tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32370217557305080102011-06-08T07:25:31.144+01:00One Minnesostan graduate student studies in Vienna for a semester; his Wisconsinite wife tags along. Here are some stories of their adventures in Austria.Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-26514076904226249852007-08-12T13:39:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:07.837+01:00

Long ago, I promised you one more post to wrap up the story of our life in Vienna, but I couldn't come up with a good way to write it. I didn't want it to be over. In fact, I'm not sure that it is. No, don't have plans to pack up and move back, but the friendships we made there carry on and the place where we made those friendships took hold of my heart.So, first a bunch of photos for your

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-20026850709674878502007-08-02T02:40:00.000+01:002007-08-02T02:42:14.463+01:00

In case you're checking here, we were safe at home when the bridge collapsed in Minneapolis. Our thoughts are with those who were on the bridge.

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-86797201978638074442007-07-10T23:37:00.000+01:002007-07-10T23:42:48.443+01:00

Sorry for the silence. We owe you some wrap-ups about our fabulous last weeks in Vienna and a bit of news from Stateside, but in case you haven't heard from us yet, we wanted to let you know that we made it home safe and sound. The bags came, too. Our minor flight delays had more to do with weather than security concerns in London.Loyd greeted us enthusiastically and now seems to think he was

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-56230481569427505462007-06-29T07:00:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:09.251+01:00

Home sweet home.We're a bit busy with the Farewell to Austria tour just now. We have loads of photos on our cameras and we keep meaning to tell you about visitors from Germany, the 5-course (maybe six - there was a LOT of wine) dinner party Angelika threw for us, a trip to Bratislava.... There will even be one more tour guiding opportunity before we leave. My co-worker, Neil, will be flying

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-80256251529516361362007-06-27T08:39:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:12.509+01:00

we hope that's Hungarian for: Budapest, it is nice to meet you!On the 15th, we traveled to Hungary to meet my college friends, Jon and Lina, and their daughter, Annemieke, who now live in Geneva. We arrived after a very hot, three-hour train ride from Vienna. In our compartment was a Serbian family traveling on to Belgrade. We really could not understand any of their conversations but a few

electricyoakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08533098156175464335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-43769365880870209322007-06-14T18:09:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:15.511+01:00

a dream kitchenI had the pleasure of helping out with a huge party on Tuesday night. Angelika's life dream, The Dining Room, was ready to be shown to all her friends and family. This great chef accepted my offers to help and I got a peek at the kitchen secrets while we prepared nine courses of little bites. You should really read The Flying Apple's blog for the details (and, to my delight,

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-24976586503760776252007-06-13T14:37:00.001+01:002008-12-10T04:44:16.589+01:00

A grand day out.I'm doing a little bit of catching up here. It's been a busy few days. This post will focus on Saturday. The stories lack the dramatic finish of The Torte, Us and the Hair, but well, it's a glimpse at our (or my) daily life. That is why you're reading this, isn't it?My hair got pretty long on this adventure of ours. Funny what not getting a trim for six months will do, huh? This

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-50506585331868578382007-06-10T20:18:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:18.948+01:00

Why aren’t we skiers?Heather and I decided last week to do an “Austria tour” since we had the free time and there were a couple of cities we just felt needed to be discovered by us before we left. The first city was Innsbruck, which is about five hours by train from Vienna. The decision was made on Tuesday to take off the next day on the trip. That was just to prove that such uptight people can

electricyoakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08533098156175464335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-38668302205529339252007-06-05T16:27:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:20.950+01:00

Good Friends, Good FoodWe've been remiss in our posting duties lately, haven't we? Perhaps this means that living in Europe is starting to feel normal.The last couple of weeks have been filled with friendships - renewing old ones, making new ones and nurturing the ones we've made here in Vienna. So, this is going to be a long one. Go ahead, grab a cup of coffee. We'll wait....For what those of

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-21002944164419421082007-05-24T20:55:00.000+01:002007-05-24T21:14:55.366+01:00

Summer has definitely arrived in Vienna. With a vengeance. It is about 10:00 p.m. and the temperature is still hovering around 75. It feels kind of good but fairly hot when trying to run errands in the neighborhood. My foot is considerably better since Heather's last posting but I'm still looking a little Igor-ish as I walk around. That I don't mind but one can also feel somewhat

electricyoakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08533098156175464335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-79822329861592475882007-05-18T13:59:00.000+01:002007-05-21T12:23:51.153+01:00

I forgot my camera again.It's been a social week here in the 13th District. And some late nights. Unfortunately, I have no pictures to post of our week because I keep forgetting my camera. So, a couple of stories to let you know we're still alive - and living the good Viennese life.Tuesday night, I was lucky enough to get a preview of Angelika's the Dining Room. While Angelika hung up my coat,

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-17592297384077742022007-05-10T12:02:00.000+01:002007-05-10T12:28:36.705+01:00

Double-pointed (knitting) needles, a.k.a. dpn'sApologies to the non-knitters among our readers. You can skip down a bit to read about the start of my German lessons....First, to answer Amy's question posted in the comments of my last post: Good eye! There are actually two 8's and two 10's. I asked D. to send me two 9's for making i-cords and she didn't have them so she went up and down a size for

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-27461578995257081022007-05-05T15:58:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:24.168+01:00

We're back.Sorry we've been away so long. We were busy playing tour guide which is more fun than writing about the latest repeat episode of "Silent Witness." Or reading about it; trust me on that. So, today we bring you sites and activities checked off our "to visit" list, thanks to our enthusiastic guests.Suzi and Michael, representing our Supper (cooking) Club, arrived late on a Thursday

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-47258403185101304422007-04-23T10:24:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:25.061+01:00

Later that same day...My friend Jutta picked us up and brought us to the apartment she shares with her boyfriend Bernhard. Jutta and I have known each other since the fall of 1988 when we were on the same student exchange program. It never ceases to amaze me that we have remained friends for 18 years. Heather and I met Bernhard when they came for our wedding. However, when the four of us were

electricyoakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08533098156175464335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-50787425410188119422007-04-22T19:41:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:25.164+01:00

Forward: We took the train from Offenburg to Bietigheim where we met up with the Latterells and Moores. Chris and Bibi are building an amazing house in Besigheim. It's almost done, but not ready for visitors so we stayed in the B&B next to their apartment. Brian and Tanja just had their 3rd son and we enjoyed playing with all four cousins. Colin is the master of "Sorry." (h)As we approached

electricyoakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08533098156175464335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-69086826841606953502007-04-19T17:01:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:26.690+01:00

Vacation - Part ThreeOur last post may not have conveyed just how much of London we took in. I won't bore you with a comprehensive list. Suffice it to say every night I thought my feet were going to fall off before we made it back to the apartment. And I didn't even make it to a yarn store! (no, I'm sorry Curt, the craft department at Liberty doesn't count even though they did have yarn.) So,

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-57787670225743315342007-04-17T12:26:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:27.325+01:00

Spring break was fast upon us and we needed to decide if and how we were going to travel. If was not really a question. A friend of a friend of Heather’s generously offered us the use of an apartment in London. There was no way we were going to turn that down and later we will write how gracious our host truly was. First things first. How to get to London? We discovered the joys and

electricyoakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08533098156175464335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-9249342105962007342007-04-16T16:20:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:29.387+01:00

Vacation - Part OneApril has been vacation month for us. I know it won't last quite through the month as Curt has started reading for some upcoming exams, but it's close to a whole month "off."We started spring break right here in our district of Vienna. For Christmas, Curt's mom gave us VIP tickets to dinner and a concert at Schloss Schönbrunn's Orangerie. So, on April 1, we got dressed up and

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-3958183539396145512007-03-27T18:45:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:29.832+01:00

This afternoon, I went back to the zoo. (We took the clan there on the one dry day of their visit.) I bought a Jahres Karte (year pass). The cashier guessed my birth year to make me 6 years older than I am. I realize I didn't put a lot of effort into my appearance today, but OUCH! He did apologize when I corrected him. Ah, well, it was a nice sunny day and I was ready to sketch.I enjoyed watching

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-12043443158895832702007-03-27T11:22:00.000+01:002007-03-27T11:43:55.092+01:00

As many of you know, I am not exactly handy or at least I really don't care to try. However, Vienna may have changed that for me. That is if Menards or Home Depot will follow my suggestions. We have been haunted since our arrival by the squeakiest bathroom door imaginable. Now we have been in our apartment since February 13 so one would think we would have addressed the issue before now.

electricyoakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08533098156175464335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-73370785125355815232007-03-25T21:13:00.000+01:002007-03-25T21:29:22.558+01:00

Meine Sippe, or clan, + 1 arrived in last Saturday (March 16) in Vienna. My brother brought his two daughters and one of their friends for a week tour. What a sight for Heather and I to see faces from home emerge from customs. Now my brother and I have always given each other grief for our dashing good looks but his look was a little different this time. I knew something was wrong. Or, maybe it

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-53839747929328386282007-03-17T10:32:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:32.456+01:00

the neighborhoodAt last, a little tour of our neighborhood.A view of our block (our building on the far right, the bakery on the far left):There are a lot of mosaics on buildings in Vienna. One of these days, I'll set out with my camera and photograph as many as I can find and post a collection for you.Our home (our apt. is the two windows on the right, third from the bottom):Here is the bakery

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-47863560666816874592007-03-14T18:47:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:32.646+01:00

As the previous post noted, we spent a great weekend in Prague and then a few days hosting my buddy Scott here in Vienna. While in Prague, I shot my previous few weeks of proper diet and jogging to hell in only a few short days. Half-liter beers for less than a couple of bucks seem to trump exercise any day of the week. The conversion rate to burn the calories of a ten-inch wurst and 1.5

electricyoakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08533098156175464335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-60519199328371570232007-03-13T17:56:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:33.617+01:00

JourneyWe met our friend Scott (who lives in Moscow) in Prague for a long weekend. On Thursday we took the train from the Sudbanhof in Vienna.Curt finished this biography of Mao which means his suitcase will bea few pounds lighter on our trip home.We toured the city until Sunday, enjoying Czech beer and heavy food. We found a couple of Czech fast food places for breakfasts where we got some

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-19545670471109760452007-03-06T08:31:00.000+01:002007-03-06T08:42:46.725+01:00

I suppose it's cheating to use vocabulary I've know since 1991, thanks to U2, but it fits.I was messing around this morning, checking emails from home, etc. and it occurred to me that I didn't see the last couple of episodes of Studio 60 before their "hiatus." So, I went the NBC website and watched the update clips of those two. I got interested enough to figure I'd watch an episode before Curt

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-41744702487557568632007-03-04T12:10:00.000+01:002007-03-04T12:18:49.774+01:00

I think that means "correction."It turns out that my 1961 German-English Dictionary led me astray on my first vocabulary post, so I make no guarantees on this one. Be warned, my lessons may be the worst way to learn German.I have been told, on good authority, that what was replaced in our kitchen was a "Wasser-hahn." Apparently, I should have looked up "water tap," a more British term rather than

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-1839772191772432452007-02-28T14:43:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:34.640+01:00

I'm trying out new vocabulary for my post titles as one of several ways to learn the local language. Today's term means faucet.As Curt mentioned, we're settling in. I thought perhaps I would give you a photo introduction to our street and apartment, but I think that will wait a day or two.On Monday, we discovered a leak under the kitchen sink. Curt asked our landlord to come and take a look and

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-14638708294658226772007-02-28T12:07:00.000+01:002007-02-28T12:30:32.698+01:00

Greetings from Vienna for those of you still checking in to see if we are posting.Finally, we are reconnected with the rest of the world!! The internet technician came and installed service. So, no more lugging the laptop around town looking for wifi service. Another nice thing was that the installer did seem to fulfill every techno stereotype. The only thing missing was that he did not leave

electricyoakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08533098156175464335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-76124752430753942882007-02-11T15:48:00.000+01:002007-02-08T13:42:42.193+01:00

The bags are packed. Curt's washing sheets and vacuuming one more time for the house sitter. Loyd's being clingy. It must be almost time to go. We're not sure how long it will take to get the internet connected in the apartment, so we may be quiet for a bit, but we'll post when we can from the other side of the globe.

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-2970647157567106022007-02-06T21:49:00.000+01:002008-12-10T04:44:36.212+01:00

...we'll be there!And my journals are ready.Just need to go buy some Kool Aid for dying yarn to give to my Vienna contact and I'm ready! (ha!)

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-49678165592690826002007-01-29T02:45:00.000+01:002007-01-29T02:56:16.189+01:00

Yikes!In the last week:- I made a good dent in vacating my desk (but it doesn't look like I did a thing) and my co-workers put together a really nice happy hour. One more week of work. What a surreal concept.- Our visas came!- I cut the bookboard covers for 15 journals. I'm working on tearing down the paper for the pages inside. 15 big sheets don't look like nearly as daunting as 30, 60, 120 and

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-78998301936207952602007-01-20T02:52:00.000+01:002007-01-20T02:54:05.620+01:00

I learned from The Flying Apple that in Vienna (Wien), hot dogs are called "Frankfurters." In Frankfurt, they are called "Wieners." What sort of a cultural war are we getting ourselves into?Visa Update: I got home tonight to see the message light blinking on the phone. There was a message from the Austrian Consulate in Chicago. This means: the package arrived! The nice gentleman who called said

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-81653544087000187882007-01-19T06:12:00.000+01:002007-01-19T06:19:23.392+01:00

The Schengen visa applications proved harder than I expected to complete. My health insurance company didn't help. I was supposed to receive a letter within seven days and it's been three weeks. My Mac allowed me to print the pop-up windows that describe my coverage (including that I'm covered "anywhere in the world") and I'm crossing my fingers that they'll be sufficient. I purchased my first

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-33081989661496732912007-01-14T22:23:00.000+01:002007-01-14T22:26:38.754+01:00

Less than a month to go until we take off on the big adventure. We have tickets, an apartment, and acceptance at the University of Vienna (meaning official acceptance not that of the fellow students). The visa process is still eluding us. Hopefully that will fall into place soon. Will write more in February.

electricyoakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08533098156175464335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3237021755730508010.post-16636890128037559542006-12-19T04:10:00.000+01:002006-12-19T04:11:46.662+01:00

Check back in February...

Auntly Hnoreply@blogger.com1