Saturday, August 29, 2015

Sound of Music & Splash!

On Saturday we left the Kartause at 6:45am with the University students for Salzburg (about 2 hours away).

First stop was Mass at Franziskanerkirche (Franciscan Church).  


After Mass we headed out in several groups for tours around Salzburg.  Here is Brian and Ellie at the fountain Maria dances around in the Sound of Music.

Here I am at the archway where Maria and the kids play and run through. 


Here is the building where the Von Trapps perform at the end of the movie. 


Here is the gazebo where they sang "I am 16 going on 17."


Ellie was excited that the castle in Salzburg still looks like a castle!


She was more excited about dancing on stage in front of 200 college students during lunch (she's definitely her father's daughter)!


Brian Francis loved discovering his toes. 


He got a picture with the castle in the background too! (And a pacifier shoved in his mouth...he'd prefer his toes).


It was around 90 degrees and we spent the afternoon at the perfect spot. We went to Hellbrunn "Trick Fountains." Beautiful palace and grounds with magnificent (and tricky!) fountains throughout the property. (This is also where the Sound of Musuc gazebo is located now.)


We had dinner and drinks at the Augustiner Bräu (Augustine Beer-hall).


Then one last picture with the Hohensalzburg Fortress in the background. (And check out the woman's traditional Austrian dress in the background, which is common to see around Salzburg).


Brian Francis I & II passed out on the bus ride home. Successful Saturday trip!


Sunday we spent in Gaming. After Mass and naps, we went to the pool. Then got delicious kebabs in town. On our walk home with some students we ran into a large gathering of students at the little bridge across the river that runs through Gaming. Students often jump into river, which is frigid because the water is fresh mountain runoff.  Brian jumped in a couple of weeks ago and jumped in again tonight but from the left side instead. So now it was my turn!! One of the students helped steady me on the tree stump and then as I looked up at Ellie, students, and a few older people with a camera watching me, I knew there was no going back. In I went. It is cold!!! But it was exciting and I'm glad to know that during the next however many years we're here I can say I already jumped in.  Here's me on the bridge after the plunge. 


Another great Austrian weekend!


Sunday, August 23, 2015

Gott Melk?

The students arrived on Saturday and Brian and the staff (and Ellie) were decked out to meet them!




Little Francis (4 months old today) visiting Dad's office. 

Today (Sunday ) was our first trip with the students. About 250 of us boarded 5 charter buses and drove about an hour to the beautiful Danube River Valley. 

As Ellie found out, and thoroughly enjoyed, the wheels on the bus truly do go 'round and 'round. 


First stop was Dürnstein. Here is the view of the castle from below. 


Here's the view from the top! We abandoned our double-stroller half way up after Brian and Fr. Matt tried pushing it up.  We did not abandon the children ;)



Here we are in the cell in the castle where King Richard (the lion character in Disney's Robin Hood) was imprisoned. 


Luckily we were freed before Mass began.


After Mass we were off to the Melk Abbey.  Monks have lived and worked here since 1098 without interruption.  

Ellie enjoyed the fish in the courtyard with Br. Ludwig. 


The front of the church connected to the monastery. 

View of Melk countryside. 

Bus ride home. No crying children. Success!






Sunday, August 16, 2015

Wir Sind Fußgänger

Time for our weekly wrap up! Brian keeps saying he's going to blog but then ends up doing more "important" things...like working, doing Rosetta Stone, and watching the new shows he's found on Netflix over here. Speaking of Netflix, Ellie has also found a new favorite show - Peppa Pig. It's about four British pigs - Mummy, Papa, Peppa & Baby George. Clearly the pigs remind her of our family of four so she's been calling her little brother George, and the other day after nap she called for Mummy Pig to come get her. I chose not to be offended.

Monday was Ellie's half birthday -- she's 2.5 now.  We celebrated with 3 day old brownies - brand new candles and party hats.  Success!


Francis -- as we've decided to call Brian Francis Kissinger II -- (at least for now) is doing all sorts of cool new things.  It was his first time in his Pooh Chair (propped up with a few blankets).  He can almost roll over on his own - he's been sleeping on his left side lately.  He also loves to grab things and put them in his mouth.  He's quite talented.


The views here!  I still look around in awe every day.  Here's a picture taken in front of the pool looking toward the Kartause and our townhouses.


We had dinner with the 4 TOR sisters this week.  They are amazing cooks and hosts!


I got to spend extra time with two of the Sisters this week.  Sister Joan Paule is teaching Sister Teresa and I how to drive a manual transmission.  At first Brian was trying to teach me, but we found that wasn't exactly the best thing for our marriage :)  Sister took us to the fairly large parking lot at the ski resort nearby.  In these summer months the only people that park there are those hiking the mountain.  At first there weren't too many people there, and I felt comfortable learning how to start the car and reverse.  But then everyone in the lot started watching me....or so I thought...it then occurred to me that they were probably looking more at the two Franciscan Sisters in the car with me!

I wasn't the only one for was learning how to get around Austria -- Ellie also did more practicing on her bike that was left from the previous family for us.  They really are great little bikes - low to the ground, no training wheels, they just kind of balance on there.  So far she just sits on it and walks - but I think she'll get the hang of it soon.  We'll see who learns faster - her on the bike or me with the stick-shift.


A good bike ride calls for a drink of wasser.  (Yes, that's German for water).


It's been super hot here all week - and with no AC and a dryer that takes 2 hours, I've definitely switched to line-drying our clothes.  Kind of fun.


Saturday was the Feast of the Assumption.  It is a Holy Day and hence everything in Austria is closed.  There was a big Mass in the courtyard of the Kartause.  Most of the locals dressed in traditional, "Sunday best" clothing.  Although the Mass was in German, it was great to be a part of -- that's the great thing about the Mass - even though I only knew the words Gott (God) and Amen, you know exactly what's taking place because the Mass never changes.  I love witnessing the Universality of the Catholic Church!


After Mass, we drove on some country roads in the towns nearby (yes, I drove too, with Brian instructing me!)  We stopped at a flea market and ended up with a new home for Ellie's Little People.  In Virginia, she had the traditional house, farm, and the Christmas Nativity -- now she has the Castle.  She's so European.  It was a bit odd when she moved Baby Jesus into the Castle though.


Today we went to Mass (in English).  And then for a walk in the woods behind our townhouses.  Ahhh, the views!!  After dinner, we went to the Kartause hotel for dessert and met up with some of the other faculty and the newly arrived RAs.  The rest of the students will arrive next Saturday.


We're really enjoying our time here so far!  The "foreign" (oh wait, that's us) looking signs are starting to look more common place.  This sign is right out front of our townhouses, and the first week I was so confused -- that strange looking B, the extra dots above certain letter.  But thanks to DinoLingo and my husband's Rosetta Stone and common sense - I can now tell you this sign means Foot Way - a place to walk, a place for pedestrians.  Yes, Google translate confirms that this truly is a path for pedestrians.  So glad I didn't try to drive down it :)



Auf Wiedersehen!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Vienna & Gmunden

Another weekend in Ausrtria! We are in the middle of a heat wave here - each day about 100 degrees. We don't have air conditioning so at night we leave our windows open to let in the cooler air. 

Saturday we traveled to Vienna, about 1.5 hours away, and met up with one of Brian's friends and his family. After lunch near the UN building, we metroed (aka, rode the train which is a huge thrill for Ellie) to Naschmarkt. It's a huge outdoor market with bread, cheeses, candy, and lots of spicy peppers! Thankfully they also have free water stations every block or so - because it was hot!!




We saw a few more of the sights, including the Opera House and St. Stephen's Cathedral, mainly just in passing because we know we will be back in month with the students and do full tours then. We had gelato, picked up some wine, and headed home!


Sunday we went to mass at the Kartause with Fr. Timothy, TOR, who just arrived as chaplain of the program. Right now it's mainly just us, two other University families, the two RDs, and the four TOR sisters who are here. The RAs will arrive next weekend, and the students the following weekend. 

After a quick lunch at home we packed up the University VW Caddy again. We and our neighbors (with three young boys, one Ellie's age) and the 2 RDs were off to Gmunden. It was 1 hr & 45 mins away, near Salzburg.  It's a gorgeous place right on a huge lake surrounded by mountains. Perfect for another sweltering day!





After our afternoon swimming in the lake at a little place we found to access the water at no cost, we visited the church in the neighboring town Traunkirchen. It is known for the ambo, Fischerkanzel (Fisherman's Pulpit). The pulpit looks like St. Peter's boat and fishing net described in the John 21, where the Resurrected Jesus directs Peter's fishing and his boat becomes overflowing with fish!



The church was beautiful and it happened to have a great park outside!!


After dinner at a roadside fish stand (which also served sausages like every other place!!) we headed back home. The kids were great travelers the whole weekend...almost...as I'm typing a draft of this blog we are almost home and the baby has been crying for over 40 minutes. We stopped once so I could feed him but as soon as we put him back in the car seat he started up again :(. Hopefully everyone is tired out after the fun weekend and will be sleeping well tonight! At least one can hope :)