We really enjoyed our evening at the Kisi Kid's concert. One of the girls in our home church (Carli) invited us to come. She has been singing with this Vienna Christian children's choir for a few years. She is a natural and loves singing in German since becoming fluent in the language.
The kids did a great job with both their singing and choreography.
Carli (one with the black scarf)
One of the surprises was the location of the concert-Pharrkirche (one of the old churches in Vienna.) It's not everyday that one gets to sing in a facility like this!
We felt privileged to have the Assefs (Thierry, Uta, and bebe Nathan) come over to bring Indonesian (the food of Uta's country) last weekend. We have become quite attached to Nathan. I was able to visit in the hospital when he was born and we have been gradually building a relationship with Nathan and his Mommy and Daddy. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening of excellent food, good conversation, and a lot of oohing and aahing over bebe Nathan.
Last week we were uplifted by attending a concert by Michael W. Smith at the Stadthalle. We were surprised by the large crowd. It was MWS's first time in Vienna and he seemed pleased by the excitement and participation of the audience. On one song he asked the audience to sing the verses in German and everyone seemed to know the song well enough to do so. We met a couple sitting near us who were from just outside of Vienna. They were part of a charismatic catholic group (never heard of such a thing!)
I just had to blog about our crazy weekend. It all began on Friday evening when we hosted an "N-1 Group Meeting." N-1 was the group Greg led in Los Alamos prior to coming to Vienna. Well, it just so happened that there was a large percentage of the group (past and present members) here for a conference last week. We decided to have everyone over for Mexican food (green chile chicken and red chile enchiladas.) There were 25 present (including a canine friend and a few of our favorite little people.) One of the "nicer LA people" brought us eight cans of Hatch green chile. (Thank you Phil-we'll love you forever!) After 23 years in LA one becomes accustomed to "real green chile" which is not to be found here. Canned Hatch is a close second to the real thing!
Maya and her Daddy (James) with Violet looking on
Belian girls (big ones and little one)
Now, tell me, why does everyone like to congregate in the kitchen (the record was 15!) when there are tables and chairs available?! I attempted to get into my kitchen to be the "good hostess" and make sure there was enough food, dishes, drinks, etc. available for our guests, but finally just gave up and let them fend for themselves. It's a good thing we have a larger than usual Austrian kitchen!
Even Colby (our canine visitor) recognizes the significance of hanging out in the kitchen!
There were some who made use of the tables and chairs. The one sitting with her back to the camera is Becca Stevens (she was a high school friend of our daughter, Amy, and now she is in Greg's group here in Vienna. Small world!
On Saturday my friend, Shonna, invited me to a DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) genealogy luncheon workshop at Cafe Landtmann. It was four hours of tons of information on how to research our lineage in order to identify a person who was involved in some aspect of the American Revolution. It was so interesting and I am chomping at the bit to learn more of my family history. Not sure I have the time while here to get this going, but it will be a nice project for the future.
The next event of the weekend was home church at our place on Sunday followed by more Mexican food. Hey, why not? So, after our time of worship we feasted on tacos, pinto beans (which cannot be bought here), and beef burritos. We also had the Bizcochitos (NM cookie) and homemade salsa (made by a chef friend) which was left over from Friday night. I think all present enjoyed the food (even our Austrian friends who usually turn their noses up at American food.)
Jake, praying with our kids. We have two Austrian girls and their mom who attend. They speak no English so our services have to be in both English and German. We sing mostly in German-Greg and I seem to be able to do much better singing German than speaking it. I guess they would think we were just a little weird if we sang everything. Oh well, we're probably weird anyway!
After a very busy weekend Greg and I took a little time to relax on Sunday evening and watch "The Middle" which has become one of our favorite TV shows. We pay a fee each month in order to download a few shows from the States. German TV gets a little old after a while. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a TV show as I do watching "The Middle." It is about a quirky family with three kids. Tune in sometime and see what I'm talking about.
So, as I reflect this morning on our weekend, I thank the Lord for our health and energy and all the blessings He so graciously bestows upon us.
What a great time we had at the Passion Play! Riding the train for six hours, we arrived in Oberamagau in the afternoon. We traveled with two other couples (the Morans and VanDyks.) We all loved the feel of this little town; we got to see most of it as we pulled our luggage down the street to our gasthaus on the opposite end of town from where we exited the train. We had purchased a package deal months earlier for our gasthaus, meals, and Passion Play tickets. Unfortunately, as we arrived at our gasthaus, I discovered that I had forgotten our tickets at home. I had purchased all of the train tickets and was so pre-occupied with those that I didn't even think about the other tickets. We got off easy as it only cost 20 euro to have them re-printed. Thank goodness Barbara had brought the receipt that proved we had bought them.
The Oberammergau Passion Play dates back to a vow made in the year 1633. At that time the plague raged in the entire region, including Oberammergau. Many people died. It was then that the people of this town vowed to portray the "Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus" every ten years. From that moment on not one person succumbed to the Black Death.
Since there are no outsiders permitted to participate in the play, the majority of the residents of Oberammergau were the actors, actresses, and stage-hands. The play runs for six months from April to October and is over six hours long. The open air theater holds 5000 people. It was definitely worth the effort we made to get there.
We had extra time to lazily walk around the town taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells. At one point we came upon a house set back off the road, but there was a showcase on the road of their wood carvings. After sending Bruce in to see if we could look at their carvings (the rest of us were chicken!) we were invited in by a very nice older couple. Their work was outstanding! They did all their own work, assisted by their son. The wooden marionettes had carved faces both front and back. We have one on order and should receive it by Christmas.
The Gasthaus where we spent two nights
The stage of the open air playhouse
Herr Buehner, his wife, and their son.
When we walked into their yard Herr and Frau Buehner were having breakfast on the porch that overlooked their magnificent yard. They told us the story of how he longed to marry his sweetheart and her parents were not sure he could support her so they insisted that he go to Master woodcarving school. He did and his master carving (a shepherd) holds a place of honor in their home.
Some of the marionettes that were carved by Herr Buehner and his son, then painted by Frau Buehner
The rolling hills of Oberammergau with a castle perched at the top.
Our little group doing one of the things we do best: eating! Oh, and did I mention coffee breaks?
After leaving Oberammergau, we headed to Salzburg. It was a beautiful sunny weekend that proved perfect for our sightseeing. The highlight of the weekend was the Frauline Maria bicycle "Sound of Music" tour. For 3 1/2 hours we rode through the city and all over the countryside. It took a while to get "Do, Re, Mi" out of my head! Salzburg is a city rich in history and culture and we enjoyed our stay there very much.
The picture on the wall of the room in our hotel. Would believe we were on the "Sound of Music" floor?!
Greg's lame attempt to copy Maria on the same exact steps.
:)
The gazebo-what a lovely couple!
The scenes in the movie of the front and back of the house are actually two different houses. This is the house where they were attempting to quietly escape (out the front) in the their car when the police discovered them.
The comment was made by two "early twenty" girls that they were surprised we would be doing the bike tour and not the bus tour. Hmm.... Are we getting old or what! I think we kept up with them just fine.
The Baptist church where Euel attended before marrying Mom gave a cross in his honor to hang on their "Memory Wall."
After a long dry spell from posting on my blog I'm going to try to get back on track. I was in the States six weeks visiting family, friends, and helping my Mom with my terminally ill step-dad (Euel.) He passed away on 9/1 and I was able to get back to Vienna a week later.
This is the little country church in Pickton, TX where Euel attended
Two days after I got home Greg left for ten days in Russia. I was thankful for friends from Texas who came to visit us during that time. Now the company is gone, Greg's back, and I've had a few days to rest up some.
My friend, Lucia (friends since 5th gr.) and her husband, Alan, check out the bags at the naschmart.
On Saturday night we attended the Long Night of Museums in Vienna. 105 museums were open from 6 pm-1am. We pooped out at 11:00 and walked in rain (which we were not equipped for) to a bus stop to return to our apartment.
I think one of the most interesting museums we visited was the Vienna Tram Museum. This museum houses 100 original vehicles: tram carriages, city railway carriages, and buses from 1868 to 1978. We actually got to ride on a bus from the year 1936 from the ubahn to the museum. As we squeaked and rattled down the street there were many who stopped in their tracks just to observe this phenomenon.
I've not seen so many smiling faces my entire time in Vienna. The cars were decked with beautiful wood and chrome on the insides. As I climbed the stairs to the top of the double decker bus my head touched the ceiling. Talk about claustrophobic! The Vienna Tram Museum is the world's largest tram museum, which exclusively exhibits the history of public transport within a single city, the city of Vienna.
The following paintings were from the "Young Artist Museum:"
(Feel free to interpret them, if you dare!)
Our next stop was the Belvedere Museum (about a 20 minute walk from our apt.) The Belvedere's palaces are considered to be among Europe's most outstanding Baroque buildings and house the most significant collection of Austrian art dating from the middle ages to the present day. At the heart of the displays of art around 1900 are the world's largest Gustav Klimt collection. We were greeted at the front door by people dressed as vampires who were advertising the upcoming musical, "Tanz der Vampire" (dance of the vampire.) There were photo opts available with two of the vampires in front of a well known painting of Klimt's, "The Kiss." It was quite humorous to watch as one after another teenage girl took their turn between the two vampires to be photographed.
So many of these artists led such depressing lives. Klimt had one affair after another and it is believed that he fathered over 14 children. It is evident that there was little commitment to anything in his life. How sad!
One of Klimt's paintings, "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" sold for $135 million to a museum in NY where it has been displayed since 2006.
No photography permitted at the Belvedere.
The line for the "Frida Kahlo" art exhibit at a bank was out the door and down the block. Greg had taken a friend there and concluded I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it too much anyway. She was a very confused and strange woman-I don't think I missed much.
We were privileged to have Kathleen and Brianna visit us for four days. We knew Kathleen and her family when we lived in Fairfax, VA. She and Brianna (from Atlanta) are interning at the US Embassy in Athens, Greece for the summer. They certainly packed in a lot of sightseeing in the short time they were here. I was able to go with them a few days. We visited the Belvedere Palace, the Military Museum, the UN, Hundertwasserhaus, and an Austrian Heuriger. One evening we strolled around Stephansplatz and of course, consumed a little Gelato.
Belvedere Palace
(former residence of the Prince of Savoy)
This is a 15 minute walk from our apartment.
We really enjoyed eating one evening near the Vienna Woods at a Heuriger. These are typically family owned little outdoor cafes, each boasting it's own distinct wines grown in their vineyards. Bruce and Barbara joined us.
The Hundertwasser house, designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, was built between 1983 and 1986. It features uneven floors, a roof covered with earth and grass, and large trees growing from inside the rooms, with limbs extending from windows. Hundertwasser took no payment for the design of the house, declaring that it was worth it, to prevent something ugly from going up in its place.
Within the house there are 52 apartments, four offices, 16 private terraces and three communal terraces, and a total of 250 trees and bushes. The Hundertwasser House is one of Vienna's most visited buildings and has become part of Austria's cultural heritage.
Greg was able to give the girls a tour around the United Nations building, showing them his office and describing what he does. It was a very hot day and we welcomed eating lunch in the air conditioned cafeteria.
The Heeresgeschichtlisches Museum (History of Military Museum) was the first Viennese museum. The styles of this town's oldest historic building range from Byzantine, Hispano-Moorish to
Neo-Gothic.
In five major sections the museum shows the history of the Habsburg empire from the end of the 16th century until 1918 and Austria's fate after the dissolution of the monarchy up to the year 1945.
Early Monday morning we traveled to Auschwitz, Poland by train with the Youngs (my cousin, Cindy, her husband, and four children.) We changed trains at Zebrzydowice ( a rather dismal looking train station) where we had our picnic lunch on a dilapidated, rusty old bench.
We went through this to get from one side to the other of the tracks.
It's a good thing we brought our lunch since there was not even a vending machine at any of the stations.
A little reading aloud of "The Mozart Question" purchased at the British Bookstore in Vienna.
Due to a language barrier we had trouble confirming that the Polish trains that we took were the ones called for in our itinerary. I couldn't help but think that the uncertainty and anxiety we experienced was trivial compared to that experienced by those disembarking at Auschwitz 70 years ago. When the rains began it seemed that tears were falling from heaven in grief for the atrocities perpetrated there. Indeed, it might not be inappropriate for Auschwitz to be permanently overcast and rainy. The Austrian train we got off felt luxurious compared to the dingy old train we boarded. Halfway between Zebrzydowice and Oswiecim the skies darkened portending the somber experience to come.
As we entered the grounds at Auschwitz our initial impression was that it appeared to be an innocuous and picturesque little camp. We were about to discover that this was far from the truth.
In the beginning only men were brought to Auschwitz. Those who could play an instrument were enlisted to compose an orchestra, not for entertainment, but to help the officers count the prisoners who were marched from the camp for their daily work detail and returned in the evening.
Members of the Polish resistance were among the first to be interred by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Much later, the Greeks, believing that there were better job prospects further north actually purchased train tickets from the Nazis. Thousands from most European countries (and as far away as 1500 kilometers) were taken to Auchwitz
We visited both the museum area and Berkinau (Auschwitz II-the larger concentration camp built to process and exterminate prisoners more efficiently.) The scale of the atrocities committed at Auschwitz were shocking, but the magnitude of the Berkinau extermination operation was staggering. Toward the end there were as many as 4000 a day who lost their lives. The highest price was paid by Hungary; over 400,000 Hungarian Jews were murdered in the gas chambers.
On their striped uniforms, prisoners wore symbols that indicated the Nazis' reason for singling them out: Jew, homosexual, government official, social deviant, etc. The SS hired photographers to make portraits of each prisoner when he was registered. Many of these portraits hang on the walls of the museum, each showing the prisoner's name, date of registration, and date of death. The average time between the two dates was only about three months. Starvation, torture, forced labor, and disease caused the death toll to rise quickly.
Berkinau
This is what's left of the gas chambers that were built outside of town so as not to be discovered. The SS bombed them to erase the evidence.
It was so difficult to see all the hair (men and women's heads were shaved) piled up in a large glassed in area, as well as hair brushes, eye glasses, and shoes. Especially difficult for me was all of the children's shoes.
We were glad for the comfortable hotel to retreat to at the end of this day. After a nice dinner with the Young family we saw them off to catch their night train to Prague. Greg and I had time the following day to walk around the town before boarding our early afternoon train This area has been so oppressed by war, holocaust, and communism, but there is presently an effort to spruce it up a bit.
We arrived back in Vienna two hours late after train troubles at Zebrzydowice. After 1 1/2 hours a new engine was located and attached to our train. Once again we had rain, cool temperatures, and dreary conditions as we continued on our way.
Last week we were uplifted by attending a concert by Michael W. Smith at the Stadthalle. We were surprised by the large crowd. It was MWS's first time in Vienna and he seemed pleased by the excitement and participation of the audience. On one song he asked the audience to sing the verses in German and everyone seemed to know the song well enough to do so. We met a couple sitting near us who were from just outside of Vienna. They were part of a charismatic catholic group (never heard of such a thing!) 
