Bull in a stroller shop

Posted on January 12, 2013 by admin

Last November, our trusty stroller, which we had gotten before Benjamin was born, broke and had to be replaced. Taking on a task like selecting and purchasing a new stroller, in German, and with a nearly unrecognizable selection of styles and models, was a pretty massive challenge. Liam was just barely one, though, so we didn’t really have an option — we weren’t going to easily make it through the rest of our time here (especially without a car) without a convenient “single” stroller to complement our very functional, but also very bulky, double stroller.

Well, it’s happened again. Our “new” stroller broke today, and we’re suddenly in the market for a new one. Again.

I blame Dan (almost) entirely. He’s pretty rough on strollers. His mentality is, “if it won’t go, just push it harder”. He was rough on the first one, and then again on this second one. It lasted just over a year.

Granted, because we are without a car, and we walk everywhere, it had a year of very intense use. That stroller travelled with us to 6 different countries, on trains, busses, planes, trams and in the trunks/boots of various cars. It went to the top of a mountain in the Alps and to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It’s been busy. And, through all of it, the daily concussion of the cobblestones, as well as the all-too-often misjudged curb heights (which cause us to slam our entire moving weight onto the handle), were probably the most destructive.

But, whatever the cause, here we are again — a highly stroller-dependent family without an easy stroller to use. The stroller shops aren’t open again until Monday, so we’ll go shopping then. On the plus side, Liam, who is now over 2, is much more mobile without one (although we’re not quite yet to the point of not needing one at all). I’m sure we’ll find something good. In the meantime, it’s a lot of walking (and carrying of children) for everyone. Curses to Dan and his cavalier stroller attitude! (Actually, I’ll cancel the curses, and just make him carry the kids. That’ll work.)

Italia with a side of Mina

Posted on January 11, 2013 by admin

Italy is a place I’ve always dreamed of going. Even back when the thought of travelling outside of the US was scarier to me than it was exciting, Italy was on the (very short) list of places I knew I wanted to go . . . someday. I think my enthusiasm grew from my interest in the Renaissance and Reformation eras of history and a fascination with the art in and from Italy (even though I really know nothing about art). That, and pizza. It seemed like if all that good stuff came from one place, it would be worth checking out.

But, after spending our first summer here in Vienna, I was pretty certain I was not going to venture any further south in the summer months, unless it involved sitting on a beach somewhere. The European notions of handling summer heat, largely without air conditioning, don’t work very well for me, and I figured that if I couldn’t handle that at a northern latitude, venturing to Italy during warm weather didn’t make a lot of sense.

Our initial plan had been to see Italy this past December, so we could enjoy the festivity of Rome and the Vatican once everything was done up for Christmas. Though when I sat down to plan that trip, back in the fall, I realized that December is one of my favorite months of the whole year HERE, so why would I want to leave?

But now, we’re really going. The trip to Italy has been planned. We’re going in February (cool weather, few crowds). We started off (as we often do) with an overly ambitious wish list of destinations: Rome, Florence, Siena, the Cinque Terre, Venice. From experience, I’ve learned that trying to manage that in a week, with the kids, would be miserable for all of us. So, we narrowed it down to three, and then decided to limit ourselves to just two, so we can really enjoy them, slow down, relax and have a great time, with no pressure.

So, we’re going to Rome, and then to Venice. Because I can’t imagine a trip to Italy that didn’t include Rome, and Venice seems so beautiful, and so romantic that I didn’t want to miss it (not to mention we literally have to travel through it to get anywhere else in Italy). We’re taking the train the entire way — the overnight train (our first) from Vienna to Rome, a train from Rome to Venice and then the overnight home to Vienna. We have plans to see a lot of the sights in Rome, to ride on a gondola in Venice, and to eat a ton of Italian food. (Benjamin is overjoyed that we are going to the country that invented pizza. We’ve promised him pizza and gelato every day.) I am super excited.

And, we get to bring Jo along with us on this adventure. And then, to make it all even more exciting, my sister, Amanda (or “Mina”, to the kids) is coming over to join us for our trip. We are all so excited. The kids did a happy dance (quite literally) when I told them she was coming. Seeing Italy is a dream come true, and being able to do it with my family makes it even better. Looking forward to Italy!

Christmas lights in January

Posted on January 10, 2013 by admin

The Christmas lights in Vienna are still up. It’s the 10th of January. Advent, Christmas, New Year’s and even the Epiphany have come and gone. And yet, even the very orderly Austrians don’t seem to be in a hurry to take down the lights.

We had to take our tree down early this year. By “early”, I mean almost a week ago. And, in a house where Christmas trees typically threaten to be around for Valentine’s Day, it was a lot earlier than ever before. That, along with the fact that we get our tree later than I’d like here in Austria, means we didn’t get enough of a chance to enjoy it. We certainly didn’t have it around long enough to get tired of it. I was sad to see it go.

So I’m glad that the lights are still up in the city. I love them. It makes it still feel a little like Christmas, and they help to brighten the evening streets that get dark so early. They’ll be down soon, and we can carry on through the cold, dark winter until we can feel the difference of the lengthening days. But I’m so glad to enjoy them just a little bit longer. I’m in no hurry.

New Year’s Eve in Vienna

Posted on January 9, 2013 by admin

Last year, we went in to New Year’s Eve with no expectations, and we ended up having a surprisingly fantastic time (despite getting stuck remarkably close to where the fireworks were being launched with a child who was NOT amused by the tremendous amounts of sound and smoke).

This year, we had a much better idea of what to expect. New Year’s Eve in the center of Vienna means day-long concerts, lots of public intoxication (but it’s surprisingly orderly), food and drink for sale, stands selling stuffed pigs for good luck in the New Year, many people dressed in crazy hats and sporadic fireworks throughout, followed by a big fireworks display at midnight. It’s a good time. Much of the downtown area around the already large pedestrian zone is closed to traffic, creating a massive area in the center of the city closed to cars and available to revelers. Concerts featuring all kinds of music are set up throughout the city. It’s loud, and festive, and very, very fun.

And, since we enjoyed ourselves last year, we set out to try it again this year. Again, we wandered through the streets along with everyone else in Vienna. Everywhere was crowded. Each concert had a huge number of people (of all ages) dancing along. We started out with the kids in the stroller, but they got out to dance along the way. We walked through the center of town, stopped for a cookie at Starbucks, walked past the Hofburg Palace, around the Ringstrasse and around to the Rathaus (which was hosting the most raucous party of them all). We were cold, but we had fun. The celebration was so enthusiastic and lighthearted, and it was fun just to be out in it.

But, unlike last year, the kids had had enough after a few hours. Around 10:30, they wanted to go home, so we obliged. We came home, got everyone dressed in pajamas and started to get ready for bed . . . but, it turned out, they wanted to stay up and be festive for the new year, just not outside. So, we played Wii together until the big moment.

And, we were pleasantly surprised to find out, we could see some of the fireworks from our kitchen window. So we rang in the New Year, all together, bunched around the kitchen window. It was a great end to 2012 — Vienna throws a great New Year’s party. 032

Time to travel . . . again

Posted on January 8, 2013 by admin

In the past 12 months we’ve done a lot of travelling. We’ve gone sledding in the Alps, spent a long weekend in Paris and a short one in Normandy, took two separate trips to the US (one including a week at the beach), visited England, Scotland and Ireland, and saw Salzburg, Tirol and a little bit of Bavaria. It’s been quite a year.

However, the last trip we took (Bavaria, Salzburg and Tirol) was almost 3 months ago. It’s the longest break we’ve taken since we started this whirlwind of travel across Europe last year . . . and, I’m ready to go again. As much as it can be a ton of work and sometimes a fair bit of stress and inconvenience to undertake a major trip as a family, I can’t wait to do it again. I think I may have gotten myself addicted to the adventure of discovering new places.

Which is good, because we’ve got a lot more to come. Next week, we have our first ski trip planned, next month we’re going to Italy, and I have a few short weekend trips in mind (which, of course, I haven’t planned yet, because I always plan travel at the absolute last minute — in fact, having our Italy trip almost entirely planned over a month in advance feels unusually organized to me).

So much of this feels out of character to me. I’ve always been such a homebody — I’ve always liked snuggling up on the couch and watching a favorite movie, not venturing out somewhere new. But now that I’ve done it, I get so much satisfaction from these adventures that it completely overwhelms the inertia of being home, and almost silences my worries about the challenges. Our two upcoming trips, for example, have lots to be concerned about — we’re heading to the Alps, to ski, with a 2 year old and a 4 year old, even though none of us really ski. And then we’ll be heading to Rome, with all the stress and headache of worries about pickpocketing and scams, and Venice, where the entire time I’ll be obsessed about not losing one of the kids in a canal.

But even though I do think (obsess) about all of those things, I can’t wait to travel again. I love seeing new places and having new experiences. But I also LOVE having that dedicated time together as a family. I love sharing a too-small room, all together, listening to the boys sleep while Dan and I whisper and silently laugh as we recall our day’s adventure. I love seeing the boys throw themselves whole-heartedly into completely new surroundings. I even love the memories of holding a sick Liam in the middle of the night or laying on a couch in a strange hotel room with Benjamin as he rested. We have made SO MANY memories on our adventures so far. We have shared so many experiences and bonded as we laughed or growled about some unexpected challenge. Travel with my kids is like family-time-concentrate and each part, even the parts that drive us crazy when we are going through them (like being lost in Paris at midnight in the rain or horribly miscalculating the driving time on our first day in Ireland) — EVERY SINGLE PART — has been precious to me.

I can’t wait to go again.

The mystery of the missing ham

Posted on January 7, 2013 by admin

I was late shipping out our Christmas gifts for our family at home. Consequently, everything arrived after Christmas (bummer) and the final package just arrived a few days ago.

To my Dad’s house, we shipped a lot of food items — cookies, chocolate, jams, mustards, candy . . . and a hunk of ham. (Plus a toy for Margaret.)

I wrapped all of the gifts, bubble wrapped the fragile items and packaged them all up into two shipping boxes for their trip the US. I packed everything. I know I did. I had a list. (I always have a list.)

But, last week, when the package arrived, the ham was absent. Not there. Missing.

I don’t know what happened. The box didn’t seem particularly damaged, and it didn’t look to have been opened and resealed. There weren’t any notices or markings on it. It only took a few days longer to arrive than the other box we sent (not outside of typical for mailing to the States). Did Customs take it? (You see, I had read that vacuum-sealed, cured meat was ok to send from Europe to the US — although I’ve since done more detailed research and discovered that it isn’t.) It’s possible — probably even likely — but I imagine there would be some kind of notice or paperwork along with that. Was the box more damaged than it appeared, and maybe it fell out? (Seems unlikely.) Did someone steal it? (It was a nice piece of ham, but not so nice that I image anyone went after it.) Or maybe, in a holiday-induced bit of distraction, I failed to pack it and accidentally stuck it in a drawer or something? (In that case, I imagine we’ll figure it out very, very soon.)

My best guess is that it was found and confiscated by Customs or the Postal Service or whoever is in charge of confiscating ham from packages mailed to the US. (Which, honestly, is fine, because if I’d known I wasn’t supposed to send it, I wouldn’t have.) But, I wonder — is this normal? Something is sent through the mail that shouldn’t be, and someone opens the package and takes it, without any kind of notice? That seems really strange to me. But, if not that, then what did happen? So far, it’s a mystery.

The privilege of parenting

Posted on January 6, 2013 by admin

One day, my boys will be grown up — they will be men. They’ll have jobs, hobbies and friends. They’ll have neighbors and coworkers. They may also be fathers and/or husbands. Wherever life takes them, they’ll grow up, and be out in the world, and everyone will interact with them as the adults they will be.

But right now, they’re my little boys, and I have the privilege of seeing them as children. I get to celebrate their milestones and victories. I get to look at drawings, hear about their dreams, kiss their boo-boos and guide them through their first, tentative steps towards independence. There will be a time when snuggles and kisses from Mommy are embarrassing and unwelcome (at least in front of their friends), but, for now, I get to cuddle up with them every day.

No matter what the future holds for them, I will always have the honor of having witnessed these precious moments. I feel so lucky to be their mom.

. . . 2013!

Posted on January 5, 2013 by admin

For the first time in recent memory, I’m entering into a year without having a set plan in mind for how it’s going to go. The timeline for our year is very much up in the air right now, so I can’t confidently predict what we’ll experience in the next 12 months, but that doesn’t diminish my enthusiasm for it.

I know we’ll travel. We have a ski trip (our first!) planned for later this month, and I’m working out the details of a trip to Italy in February (nothing like planning at the last minute — I’m an expert). Benjamin has requested a return to Paris and Liam asks (daily) when we’re going to “rent a car and go to Germany” again. There are places near here that we have yet to see: Slovakia, Croatia, Prague, Graz and Linz. And I am pretty confident that regardless of what our year has in store, we will find ourselves back in the British Isles again in 2013. And, of course, in the US.

Liam will turn 3 in September, so he’ll start preschool this year (most likely) and Benjamin will be 5 (!) so he’ll start actual kindergarten. I think that will be really exciting for both of them, and it will also mean that I’ll have a little time each day on my own. I have no idea what that will be like (but I’m guessing I’ll enjoy it).

For myself, I want to make a point of getting involved in some kind of activity — riding, dancing . . . something. Stuff like that has been missing from my days for too long.

I guess what I need to take from all of the uncertainty about our immediate future is to be open, flexible, and make the most of what I have in front of me. I don’t know what 2013 has in store for me, but I’m quite certain it will be an adventure.

2012 . . .

Posted on January 4, 2013 by admin

What a year it has been. An entire year of living abroad — stretching my own boundaries, learning about . . . well . . . everything, questioning my perspectives, forgiving myself for failing, learning to laugh about the challenges and continually brushing myself off and starting again.

2012 was the year of international travel for us — sledding in the Alps, ascending the Eiffel Tower, wandering through Normandy, visiting home, enjoying the beach, touring castles and moors in England, being sick in Scotland, discovering the wonder of Ireland, driving on the Autobahn in Germany. All in the past 12 months. Yep, it’s been quite a year.

Benjamin has pretty well adjusted to school. He has friends. He corrects my German. He learned to ride his pedal bike this summer (in about 10 minutes), had his first surfing lesson from his Uncle Adam and discovered that he loves to ice skate. He is shockingly brilliant and amazingly sweet. He is the best big brother Liam could possibly have.

Liam started really talking (a lot). He runs, jumps, rides his bike, builds Lego towers and constantly amazes us at what he sees and understands. He went to the beach for the first time (although he didn’t love it). He adores Benjamin and works to be like him every day. He has an unending enthusiasm for nearly everything and is the fiercest hugger I know. This was his first full year living on a single continent.

2012 was an amazing year — one of the most profoundly transformational I’ve yet experienced. We’ve finally gotten our feet under us here in Vienna. We can manage our daily lives and our routine transactions (often even in German!). We’re starting to thrive, rather than just survive. We know our neighbors, we have friends (friends that even help us move heavy furniture) and we’re really starting to figure things out here. I’ve made many memories this year that I know I will carry with me forever. Vielen Dank, 2012!

A clueless American’s guide to Vienna’s Christmas markets, part 3

Posted on January 3, 2013 by admin

I kept waiting to write this because I was hoping to make it to a few more markets before the end of the season . . . but they continued to elude me. I couldn’t find the right time to go, the weather didn’t cooperate, we got busy with other things. And then, Christmas was upon us and I took a break and a vacation from writing the blog to relax and spend more time with my family. And, the upshot is that we ended up visiting the same 9 Christmas markets this year that we saw last year, and I’m just now getting around to finishing up recording our experiences. (I’ve already shared my thoughts on the Am Hof, Rathaus, Spittelberg, Maria-Theresienplatz, Freyung and Karlsplatz markets.)

And yes, I realize it’s now after Christmas and all of the markets (even the few that stayed open through New Year’s Eve) have been closed up and packed away until next year. But, perhaps this will be useful in future years. So, in the spirit of “better late than never”, I present my thoughts on visiting three more of Vienna’s Christmas markets:

AKH — This market, on the grounds of part of the University of Vienna (I believe it’s the medical school, but I’m not sure) is just far enough off of the beaten track of tourist venues to have a diffrent feel from the other markets. Before about 6 in the evening, it’s a very quiet market, with a lot of handcrafted (but not very many Austrian) items. There are a lot of varieties and options in terms of drinks (including several specialty/gourmet Punsch options) but only a few places to pick up food (the selection does, however, include an entire stand devoted to cupcakes). In general, the crowd here is young and single (probably owing to the university location) and a lot of the market stalls reflect the age and tastes of the customers — lots of shops selling candles, woolen hats and wall decorations, and decidedly fewer selling fine food or artful home decor. They do have a section of nice (if odd — the carousel contains a Mickey Mouse with glowing red eyes) children’s rides at a reasonable price. (Wednesdays also offered children’s rides at a discount.) The center of the market is built around a kind of bocce ball court which is the focus of a lot of the activity and socialization. I’ve had several of my local, Austrian friends recommend this market, and that doesn’t surprise me — the Punsch is good and the atmosphere is less commercial. I imagine that after years of wading through the tourists at the Rathaus or the Freyung, something like AKH is a welcome change. (Although, along with the less touristy feel came a much lower percentage of English-speaking vendors.) Aside from taking the kids on the rides, we didn’t spend a lot of time here, but I imagine that teenagers and young adults would particularly enjoy this market.

Schonbrunn — It’s just not possible for the other markets to compete with the setting of Schonbrunn. The market is laid out right in front of the massive and beautiful summer palace, and, if you find yourself in Vienna around Christmas, you should absolutely go. It’s a bit of a trek by public transport from the center of Vienna (takes about 30-40 minutes) but it’s well worth it. Of course, because it’s lovely, the tour buses pull up out front and unload mobs of tourists, so it’s always busy and crowded. But, the market has a wide variety of wares for sale (with a lot of duplication from best of the retailers from the other markets), some of the best food we’ve had at a Christmas market (the krapfen, freshly made and filled to order are a special treat), and lots of warm drinks (including hot chocolate, which is surprisingly hard to find at a Christmas market). Because this is a big market, housed in front of the palace, it can be really cold, and even windy as you meander through the stalls (most other markets, held in squares or on narrow streets can be quite cozy and warmer than you’d expect). They don’t have any rides or entertainment for the kids, but the grounds are vast and just around the back of the palace. We’ve found the Schonbrunn market one of the best to visit with the kids, because when they get bored, we can wander the grounds for an hour and then come back to the market when everyone is cold and ready for a warm drink. The market at Schonbrunn is really not to be missed. (This market is also one of the few that is open between Christmas and New Year’s, but I’ve never been after Christmas.)

Belvedere — The Belvedere market also benefits from a lovely setting. It’s a small-to-medium sized market, with a lot of focus on food and drink and socializing. There are some nice items for sale in the market stalls, but I noticed a lot of vendors from countries around Austria — the Czech Republic and Hungary, in particular — and fewer local ones. Since Belvedere is also not in the main tourist area of the city, the prices seem to be a bit lower and the crowds are a bit thinner. Every time I’ve been to the Belvedere market, there has been some kind of live music, and since (unlike other markets) the stage is located in the center of the market, it’s a real focus. They do have a few small children’s rides off to one side, as well. It’s a very nice market to soak up some music, laughter, conversation and Christmas spirit.

A Mommy Abroad

Our big adventure, as a family of three.

Category Archives: Adventure in Vienna