This is just quick note to say Happy Holidays and wish you all the best. The holidays are a time for reflection and hope, so I am thankful and hopeful despite the occasional set-backs. I am thankful for what we have (which is a lot!) and hopeful for more love, more peace, more humanity and more meaningful connections between people, because that’s what makes life worth living, right?
As for us, we decided to check out Vienna for the holidays this year and we are enjoying ourselves for the most part, when we are not freezing our butts off, that is. This is the second year in a row that we’ve been cold for the holidays. Perhaps we should consider a warmer locale for next year.
We got the Vienna Pass (including a hop-on, hop-off bus) for two days here too, so we got to see Schonbrunn, the Giant Ferris Wheel at the Prater, the Danube Tower, the Rathaus, the Votive Church and the St. Stephen Cathedral (we were there for Christmas Mass today, actually). We also enjoyed the Christmas markets that are all over town this time of year and all the punsch (spiked for the parents!) and not enough sausage, if you ask Paul. Now we have about a dozen mugs from the various markets – they sell the drinks in them. You can return the cup and get your deposit back but some of us (surprisingly, not me) had a hard time parting with the cups. I personally would have loved to see Mozart House (huge Mozart fan here) as well as some art, like maybe The Kiss by Klimt, which we almost did yesterday but when we got to Belvedere Palace, where The Kiss “lives,” it was closed because Christmas Eve – major bummer! A boat tour on the Danube would have been lovely too. We’ll have to come back, perhaps when the weather is nicer, to enjoy the sights we missed this time.
The weather is cold but not really terrible. The temps are just above freezing, so no white Christmas for us this year. It’s been raining on and off, which would not have been the end of the world, had we not had some outfit “misses.” Max apparently forgot his snow boots at school, despite Mom’s repeated nagging reminders, so he is wearing sneakers and it’s hard to keep his feet dry and warm. Nia (who is too old for help allegedly) packs her own stuff, so she decided she didn’t need to bring her warm jacket or her waterproof boots, or any sweaters or gloves, or anything warm really. In the middle of winter! In Vienna! Mom doesn’t know what she’d talking about, so why listen to her, ever??!! So there’s whining… (And Mom needs wine-ing!) But such is life and we try to roll with it…
Nobody wants to be in Mom’s pictures anymore either, so most of my pictures are of people’s backs but I don’t give up easily, so here are a couple I managed to snap. I may have twisted some arms to get these but a mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do.
May your holidays be happy, healthy and bright!
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