Category Archives: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore
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 […]
Weirdest Christmas Tradition Ever
Austria is a Christmassy sort of place. It gets plenty cold by the beginning of December, and snow arrives right on schedule. In the countryside, impossibly quaint small towns look like they belong under a Christmas tree with a toy train running around them. In Vienna, we have at least a dozen Christmas markets going, […]
New Food, Old Attitudes, Some Graffiti, and More Gnomes, Of Course
I am big on walking for exercise. Now that we are living downtown, my walks are even more interesting. I carry my cell phone with me everywhere, and snap photos of anything that strikes my fancy. Here’s the latest batch, accumulated over the past few weeks.
Austrian Eggstravaganza!
Nothing says “spring” like 45 degrees with a stiff wind. Clearly a good day to bundle up and check out the local Easter markets. To tell you the truth, I am a little mystified by the whole Easter thing in Central Europe. It’s just not part of my own cultural heritage, being non-Catholic and non-Central […]
Orgy on the Danube
On Sunday we were having some trouble getting the new GPS to work, so we decided to hike in the one park where it is impossible to get lost: the Donauinsel. We just turned south from the parking lot instead of north this time. We had a good five-mile hike, picnic, and cappucino break (of […]
This Post Is NOT About Contraception And Does NOT Include Diagrams of Lady Parts
When I’m not ranting about my inner feminist, the State Department, or ugly furniture, I spend a lot of time walking and hiking around Vienna, either on my own or with my favorite FSO. Yesterday’s excursion, on the first spring-like day of the year, was to the famous Vienna Prater. When most people think of the […]
A Place for Everything…
…and everything in its place. Vienna is a very tidy city, on the whole. There are signs everywhere telling people where to put their car, their trash, recycling, cigarette butts, doggie doo, and more. It might seem like a strange thing to blog about, but this absolutely fascinates me. I come by it honestly. My […]
I Have a Feeling We’re Not in Kansas Anymore
Living in first-world Europe is a bit different than living in more exotic locales. Duh, you say. Now, wait a sec, let me explain. In most countries, it is always obvious that you are in another culture. I am sure that in India, for example, the “differentness” of everything hits you full- on every time […]
