We've really been out enjoying Vienna this week. The last several weeks have been divided between waiting at home for deliveries and trying to stay out of the rain...which is silly when you think about how much the girls enjoy gallivanting in puddles. So, this week we've embraced the mercurial weather and tend to just leave the house with rain coats. We've been getting a lot done and seeing more of the city.
 |
| Pausing to plan the next Shenanigan |
We even met up with our friends to check out an Orangery near The Kagran U-Bahn station. (We needed to get the kids out of the house but being able to seek immediate shelter was also a high priority) As it turned out, our timing was perfect; the girls loved running through the rows of flowers and the winding paths through all kinds of trees and dense foliage. There were even operating beehives and an outdoor wood burning oven...where Meg and I were contemplating coming to bake our own loaves of bread. But, considering they booted us off the grass when we attempted to have a picnic, I think the stick-in-the-mud groundskeepers would frown on that. (I'm still confused about this, by the way, since we were only a few yards from picnic tables and there were public trash receptacles nearby. I asked the lady if we could eat in the park and she said 'no'. She told me it was a 'closed park' and answered in the affirmative when I asked if we needed to leave.) Oh, Austrians, you never cease to confuse me. So in an act of rebellion, we wandered around for another good 45 minutes letting the girls run and scream, until the skies started threatening to open up in an absolute downpour.
Cantankerous gardeners ain't gonna get me down, but I know better than to be in an open field when lightening starts.
 |
| Nine years since I last saw this lady |
Luckily, it looks like we'll have a bit of a break from the crazy cyclical rainstorms; yesterday was one of the nicest days we've had in recent memory and I got to meet up with a friend from High School; a gal I haven't seen since I graduated. (which we both attributed to never being in Walmart at the same time...this is how people in small towns 'visit' each other). Kim is married to another school mate of mine and they have recently moved to England. Imagine our mutual surprise when she went on a short tour of Europe and discovered we would be in the same place...about a million miles away from our small home town. She was traveling with a group of friends and we all met up for lunch at a place called Gasthaus Pfudl. The food and the service were great and I cannot tell you how nice it was to be able to honestly catch up with someone I haven't seen in ages. It probably helps that Kim is one of the most genuinely friendly people I know, but it was a fantastic lunch.
Afterwards, we all walked together to Stephansdom, which, from the outside looks like many a huge, towering Gothic monstrosity (particularly to people who have traveled across Europe). But I cannot tell you how giddy it made me to hear others confirm what I think every time I walk through it's doors. When the group walked into the cathedral and took a moment to gasp in awe, I just wanted to scream: "I know, Right?!?!" I can only use so many words in an attempt to describe the place, but there is nothing like being able to stand in the colorful shadows of it's stained glass, to realize the depth of countless details...to smell the remnants of a million burnt candles. There are cathedrals...and then there is Stephansdom. I felt like a proud mother hen.
And as I walked home (carrying both of my worn out girls) it sunk in: I LIVE here. I'm fighting every day to be accepted by these people. And I know why they're proud; they've got an amazing thing going here and not just anybody is allowed to take ownership of it. This is the first time I've found myself desiring to be able to say I'm proud of where I'm living, but I'm destined to be a transient resident. At least I've got all that cake and coffee to console myself.
No comments:
Post a Comment