Life Lately
I wonder just how many posts I've titled that exact same way. Hmm. As accurate as it is I am aware of just how dull those words are. Honestly though that is what this post is about, life here in Vienna, as of late. That includes the mundane, naps and reading days, writing in cafe days and footie. Which currently is what our life consists of. Oh, and Husband Jared was on holiday for two whole weeks! So very thankful for that work life balance. We had no travel plans for his time off and it seems carefree days free of a schedule is exactly what we all needed.
We've managed a few outings in between football commitments. But first, let's cover SK Rapid and Thing 4. Thing 4 received a call from his trainer two weeks ago informing him that he had been chosen for the roster for the match against St. Pölten. His previous two weeks of training had caused the trainers to notice and they were impressed with what they had seen. Needless to say there was excitement in our household! He dressed for the match and had a great warm up but he didn't see any time on the pitch. Nonetheless, one step closer is how we toasted the experience. That evening at the professional first team match all the academy teams were announced and invited onto the pitch at half time. Whoa. Husband Jared and I were given free tickets and we sat in the stands, cameras at the ready. What a thrill to see him and his teammates out there. Again, one step closer. Then another week of training and another appearance on the roster against Graz. Husband Jared and I rented a vehicle and made the two hour drive. We didn't see our boy play at all but to see him suited up and there on the bench at the ready is pretty surreal. The two of us will keep on showing up and Thing 4 will have his chance, someday. We all believe that. In addition to the training and matches Thing 4 underwent his first mental test with the team as well. That is actually a requirement, meeting with the team psychologist/mental trainer. This is next level for sure! He also finished up his midterms for his current academic courses and has been working on his creative outlet as well. I've asked for him to paint a canvas for me from a photograph he took at sunset. I am looking forward to seeing the
finished product.
Before holiday began we made a Saturday field trip to a photography exhibit at Westlicht Studio. Apparently there is a photographic journalism contest every year, held globally. Judges vote on all submitted works and the prize winning photographs tour the world for all to see. There are various categories and levels and it is all quite breathtaking. The three of us walked zig zag through the displays, each of us stopping for different reasons and at different subject matter. Every photo, or grouping of photos, told a story and I found myself crying, laughing and looking a bit closer. I left the studio thankful for the opportunity to witness such an art from and for the people that tell the important stories through their lenses. Upon leaving the studio there is a large mural adorning one of the parking lot walls. Thing 4 and I, having been inspired, stopped to snap a few photos. I was instructed to pose for him and as Husband Jared looked on he caught us through his lens too.
Husband Jared's first week of holiday coincided with an unusually full week for me. In between my commitments we took ourselves to the Wiener Wiesn, think a toned down version of Oktoberfest. Thankfully this festival is at the Prater and within walking distance from our apartment. It was a gorgeous fall day and we arrived at the Gösser beer tent just in time for the musical performance! Schlager music is the style of choice for events like these and four grown men dressed in lederhosen danced around the stage engaging the crowd, which spanned the generations, in everything from Sweet Caroline to the beloved Falco. Steins of beer were delivered by women in their dirndls and pretzels bigger than your face were inhaled, all while dancing on the table benches. Yes, it's a thing. Husband Jared and I were scolded by a local for playing cards in such a venue, and actually told we were crazier than "those Brits". Go figure! Definitely a first for us both. We walked around the grounds and took in the craft stalls, the traditional gingerbread cookies, trachten sales and even the champagne haus and food carts. What an experience. Our takeaways: it was less chaotic and much tamer than Munich's Oktoberfest and still just as fun! We missed out on the AC/DC and Guns N Roses cover band that night but I don't think either one of us were terribly disappointed about that.
Another outing involved Thing 4 and a car rental, thank you Drive Now for offering an affordable solution for us city dwellers without a vehicle of our own. At breakfast one morning Husband Jared learned it was "women's day" at all of the local shops so we hopped in that car and drove to the outlets, just outside city center. If I had been able to plug my ears and not hear the German being spoken I could have easily been at any outdoor outlet center in the States. Really. We picked up our coupons and shopping credits offered by Drive Now and walked with a plan to shops offering an additional discount. All three of us came home with a few goodies. It was a fun, impromptu day that lead to new hiking boots for me and some winter running gear. Score one for Mom!
The field trips continue. While fall is not my favorite season I do enjoy certain aspects of it. The season itself seems to be a sort of in-between, no longer summer and not yet winter wonderland. I miss the long, sunshine filled days where ice cream and fruity water are my top concerns. Here, in autumn, there is sudden change, the moon rises sooner, the foliage turns colors and falls to the ground and we are learning to let go of what was to make room for something new. I suppose even in this season, well any season really, there is always something to be celebrated. And I am here for celebrations. Always. So Husband Jared and I ventured outside of the city center once again because he found us a pumpkin stand with over 400 varieties to choose from. Yes! I can not even tell you how long I spent inspecting ALL the gourds, warty squash, misshapen pumpkins and even the mini white pumpkins had a uniqueness about them. Our apartment is now feeling quite festive and as a bonus there was a cut your own flower garden across the street. This has been on my list to do since we were first in Bavaria two years ago and drove past all the honor code, pick your own mini farms. Since the season is coming to a close my choices were limited but the sunflowers remained and I love them. With paring knife in hand, that was kindly left at the money tin, I cut them myself. We came home with mini pumpkins, a jack o lantern pumpkin for Thing 4 to carve, white and green pumpkins that remind me of a pauper's hat, a peanut covered orange pumpkin and a sage green pumpkin, which I learned are two of the sweetest to eat, hello pumpkin pie! Another successful field trip!
In between all the driving, public transport riding and adventuring we've spent down time together too; Cleaning out closets, changing our flower pots from summer to fall mums, hanging twinkly lights, reading and studying, starting mindfulness practises, going for runs in the Prater, a hike in the vineyards and challenging each other to a fitness competition, thank you Apple watch! There has been a date night to our now "go-to" place, card games with Thing 4, FIFA playing and all the typical daily life that Husband Jared is usually at work for. The two of us came to the conclusion that in all his years of being gainfully employed he has never taken holiday where we haven't had plans, traveled, hosted visitors or otherwise. If he has, we don't remember and I am certain that he has not been home for a two week stretch before. This is something new and I do believe that he is enjoying himself.
Our weather here in Vienna has been a pleasant surprise this week. While the evenings are cool and crisp the days are all blue skies and sunshine, at least this week, and they are fooling me into thinking that maybe summer decided to hang on for October because she likes pumpkin pie too. Once I'm out of my 80 sq. meters though I learn all too well that indeed summer is past and autumn has arrived. This became clear to me on our recent hike. We had read about the Jubilee Tower, Jubiläumswarte, a tower that was originally built in the late 1800's to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Franz Josef's reign, and had been trying to plan a day . Unfortunately that structure crumbled and has since been rebuilt and fortified several times, the last renovation was done in the late 80's. Anyhow, the tower has a winding stair case offering an expansive view of the city and the surrounding woods. In order to get to the tower we took an u-bahn, a bus and then hiked for a few kilometers through the Ottakringer Wald. From the top of the tower we had a 360 degree view of the tree line, which was just beginning the fall transformation from green to gold and deep scarlets. We saw steeples stretching towards the clouds, sky scrapers in city center, vineyards and hidden villages nestled in between the rolling hills that surrounded. A beautiful reminder of how a different environment has the ability to change my perspective.
Following the outdoor field trips we took some time to take care of business around the house, grocery shopping, chores and all the mundane tasks that no one ever wants to do. Such as cleaning out the lights, dusting the mini blinds, washing windows, you know grown up things. I don't particularly like them, although I do like the sense of accomplishment that comes with a job well done. Or something like that.
Then it was one more culture day which involved a date to the Secession Museum. The building had been under construction, going through renovations and I had been waiting to go until the work was completed. This museum was built in 1897 with the intent of being a safe place, free from censorship for modern art to be displayed and appreciated by the public. And it continues to be just that. Scanning the globe for contemporary artists and their work, then offering it to the people of Wien. Mediums that go beyond the canvas and are inclusive of digital media, sound, essays and critical thinking about such art. I was intrigued and the architecture of the building itself may have been what initially drew me in. Let me state for the record that modern/contemporary art eludes me. I don't understand most of what I've seen, but I am grateful for the artists that are able to think outside the box, create and design and then have the courage to share their work with the world. What I did see and understand was the story told by the infamous Beethoven Frizee housed at the Secession and created by Gustav Klimt. The extraordinary piece tells the story of man's quest for happiness. It really is quite captivating. In order to properly digest all that we had seen we ventured to the Palmen House for a drink. The sun was shining and I couldn't help but sigh happily at the thought of sitting outside, Lillet spritz in hand, watching the tourists and staring at the beautiful surroundings; Burrgarten Park straight ahead, the Schemtterling haus to our right and the Neue Burg wing of the Hofburg palace diagonal from our table. More exceptional architecture creating a feast for our eyes. An afternoon to remember for certain.
As you can tell we had quite a full week and to round it out on Friday morning we had a breakfast meeting with Thing 4's agent. That evening Thing 4 had a match so we made our way to Hüttledorf once again and watched his team beat Burgenland, our version of Friday night lights. I must share a highlight of Friday night, after the match, was finding a new to us Mexican restaurant, Santos. Oh my. The margarita was sublime, the chips and salsa authentic and the guacamole fresh and full of zest. We will definitely be going back.
Saturday morning I found myself with a morning commitment and then I met my guys at the zoo. Thing 3 had visited Schönnbrunn zoo before and shared a top notch review. I had been wanting to go ever since I learned they housed bee hives there. The Schönnbrunn zoo is at the summer home of the Hapsburg Imperial family and is one of the oldest and largest zoos in Europe. There is an original bear cage, no longer used, but preserved and it remains on the grounds for the public to view. I saw a hippopotamus up close and personal for the first time and just as we were walking by the tiger exhibit, thinking we had missed him, he strutted by, so regal and powerful. We stood and stared at the elephants and made up stories about the family dynamics, searched for the polar bears and laughed at the seals showing off for the onlookers. It was a good day. For a minute, as I watched Thing 4 navigate and lead us to the next animal exhibit, I was reminded of the little boy that he was. Running with unmatched enthusiasm to the next and then the next. Captivating us all and leading us into the marvel of that exact moment. Yes, it was almost too much for this Mama's heart. Still catches me off guard when that happens. From there it was a quick trip to the Wiener Wiesn fest once again to catch up with some friends, share a beer and hear more schlager music and then home for dinner and games.
Our last outing of the holiday for Husband Jared and myself was our first live music event in Vienna at The Metropol. An American, Donovan Frankenreiter, was playing and off a suggestion from an acquaintance we bought tickets and then listened to his music for the first time. Frankenreiter considered Jack Johnson a mentor of sorts, even signed on his label for a short time and then branched out on his own. Our interpretation likens him to a combination of the Allman Brothers, Jack Johnson with an alternative, modern day hippie flair that immediately drew me in. The show was fantastic, the venue intimate and the experience deserving of two thumbs up.
Two weeks of holiday has now come to a close and we celebrated the last night with chocolate cake. Because why not? This summarizes the highlights and is a teeny tiny glimpse into our last few weeks here in Vienna. Of course there is always so much more than what is shared on this page. The behind the adventures and field trips, the Face Time calls that last hours with our stateside girls, friends and family. Games played and lost, language lessons, learning to cook and bake with foreign ingredients, not understanding the crock pot I recently purchased on Amazon or the cut of meat that I was cooking in said crock pot. A big oops. Feeling sad because we are missing out on the lives of those we love. Celebrating from afar accomplishments and holidays and A+ test scores. Reading up on American news and preparing our absentee ballots for the upcoming mid term elections. Filtering through the next for us. And as always leaning into the culture we are immersed in and learning everyday while we try to be grateful for each and every experience we've been given.
We've managed a few outings in between football commitments. But first, let's cover SK Rapid and Thing 4. Thing 4 received a call from his trainer two weeks ago informing him that he had been chosen for the roster for the match against St. Pölten. His previous two weeks of training had caused the trainers to notice and they were impressed with what they had seen. Needless to say there was excitement in our household! He dressed for the match and had a great warm up but he didn't see any time on the pitch. Nonetheless, one step closer is how we toasted the experience. That evening at the professional first team match all the academy teams were announced and invited onto the pitch at half time. Whoa. Husband Jared and I were given free tickets and we sat in the stands, cameras at the ready. What a thrill to see him and his teammates out there. Again, one step closer. Then another week of training and another appearance on the roster against Graz. Husband Jared and I rented a vehicle and made the two hour drive. We didn't see our boy play at all but to see him suited up and there on the bench at the ready is pretty surreal. The two of us will keep on showing up and Thing 4 will have his chance, someday. We all believe that. In addition to the training and matches Thing 4 underwent his first mental test with the team as well. That is actually a requirement, meeting with the team psychologist/mental trainer. This is next level for sure! He also finished up his midterms for his current academic courses and has been working on his creative outlet as well. I've asked for him to paint a canvas for me from a photograph he took at sunset. I am looking forward to seeing the
finished product.
Warming up.
Sporting all the gear!
On the Profi pitch.
One step closer.
Outside the studio, art is everywhere in Vienna!
Gösser Tent, complete with hanging pretzels.
Because when the locals stand on the tables to clap along, I do too!
A beautiful champagne truck and the historic Vienna ferris wheel, not a bad locale for a festival.
The field trips continue. While fall is not my favorite season I do enjoy certain aspects of it. The season itself seems to be a sort of in-between, no longer summer and not yet winter wonderland. I miss the long, sunshine filled days where ice cream and fruity water are my top concerns. Here, in autumn, there is sudden change, the moon rises sooner, the foliage turns colors and falls to the ground and we are learning to let go of what was to make room for something new. I suppose even in this season, well any season really, there is always something to be celebrated. And I am here for celebrations. Always. So Husband Jared and I ventured outside of the city center once again because he found us a pumpkin stand with over 400 varieties to choose from. Yes! I can not even tell you how long I spent inspecting ALL the gourds, warty squash, misshapen pumpkins and even the mini white pumpkins had a uniqueness about them. Our apartment is now feeling quite festive and as a bonus there was a cut your own flower garden across the street. This has been on my list to do since we were first in Bavaria two years ago and drove past all the honor code, pick your own mini farms. Since the season is coming to a close my choices were limited but the sunflowers remained and I love them. With paring knife in hand, that was kindly left at the money tin, I cut them myself. We came home with mini pumpkins, a jack o lantern pumpkin for Thing 4 to carve, white and green pumpkins that remind me of a pauper's hat, a peanut covered orange pumpkin and a sage green pumpkin, which I learned are two of the sweetest to eat, hello pumpkin pie! Another successful field trip!
Counting stems and holding all the flowers.
Choosing just the right one!
Wilkommen!
Over 400 varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds.
In between all the driving, public transport riding and adventuring we've spent down time together too; Cleaning out closets, changing our flower pots from summer to fall mums, hanging twinkly lights, reading and studying, starting mindfulness practises, going for runs in the Prater, a hike in the vineyards and challenging each other to a fitness competition, thank you Apple watch! There has been a date night to our now "go-to" place, card games with Thing 4, FIFA playing and all the typical daily life that Husband Jared is usually at work for. The two of us came to the conclusion that in all his years of being gainfully employed he has never taken holiday where we haven't had plans, traveled, hosted visitors or otherwise. If he has, we don't remember and I am certain that he has not been home for a two week stretch before. This is something new and I do believe that he is enjoying himself.
What a view!
The tower.
We made it to the top.
Hello fall and Kahlenberg.
Lunch stop on the terrace underneath the magical hanging vines.
Then it was one more culture day which involved a date to the Secession Museum. The building had been under construction, going through renovations and I had been waiting to go until the work was completed. This museum was built in 1897 with the intent of being a safe place, free from censorship for modern art to be displayed and appreciated by the public. And it continues to be just that. Scanning the globe for contemporary artists and their work, then offering it to the people of Wien. Mediums that go beyond the canvas and are inclusive of digital media, sound, essays and critical thinking about such art. I was intrigued and the architecture of the building itself may have been what initially drew me in. Let me state for the record that modern/contemporary art eludes me. I don't understand most of what I've seen, but I am grateful for the artists that are able to think outside the box, create and design and then have the courage to share their work with the world. What I did see and understand was the story told by the infamous Beethoven Frizee housed at the Secession and created by Gustav Klimt. The extraordinary piece tells the story of man's quest for happiness. It really is quite captivating. In order to properly digest all that we had seen we ventured to the Palmen House for a drink. The sun was shining and I couldn't help but sigh happily at the thought of sitting outside, Lillet spritz in hand, watching the tourists and staring at the beautiful surroundings; Burrgarten Park straight ahead, the Schemtterling haus to our right and the Neue Burg wing of the Hofburg palace diagonal from our table. More exceptional architecture creating a feast for our eyes. An afternoon to remember for certain.
The only photo I have from the day, I suppose I was too busy being in the moment and too captivated by the art, architecture and people around me to capture anymore. But see that gold dome, that is exquisite.
That's our boy!
Saturday morning I found myself with a morning commitment and then I met my guys at the zoo. Thing 3 had visited Schönnbrunn zoo before and shared a top notch review. I had been wanting to go ever since I learned they housed bee hives there. The Schönnbrunn zoo is at the summer home of the Hapsburg Imperial family and is one of the oldest and largest zoos in Europe. There is an original bear cage, no longer used, but preserved and it remains on the grounds for the public to view. I saw a hippopotamus up close and personal for the first time and just as we were walking by the tiger exhibit, thinking we had missed him, he strutted by, so regal and powerful. We stood and stared at the elephants and made up stories about the family dynamics, searched for the polar bears and laughed at the seals showing off for the onlookers. It was a good day. For a minute, as I watched Thing 4 navigate and lead us to the next animal exhibit, I was reminded of the little boy that he was. Running with unmatched enthusiasm to the next and then the next. Captivating us all and leading us into the marvel of that exact moment. Yes, it was almost too much for this Mama's heart. Still catches me off guard when that happens. From there it was a quick trip to the Wiener Wiesn fest once again to catch up with some friends, share a beer and hear more schlager music and then home for dinner and games.
On our way to the zoo.
Historic bear cage.
Donovan Frankenreiter and band!
Waiting for the opening act, at this point I wasn't sure I'd make it for the main event. We were out way past my bedtime.
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