Author Archives: Kelly
A Break from Baroque: Maria am Gestade
I am so glad I found out about these quick tours of various sites around the city that are offered by a member of our local women’s association. This week, we visited Maria am Gestade, a church that forms part of the terrific view from our living room. Visiting hours are limited, so I have […]
I’m Not Much of a Shopper But…
…set me loose in a thrift store, and I have been known to walk out with a few things :) This morning, I went by my favorite thrift store here in Vienna, Carla, a Catholic charity shop. I was dropping off a couple of bags of clothes and stayed to browse. It was my lucky […]
A Red-Letter Day in Vienna
First of all, we accidentally wandered into Vienna’s May Day celebrations this morning while out walking, and I am so mad I didn’t have my camera! Next year, I am definitely going out to take pictures. Here’s a photo from the newspaper, though. International Worker’s Day is a big deal here in “Red Vienna.” The […]
Duernstein in der Wachau
This weekend we made a day trip out to Dürnstein in the Wachau. I’ve visited before, but wanted to show it to the husband. And anyway, now I have a better camera! We had a hearty lunch at the Sänger Blondel, named for the minstrel who supposedly rescued Richard the Lion Heart from Dürnstein castle. Afterwards […]
How Does My Garden Grow?
Pretty well, so far. Coming up now: chard, spinach, lettuce, green beans, parsley, sage, and basil. Four pots of basil–I have a fancy new food processor and plans for making and freezing pesto! Planted today: zucchini, and garlic cloves (just to see what happens). I already thinned out the lettuce and spinach, and together with some […]
Flying With One Foot on the Ground
There’s a blog post making the rounds right now about returning home, making friends, being an expat, etc. It’s a good post, with some truth in it. But, being contrary by nature I suppose, I wanted to blog about the lessons I see between the lines about how not to readjust to the U.S. Quotes […]
Two Hours and Two Thousand Years
This morning, I took advantage of a tour advertised by the American Women’s Association of the church of St Ruprecht and the surrounding area–which happens to be more or less my neighborhood. It was really interesting. St Ruprecht is debatably the oldest church in Vienna, dating from about 740 AD. The current church, dating mostly […]
Perhaps Not the Most Elegant Garden
Our apartment, though very plain, has a terrific view and could be pretty snazzy if someone with plenty of cash and better taste than the US Government decorated it. In this very neighborhood, there are tons of home decor stores with sleek, modern furniture in the windows. But, well, you know how it is. Scratched-up […]
Rome is Amazing: Street Life
While Rome definitely does not seem chaotic to anyone who has ever lived in the third world, it does have a completely different feel from very orderly (and slightly stuffy) Vienna. There is just a whole lot more going on outdoors. I liked it. To start with, there are street vendors everywhere. Some run food […]
Rome is Amazing: And There Were Quilts?
As a crafty person, I spent an inordinate amount of time in Rome looking at floors. I had my reasons. Tile mosaic floors have been a thing in Rome for millennia. And they are really, really cool. The Romans began piecing together floors from bits and and pieces of marble from all parts of their […]
Rome is Amazing: Got Churches?
I thought I was over churches. And then I went to Italy. In fact, I am pretty much over Central European Baroque churches. A person can only take so many cherubs in one lifetime. But Italian churches are different. Many of them predate the Baroque era, for a start. Some of them have Gothic, Romanesque, […]
Rome is Amazing: Really Old Stuff Everywhere
We were in Rome on Easter with a new Pope and about a billion Catholics, so we skipped the Vatican altogether. Saving that for another visit that does not coincide with a religious holiday of any kind! Other attractions were also more crowded than usual, but my brilliant husband had booked a tour in advance […]
Rome is Amazing: Food Edition
We just spent a long weekend in Rome, and to tell you the truth, I feel like I am still processing it. Rome has been on my bucket list pretty much forever! It was wonderful. I ended up with well over 200 “keeper” photos. To post them all to this blog would be overwhelming (and […]
Just Really a Lot of Eggs
Yeah, I know back home y’all have crocuses, buttercups and birds. Here in Vienna, nothing says “spring” like icy sidewalks, biting winds, and fragile stacks of $15 eggs for sale. As long as you are bundled up, Easter markets are a great place to enjoy a glass of new wine and a yummy snack while […]
Quick and Dirty Ethnoplunder Solution
No, this post is not about looting foreign museums. It’s about walls. Specifically, walls in government housing, which are ALWAYS covered in flat, white paint. Decorators will tell you that there are dozens (if not hundreds) of shades of white. Even Home Depot sells two shades of stock white for builders: Swiss Coffee and Linen […]
Can’t Live With Them…Or Something Like That
So, our very lovely apartment has a ridiculous amount of security. A front door that looks like a bank vault. Special fancy keys, and and even special-er little piece of plastic with a transponder in it that makes the elevator work. This means that every time I have guests I have to go up and […]
Bratislava: Go For the Beer Not the Pad Thai
Yesterday, we took advantage of a rare sunny winter day to check out Bratislava, Slovakia. It’s just an hour away by car–when the car is actually working! Bratislava is a bit dodgy. It’s more than a little shabby, and the hand of the Soviets still lies heavily on the town, much more so than in […]
So, This is How Weird My Life Is
I am a woman of a certain age. An age, shall we say, when many of us start to think more about the big picture, and less about how to get through each day. Options, in some ways are narrower. The childbearing years (at least the optimal ones) are over. It’s pretty clear I won’t […]
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of a Tour
You know, that middle year of three-year tour. When you are finally, really and truly, unpacked–in our case after the second move of the tour. When you finally have all the basics stocked up, and aren’t even slightly worried about using up your pantry before packout. Refritos? Yeah, I’ll take a case of those. When […]
I Would Never Call This a Hardship Post But…
I’m a big fan of the Foreign Service blog, Hardship Homemaking. I mean, what would I have given to be able to read a blog like this when we were posted to Zambia many years ago? Probably my left arm. What an absolutely brilliant idea. It’s looking like my hardship post days are over, but […]
Destructive Procrastination
Last week, I was looking forward not-so-eagerly to a lot of work in the New Year. My regular part-time job, a book editing project, and another online editing course. Plus, a German conversation course, which I am taking out of pure masochistic pride. And, all the usual family CEO duties. You know, laundry, cooking, cleaning, […]
Vienna in Black and White
First real, pretty snow in Vienna today! So, I took the opportunity to test out the monochrome setting on my camera. I like the way these photos turned out. That’s all!
And, Oh Yeah, We Went to Bavaria
Our Christmas outside the box was more of a family thing than a travel thing. We had, after all, been there several times before! But, I did take quite a few photos. I love Bavaria. It’s like Austria, only cheaper, and with friendlier people. The food is great: lots of game dishes, hearty veggies (we […]
For All You Pyromaniacs Out There
Please to enjoy this city-wide fireworks show, shot from the terrace of our apartment building last night. Stay tuned for the grand finale at the end. The Viennese know how to party!
Geeking Out in the New Year
OK, this actually started a couple of months ago with the Great Computer Crash of 2012. Like most apparently organized people, I had one place where I dumped all my junk and forgot about it. That place was my PC, which pretty much doubles as my office. I not only am the family CEO, but […]
