Where Did My Week Go? And a Trip to Baden

Watching the scaffolding come down...thrilling!

The beginning and the end of my week could not possibly have been more different from each other. Last weekend was overcast and rainy and it carried over into our week through Wednesday.  I was starting to think we had moved to Seattle and seasonal depression was hovering ever closer.  To add injury to insult, I woke up Wednesday morning feeling like death warmed over.  The entire day is a hellish headache-and-vomit filled blur.  I've basically thrown any good habits regarding my blood sugar out the window since we arrived in Vienna and I've been dealing with small inconveniences and set backs all along, but this was like a huge slap to the face.  Time to get myself back on track again.  It ain't easy, but I'm making a turn towards better habits.

"running the hills" with their friends

So, after all the dreary rain and pain filled days that formed the odd abyss that was the first half of my week, imagine how surprised I was to find myself feeling like a million bucks, sitting in the sunshine for hours while my kids played happily with their friends.  Thursday and Friday were the stuff of dreams; we hit up a park with a killer sand pit and then a beach/water park the next day.  The girls played in the sun, in the dirt, running, jumping, swinging, splashing...it was fantastic.  And I can only hope these are the kind of days our summer will be filled with.  The Viennese, in general, live outside of their homes and during these warm glorious days, it's no small wonder.  I cannot even begin to comprehend a time in which I will find myself at a loss for potential activities in this city.

my sunshiny diva

The girls have come home the past several days just absolutely exhausted and I love it.  This is the stuff I remember fondly from my childhood summers--it seemed like we were out of the house until dinner every day, making tree forts in the woods, baking mud pies in the sun, having watermelon seed spitting contests and swimming in the lake.  And at the end of the summer we were brown as Indians...we were strong and wiry.  We were kids.

I feel like urban Americans especially (and I've been more guilty than most) get too caught up in the daily grind to embrace the glory of summer.  There are too many errands to run and chores to do...too many to-do's that Mom and Dad need to check off the list before families get around to playing outside.  It's hard--it's a cultural norm--and I'm just ridiculously happy that we've had the opportunity to live in an area and amidst a culture where we are now free to focus our energy on enjoying these beautiful days.

The plague column in Baden...and a cute kid

So, in carrying on with that theme, we took advantage of the sun this Saturday and hopped on a train to nearby Baden (only a twenty minute train ride from Vienna).  The girls loved sitting on the upper level of the "big big biiiiig train", watching the scenery go by and after our short trip, we found ourselves wandering the streets of charming Baden.  This town's roots date back to the Romans who gravitated to the area known for it's thermal baths, but most of the characteristics it carries today are similar to that of nearby Vienna (unsurprising, as it was a summer destination for many of Vienna's wealthy residents).  Still, Baden manages to retain an identity of it's own. Located within the Wienerwald (The Vienna Woods), the forested mountains are easily accessible from the city, as are a wealth of scenic hiking trails to chose from in the area.

Sisters!

By the time we arrived in Baden and reached the city center where a beautiful holy trinity column dedicated to the victims of the plague stands, we decided it was time to get out of the sun and find some lunch.  We lingered over brats and spatzle and enjoyed the cool interior of the Amterl Gasthaus before heading back into the now blazing sun to find a bit of nature.  (you see what I get for whining about rain? It's summer now, baby!)

Audrey was enthralled by all the flowers

The girls held hands all the way to Kurkpark where they ran amok sniffing all the blooms in the well manicured flower beds.  Then we headed up into the hills for a bit of a hike.  Luckily, this being a wooded area, the shade on the paths was gloriously cool.  Dispersed amidst the lower trails are statues and monuments for different composers like Mozart and Strauss.  After taking our fill of the forest, the only thing left to do was to find ice cream and hop on the train back home.  The girls were absolute toast after all the recent activity. We really enjoyed Baden and I can see us coming back to spend a day at the baths or wandering through the wooded hills.