Merry Christmas

Sorry about missing the post yesterday. Once again Val picked up the slack. Seems like a theme is developing. How long has that been going on?

Val did leave off one observation from yesterday that we both found interesting. We came all this way, have seen incredible sights that can fill volumes of picture books but one lasting memory will be of some small child singing “Oh Taunnenbaum” (gsp) filling this tram that seemed like it was at least one block long with her youthful voice of joy. It warmed our hearts at a time when we were missing our own kids.

This morning we went out looking for an open grocery store (for some reason Val didn’t want “Eees goot meat” as she thought it might make us sick(er). As we were following the path of grocery bags to their starting point we came upon a lady with a dog. Well most of you know that part of the reason I come to Europe is because I’m not very good socially. Over here since I don’t speak the same language I can’t talk to most people so it’s somewhat acceptable. Now I can’t resist a dog so I give hand signals to the person asking if it is ok to pet. I think she says sure and start to pet the dog. She is talking to me in some language I don’t understand then I tell her I am sorry but I only speak English which doesn’t impress her much but when I say I have a dog she busts out the English and we exchange a few words while her dog licks my face. Bottom line is that I think dogs and kids speak the universal language and maybe if they were in charge we would all get along a bit better. Not sure it matters but the dog was a pit-bull and a good looking boy too Mia.

We went to Schounbroon (gsp) Palace today. Some say it is the Versailles of Austria. Not sure it reaches that level but it was spectacular and I loved the garden and the green house. Too much family history for me. I can hardly keep track of my own immediate family and these folks have lots of kids and marry them off the other countries to gain power, etc. Didn’t work so well for Marie Antoinette in this case.

Forgot to mention that I have very smugly been packing and having with me foul weather gear just in case it rained. Well when the day started it was around 55 and pretty clear so I decided to leave the stuff at the apartment (which is as nice as promised on the internet). So when we get out of the palace to tour the grounds the temp seems like it has dropped 20 degrees, it’s raining and the wind is blowing. Being from the northwest I am not going to let a little weather get in my way of a good time so we went out to tour the grounds. It was wet but not as bad as the trips with Dara, Adam and Alec. Now I will keep packing the gear and I can be sure I won’t need it.

Short story about Val and a Christmas center piece. We are walking along the street and see a Christmas center piece outside a florist shop with no price on it. I think maybe it’s free. Val goes in and asks the price. The shop owner says 15. Val says no thanks. The shop owner says he will take 10. Val give him 15 and says Merry Christmas. Now I say Val got the centerpiece for the 10 it was worth and gave the poor shop owner a 5 Christmas bonus and that is one of the many reasons I love her.

We had a great encounter on our bus ride today. Got on the right bus and came to the place we wanted to get off. For some reason the door would not open so we were standing by the door. The bus driver yells something. We thought he was saying not to go out that door but he could have been saying either Merry Christmas or YFSA’s . We went to the other door and it wouldn’t open either. The bus driver yells again this time maybe Happy New Year or AYSYFSA’s so I’m in a panic and push what I think is the stop button on the bus which turns out to also be the open the door button. We calmly get off and I am going to just assume that he was wishing us a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

One last thought for this Christmas day. Viennese women should not be allowed to eat sausages in public they way they do. It truly is not fair.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.