' the snow globe quite by accident when he was working as a medical instrument maker, trying to expand the area that a light bulb will illuminate.  He tried a water filled globe, without much success, and after putting glass flakes in the water (also without much success), he turned over the globe and noticed the effect.  He began designing the insides and the company was born.  It is the only company that creates them outside of China.  The secret, he says, is in the composition and manufacturing process of the 'snow'.  It is quite true that his 'snow' floats around for quite a long time.  The current owner detailed the whole evolution of the company and the current techniques. Almost everything is created in-house and is done by hand.  It was really quite fun.

The third generation; his daughter runs the company now and he still designs scenes for the insides

You can see at the bottom, the original stove where they would melt pewter and the tools on the top for molding it.

A part of the showroom today.

Tuesday was German conversation.  I have recently realized that I have been putting too much pressure on myself to learn and speak German and it was negatively impacting my experience here.  So I have backed off and "allowed" myself to ask people if they speak English some of the time.  I do know the places where they don't and I still go to the class and work on it as I want to.  I am definitely understanding more and able to communicate.  Carissa, however, is putting us all to shame as she improves every day.  Plus, her pronunciation is the best of all of us.

Wednesday was my weekly coffee in a coffee shop with other English speakers.  This was followed by a tour of the Lichtenstein City Palace.  As in, the country of Lichtenstein.  As in, the Lichtenstein family.  As in, they have their own bank.  Wow.  This palace has just completed a $100 million euro renovation and is completely amazing.  It is still the main residence of the family, with their apartments on the third floor.  It is only open for tours twice/month and it is booked months in advance.  It was originally built in a Baroque style and then remodeled in the New Rocco style.  Everything has been meticulously restored and our guide was an encyclopedia, telling us about every piece of furniture, clothing, design, history of anything and everything. The art collection (a part of it is here and the rest in the Lichtenstein Museum) was so beautiful. Because the collection is private, we were not allowed to take pictures inside.  The amount of gold was overwhelming (and we all agreed in the ballroom that it was way too much!!  But apparently it is what the designer was known for.)

This was the main staircase.

The ballroom.  The chandelier is 1.3 tons.

The only thing in this room which is not gold are the figures on the top of the corner candelabras, which the family insisted be painted brown.  Even they had had too much gold!  There are also mirrors on the opposite wall to increase the effect (and are also rotating doors).

One particular designer did much of the furniture inside in this style.  Love this bench.

Thursday was Thanksgiving.  An American graduate student at Craig's office took care of getting the turkey and started it baking in the afternoon.  I made the pumpkin and apple pies and everyone brought something. We had the traditional turkey and stuffing, baked potatoes, cranberries, carrots and beans and pies.  We had the nontraditional Knudel (balls of breading, potato and spices boiled in water), carrot soup, and red cabbage salad.  We ate in the late evening after an afternoon of board games and Foosball.  The office has a large kitchen/eating room where we all gathered.  Of course, it wouldn't be Austrian if you didn't follow the meal with a small glass of Schnaps to aid in the digestion.

Playing "Small World"

The feast begins. Since the turkey wasn't as big as requested, they also gave us a duck.

Yup, the men did most of the cooking!

And most of the eating!

We left long before the students, who ended up playing cards until late in the night.

Friday, our Carissa turned 10 years old!  No more single digit Zirblets in this household!  Despite her tiredness from the short night, she had five friends from school spend the night.  If you know her, you know that she had been planning this event for at least a few weeks, and had created a power point presentation to include the schedule.

Looking in at the birthday girl.

The evening started with a tour of our apartment and then with tea.  Afterwards, I sent the girls out in sets of two for a scavenger hunt.  Remember, it is dark at 4:30 here (we are too far north!) so they were out in the dark looking for all sorts of things - in English!).  After that was "Taste the Rainbow", where you need to move colored candies via a straw from the main container to your own cup.  There were many on the floor, which didn't keep them from eating them despite my warning about the lack of cleanliness. Then was "Foil Fashion" where each team had to create clothing and accessories from aluminum foil. I tried to convince Carissa to have a traditional American meal (burgers) but she wouldn't go for it. So we had Wiener Schnitzel, rice, fruit, cut vegetables, etc.  Then a movie, opening gifts and an ice cream cake. I herded them into the bedroom at 11, but it was many hours before quiet descended.  They were up early for pancakes for breakfast, which they all loved (many had never had them, although they are familiar with crepes).  Craig took them to the park for a while in the morning, then a game of hide-and-seek waiting for the parents to collect them.  After a brief moment of quiet, we had to get busy cleaning the huge mess and rearranging the furniture back to its place.

Dinner Theater (Carissa and Johanna)

Opening Gifts

At the park for frisbee:  Zora, Julie, Carissa, Johanna, Lea, Kasija

Pancake Breakfast

Not enough for one week, you say?  Well, it's enough for me!  I began to have some fatigue and digestive issues again so have moderated the amount of gluten I am eating, which seems to have taken care of it.  I eat it when I want, usually when I am out and about, but not at home and that seems the right balance.

We went to services for the first Sunday in Advent, but didn't understand much more than when we first arrived, 3.5 months ago.  People brought their wreaths to be blessed.  We have decorated our tiny place - stockings and a few ribbons and knick-knacks. And the required St. Nicholas-Krampus team (in chocolate of course). Alex and Dominic arrive on the 16th for three weeks and we will explore and have family time, the first time all together since June.  You know I've been counting the days until that arrives.

The following weeks will be quite busy as well - mostly with shopping and Christmas markets.  Alex's girlfriend will come for a few days between Christmas and New Years.  We will go to Salzburg once to visit our friends and again to go skiing after the new year.  We wish you all the best in the Advent and Christmas seasons and every joy in the new year! And a white Christmas (if you want one!)  Be sure to send us your news from wherever you find yourself as you celebrate the old year, and/or ring in the new one.  

Frohe Weihnachten und Glückliches neues Jahr!

Time for Fasching, the season of Karneval.

The Austrians really enjoy relaxing with friends, sharing company and food, and celebrating whatever the current season happens to be.  The season that began on November, 11 at 11:11 am, is Fasching, the German name for the season of Carnival/Mardi Gras.  Too soon, you say?  Au contraire! The kick-off was in the Inner City, where hundreds of us (including yours truly with her husband) danced the waltz in the company of many others and a few professionals and dancing instructors.  It was chaos and crazy and fun. November 11 is also "Martin's Day", when roast goose is traditionally served.  (But not by me.)

The Austrian military band provides accompaniment

Lined up to lean the steps.  Instructors are at the far end on the stage in black, describing the steps.

A few days before this event, we went to the "Balcondo" - the inaugural night of a month-long a Capella festival.  For the first evening, many of the groups performed on balconies, in churches, and on the street around the Inner City, showcasing their talents.  The groups were fairly good overall, with many singing American Oldies and throwing in some funny motions or sounds.  The festival is called "Voice Mania".

Quintessenz

Aquabella

There were some very talented African singers.  It was all quite fun.  But our kids weren't too impressed.

The temperature dropped last week, and it's the first time I felt like I've needed my winter coat during the day.  Without the winds of Ohio, it still doesn't feel so bad.  Since OH just had a dusting of snow, it still seems like autumn here.  I think the Viennese just don't like any degree of cold; they have been bundled up for the last few weeks.  They keep the buses/trains and shops very warm so you are faced with stripping off the layers or sweating away while you are inside.  Other Americans seem to agree with me.

We will attend a Thanksgiving dinner party, hosted by an American student at Craig's office. Without friends and the whole family around, it won't quite feel the same, but should be enjoyable nonetheless.   I'm glad someone else is taking care of the turkey; you have to per-order them if you want one and you may not end up with an actual turkey.  I will need to figure out how to get the ingredients I need for the dishes I am bringing.   I'll have to tap into my hunter/gather ancestry.  It's been fine-tuned the last few months looking for edible vegetables and meats.

So much to tell you about....

Carissa did celebrate Halloween here, a holiday still not generally accepted except by some young people. Here it is the older kids, perhaps 8 to 14 or so, who get dressed in only scary or gruesome costumes, and like to throw eggs.  There are a few kids who go trick-or-treating (or as they say here "sweet or sour!") but not too many who answer the door.  Many older folks are vocal about their opposition to this entirely un-Austrian tradition should you be so unlucky to ring their bell.  Carissa made a very cute peacock costume and enjoyed herself.  The other girls she was with didn't really expect any response from anyone, so were pleased with the (quite reasonable) amount of candy they collected.

The following day is All Saints Day, a national holiday here.  We didn't get out to see the lighted and decorated cemeteries, but I like the whole idea of honoring the lives of the family who came before you. Like central and south America, they do it up big here.

We got back to the zoo again and are more impressed than ever.  Toledo has a great zoo. But this one is even bigger, with many more animals (4 giraffes, 6 elephants, etc).  I was able to sit in the sunshine on a very nice day and do some sketching while the others wandered around to see the exhibits we missed the first time.

We also made a weekend trip to Salzburg, to reconnect with our best friends from our time there.  It was wonderful to see them all and the kids that we knew as preschoolers.  They all speak good English so Matthew was able to get in some good board and computer games, and we were able to laugh, eat and drink with the parents.  Carissa had to rely on her ever-improving German to play with the younger girls, but also had a good time.  We did a wonderful hike on a warm and sunny Saturday, with a gorgeous view of the entire Salzkammergut region - lakes and mountains and villages.  I think it's the prettiest place on earth.  On Sunday we explored the town again and felt quite at home.  We were treated like royalty and the food and Prosecco was top shelf!

Calling all the lovely ladies:  Leonie & Eva,  Lydia & Amelie, Maria & Carissa

We even got to see hang gliders taking off from the top of the mountain.

There is a bridge across the Salzach River that has the distinction of being a place that couples commemorate getting married / getting together.  The tradition is to get a lock, write your names and the date on it, lock it onto the bridge, and throw the key in the river.  This signifies the permanency of the commitment. Matthew speculated that those using combination locks were hedging their bets.

Our friend, Amelie Schrader, at the "lock bridge"

Of course, the kids had to play with the same chess set the older boys did 8 years ago.
Amelie is filling in for the missing piece.

After a weekend of indulging in all sorts of foods, and feeling no bad effects, I discovered a wonderful secret.  The wheat/bread/gluten in Europe is different than the states (and Canada and Australia) and I am able to eat it with no negative consequences.  After doing a little looking online, I discovered that the different variety of seeds, climate, elevation, weather, as well as milling and processing practices make for quite a different product in the end.  In addition, in the states the flour products are routinely given extra yeast for a faster rising process and are generally not quite baked enough (all the faster to eat you, my dear), which leads to intestinal trouble.  The end result is....I can enjoy the bakery and the confectionery shops like a native.  I will still need to experiment a bit to see if I have any fatigue, depending on the degree of consumption.

Playing life-sized chess in Salzburg motivated Matthew to be creative at our own place:

Although it's still a pain to shop, and the local supermarket produce and meat leaves a lot to be desired, it looks like in many ways we are eating healthier than those of you in the US.  Check out: http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/11944-banned-foods.html.  Almost all of these are banned in the EU so maybe a bit of detox going on for us.

Discovered another curious thing here. Some doctors don't take appointments.  You just go during their office hours and put your name on the list.  You never know how long the wait will be.  I got a recommendation of a good doctor who speaks English, and luckily I was the third in line.  I needed to get a lab slip to check my thyroid and it was all a painless process.  I know the pediatrician takes appointments here, but I guess not all of them do.  I can't see the upside for this but it must work for someone!  The "socialist nightmare" of the medical system is nothing close:  quick, efficient, well-managed and free for all to see the doctor, go to a lab, get the results, get the prescription.  Let's all work for a one-payer system in the US.  I can't believe we tolerate insurance companies getting rich by being middle-men and millions not being able to get coverage.  It costs all of us more the way it is.  Oh, except for the politicians who get theirs free.

Thanks to all who remembered and helped me celebrate my birthday.  It was a lovely week of quiet celebration. Craig and the kids treated me to flowers and a nice dinner together:

I also went the following weekend by myself, back to Salzburg to celebrate with them.  My friend Lydia bought a 1/2 pig and it was time to butcher that weekend!

The beautiful farmhouse

Pre-pork chops

Supervising the schnitzels and steaks

Time to bag and label it all...Lydia and her mom at work.

The next month will easily be filled with the lovely Christmas markets here, which have lovely things to sell and a great atmosphere.  I saw decorations and stalls going up downtown and so it will be starting soon. They are great fun.  The "big" boys are coming on Dec. 16 for Christmas and will stay for 3 weeks.  I am so excited I can't stand it!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to those in the US.  I hope you enjoy the time with your family and friends.  We will be with you in spirit and we wish you many continued blessings in the coming year.

You're never fully dressed without a ...................

Scarf!!

What's In:

Scarfs (you would be hard pressed to find a woman in Vienna who doesn't have one wrapped around her neck. Truly), leg warmers (can you believe these are coming back!), skirts (all kinds and styles, although A-line miniskirts are the norm; women usually don't wear pants since they generally dress up when they go out), furs (well, it does get cold here), heels (they walk so much, I'm not sure how they do it), smart phones (like in the States, everyone is always on one), leggings or tights (with the skirts or alone - sometimes not a great look), boots (again, these are everywhere), and...

...guys dressed like those above.  They are everywhere in their trademark clothing.  Luckily for you, these uniforms come in many colors including red, blue, gray, white, neon yellow, neon orange, and many more! I'm sure I can get a discount if enough of you place an order.  Be sure to note color and size.

What's not In:

Anything that's in my closet.  Stilettos seem to have disappeared in favor of the full heel.  Not that I have any of those anyway.   How about this?

Definitely not fashionable without being in a Biergarten so I'll have to correct that.  I'm growing my hair out so I can do the braids, too.  :)  Actually, I get no strange looks when I've worn it.  Traditional clothing is fairly commonly seen.  This is technically not a "dirndl", with a blouse and skirt and apron, so I may keep looking for one of those.  But with my coloring and name, I easily pass for Austrian.

We've been our usual busy selves.  Highlights include:

1.  A guided tour of the Schonbrun Zoo, the oldest zoo in Europe.  We were lucky enough to see a baby elephant (about a month old), baby giraffe, prowling leopards, and giant tortoises, among others.

2. Riding a cable car up the Rax Mountain, about an hour south of Vienna.  We went with a French family that I met in my women's group.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day in Vienna and we had beautiful views of the autumn colors when we reached the top.  Then we walked into the clouds that live at the top of mountains and had a windy, chilly hike.  Enjoyed the lovely Heurige (local tavern) at the top of the mountain, which helped prepare us for the return hike, since it had also started to rain by then.  Despite the absence of what would have been fabulous views if the weather was clear, we all had a good time!

3. Going to "A Long Night at the Museum", where about 150 museums can be visited in one evening for one ticket.  The kids and I did this alone since Craig was at a conference in the Czech Republic.  Carissa got to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musik Haus, and we got to see the Imperial Jewels and watch gold and silversmiths at work.

4. We also went hiking through the vineyards on the one weekend of the year when the entire Vienna Wine Trail is open (much of the trail goes through private vineyards).  It was a bit chilly but a lovely time hiking, stopping at small huts to sample the new wines (called Sturm - it's so new it's still fermenting as you drink it.  It tastes like fizzy grape juice) and have snacks.  

Maria and Angela

The brave adventurers (Matthew opted out)

Just can't imagine finding one of these in the states. But Carissa loved it.

This was the main winery on the trail, where you could buy wine, of course, and also
cheeses and breads and all kinds of other treats.  They had music and a few games for kids.

The highlight for Carissa was playing a game where you throw a rain-boot from progressively farther away while trying to make it land in the wheelbarrow.  Yup, you read that right.  Unfortunately, she was also stung twice on the neck by the only bee in the entire valley.

5. I was also lucky enough to go on a guided tour of the works of Otto Wagner, a famous architect from Vienna.  The guide was enthusiastic and passionate and had written a book about Wagner and was a delight to listen to.  Wagner was the architect of the wonderful mass transit system of Vienna in addition to various buildings, pavilions and train stations.

So now you are up to date.  The kids are doing fine in school, have made friends, and do not have much that is taxing them academically.  Being in a bi-lingual program is slowing their acquisition of German, but it is coming along.  Craig has been to a couple of conferences and has been enjoying his time with his colleagues here.  Currently, his focus is on the grant proposal which is due in a few weeks that will determine future funding.  I continue to work on my German, go to social activities, explore the area, and spend many hours on keeping the house going.  I did find a good vegetable/fruit market that's not too far away, and a butcher there from Serbia that enjoys talking to me about what he sells.   I've cut back on most of the gluten I was eating, which means I'm feeling better, although I do still cheat at times.  We were all approved to participate in the Austrian health care system, so I need to make an appointment with a doctor for some lab work (just to keep track of my thyroid).  It also means we may be eligible for the "family money" that they pay families here according to how many children they have!  We've decided to just skip the rest of Matthew's allergy shot program as it would just be too much time and trouble.  He seems to be doing well in any case.

Next weekend we will rent a car and go to see our friends in Salzburg.  I am really looking forward to that!  
November will bring the beginning of the Christmas markets, a trip to the western part of Austria, including Innsbruck and Dornbirn (which is the city my ancestors come from) and Zurich.  We are transporting a car for a friend and will take the train back.

So, I'm putting my life out there - tell us about yours!
Enjoy the lovely autumn weather and colors!

Prost,
Maria von Zirbel