Day 13 - Dominique Arrives!

Schonbrunn

 This morning Dominique arrived and it was so annoying at the terminal; t all people kept standing in front of me. But we found her and brought her back for breakfast and a tour. Then we took the train and the Ubahn to get to Schonbrunn. This place is huge and beautiful and I don’t care how tacky I think gold is, this place pulls it off. The gardens weren’t as nice as at Schloss Hof though. Then we went back in the city and had a good late lunch on Judenplatz. We wandered, looked at the oldest church (St. Ruprecht’s), and we got gelato at the famous gelato place. Dominique bought a pair of shorts and then we came back. I also finally got on skype with Mom, Laura and Katelyn. Mom was singing some silly song by The Monkees. So I looked them up and I actually kind of love them. That guy, Filip, from the flashmob, was talking to me too. Ew, if Germany would win the World Cup. Soccer is lame, rugby and hockey are both obviously better. Night.

Day 12 - Museums and Jumping in the Fountain

Museum of Medical History

Wall in the U-bahn

Jumping in the Fountain

Today I am wandering the streets of Vienna. Alone. It’s my last day being in Viennese museums without Dominique. On the list are the Doll & Toy Museum, Museum of Medical History, Museum of Pathological Anatomy, and the Austrian Folkloric Museum. The Doll & Toy Museum was closed. So I took the U2 to the 8th district and went into the Medical History Museum. I had lunch on the way to the Pathological Anatomy Museum at Welt Cafe. That museum was at the back of a University campus, so I wandered the campus and found the museum also closed. So off to the last one. I found it interesting to see the Austrian folkloric museum. Very interesting things there. There were a lot of things I’d never seen or heard of before; some of which the meaning/use was obvious. I also saw this board which had written all the stereotypes of different people in Europe. This was passed down in the family, an amassment of knowledge, for use when meeting new people I guess. Haha, I found it funny, even if I couldn’t read it. On my way back to do some shopping in the 1st district, this guy stopped me and started chattering away at me in German. When I finally spit out that I only understood a little German he switched to French. Then he was telling about how they were all going to go jump into the fountain, at some platz that I can’t remember, at 3PM. It’s going to be a flashmob and they are going to start a water fight. He switched to English after. Turns out, he and his friends all go to an English-speaking school in Vienna. So I went with them, jumped in the fountain, chatted some more. Then of course I couldn’t go dripping in all the stores, so I took the Ubahn back to the train station and everyone was giving me funny looks. Then I was lost and confused at the train station, where I tried to give my seat to an old man. He started talking at me in German. All I got was that he was ok standing until the train came in a few minutes. Then I think he made a joke, because he started laughing after, so I laughed too. I didn’t want him to feel bad. I got back to the house and worked some more in the garden. Tante Carole made roast chicken with rice and carrots, and it was the most delicious way of having chicken. Mmm... Afterwards I tried skyping Mom, but she was home later from work than she said she would be, so I just went to bed.

Day 11 - History is Big

Carnuntum

Schloss Hof

Kellerplatz

Happy Birthday Canada! Today we took an all day trip to Carnuntum and Schloss Hof. Carnuntum is the ruins of an ancient roman empire encampment which grew to be a small city. I found it very interesting to see their restorations of the buildings, and the amount of information they have on the people’s day to day lives. Schloss Hof is like any other palace: it’s beautiful and it’s changed hands a couple of times. It was cool to see the restorations here too. In both places you can see the mess of what it was and they restored as much as they could of its former glory. On the way back, we stopped in a small town,  so that Uncle Rainer and I could see the Kellerplatz. Usually they’re called a Kellergasse. But with either name, this is a place where there are only local wine cellars. They are a stone facade built right into the hill. They dig underground until they find the perfect conditions for wine-making. When it’s ready they sell it on the street at tables where people can eat and drink the heuriger. And this is the origins of Heurigens. Very picturesque. I am loving Austria, and aspergle (asparagus). White is even better than green. I bought a Roman style ring and some seeds for Mom’s garden.

Day 10 - Work for Wine

Today was a long day of mowing the lawn and clearing the new yard around the pond. I was also tormenting some ants. For dinner we went to a Heurigen. They’re not real restaurants; they don’t have a license or anything. So they are only open for a couple of weeks at a time. They are very popular in Austria. A heurigen is run by a local vineyard and they sell only the wine made by them. There are several different heurigens in Perchtoldsdorf. I had a lasagne thing and we shared a heuriger (this year’s wine). It was very good. We also ate this dessert thing, which was an apricot baked into a dough made out of cream cheese and sugar. It tasted better than it sounds.

Day 9 - Judenplatz and Celebration Dinner

Replica of the old Synagogue

This morning, I bumped around the house. Oh wait before I forget, I uploaded some pictures this morning. I’m curious to see what people think. I probably have taken ridiculously too many pictures. Then this afternoon, I went into the 4th district with Tante Carole. Their apartment is huge! It’s #17 in building 36 on Johann Strauss Gasse. I took the Ubahn (the subway; U standing for a word meaning underground and bahn referring to a place for travelling, kinda like in ‘autobahn’) to Operstat, the station near the State Opera building. Then I walked to Judenplatz (Jewish Square/Place), where the Jewish monument and museum are. In the museum, there is a hall to see the ruins of the oldest synagogue in the city. I learned quite a bit about the Jewish religion, especially after I left and Tante Carole explained what Kosher means. Then more gelato! And a stop at H&M where I got a new t-shirt, and a sundress for cheap. Then I took the Ubahn back to the 4th district, where I immediately got lost and had to ask a shopkeeper for directions, in German! I’m so proud of myself. I even understood her reply! I spent the rest of the evening reading Shantaram and a book on Viennese legends. Both are very interesting. Tonight I made dinner; Chicken Fettucini Alfredo, and I even made the sauce from scratch! It was very tasty. So we ate that and had Champagne, because we are now all officially on vacation, even Uncle Rainer.

Day 8 - Dinner with Sachiko

Tante Carole and Sachiko

Plague Church

Today was a travel day; all day in the car back to Vienna. When I got back I borrowed Shantaram from Tante Carole (by Gregory David Roberts). I think Nick would like this book, I should remember to tell him about it. 

ingwer - ginger

apfel - apple

ach so - kinda like oh really, but it can be different things

bitte - please, you’re welcome, and favour

danke - Thank-you

Shun - added to bitte or danke to show extra feeling

Tante Carole and I met her friend Sachiko at a Thai/Chinese restaurant. The food was really good and Sachiko was really nice. She is a (nearly) 80-year-old woman who looks like she couldn’t be a day over 50. She brought me some traditional Japanese candies in a traditional box, which I think might be a little bit over my head. I must remember to send her a postcard from Italy to thank her for her generosity. She told me she liked Venice the best. I should send one from there.

Day 7 - Croatia and dinner with the hotel owner!

Swimming in the Mediterranean

Resort where we were staying

So we got up early. We have to leave Ossiach :(. Next show is in Opatija (in Croatia). To get to Croatia we had to cross through Slovenia. Croatia is on the coast, and really, it’s gorgeous! Our hotel is huge. Apparently, Croatia is the European vacation spot; kinda like when Canadians/Americans go to Cuba or Dominican. We walked down the promenade to the main part of town to see where the concert would be and to get some lunch. Note to self: watch the movie about Austria’s Empress Sisi (Elizabeth); she is not only important in Austrian history but she’s said to be the downfall of their monarchy. She comes up in Croatian history a bunch too. Then Uncle Rainer and I went for a swim in Skrbici Bay (haha, don’t ask me how to pronounce it). The water was amazing! More clean, clear and warmer than Ossiacher See. The concert was great even the second time around. I really enjoyed the second half. Afterwards, we took a taxi over to a 100-year old building newly renovated as a spa/restaurant/hotel (with only 6 rooms ;P). Must be really expensive! Beautiful building, great view of the water and Opatija. I was sitting beside Jonathan, a conductor from the conservatory of music and dance in England. He taught me a tongue twister in the Czech language. It goes like this: Strc prst skrz krk. It means push (your) finger through (your) throat. The ‘your’ is implied. Ridiculous language, making do with so few vowels; I don’t understand at all! Across from me was the Austrian ambassador to Croatia. And of course there was also: Isabelle and Remy (the conductor and his wife), Carole and Rainer, a colleague of Uncle Rainer’s, the man who organized the concerts, the man who owned the hotel and his friend. The food was pretty good except that it had octopus on it. I just couldn’t eat them, all those little legs. I think I have a serious aversion to seafood with legs. Overall it was a nice night though. Now to bed, because it’s an early morning to get back to Vienna in time for Uncle Rainer’s rehearsal.