Wien ist wunderbar

****For your listening pleasure*****
Please open up this link to Wiener Blut by Johann Strauss II in another window while you read. I have had this beautiful waltz running through my head ever since we came here. I can't help but hum it all the time as we walk through the city. I guess Vienna really is getting in my blood :)

We have had a very nice week, each day full of new adventures. I'm so glad we decided to stay in Vienna for a whole month. It's been really nice to take things at our own pace and savor the city. Here's what we've been up to:

Hiking in Wienerwald (Vienna's forest). We carefully followed several hardly-noticeable wooden signs for the trail through a few wine vineyards, and then into the thick forest where the trail flirted with a little mossy stream. The path eventually led us to a cute little village lane where people had benches and bird houses nestled into patches of grass and flowers. From there, we were led onto the Danube river and walked for EVER until we finally found a bus. I think we walked for 4 hours straight. It was really lovely, but I was very glad to put Jackson down and put my feet up. But, what a beautiful place! Every step was worth it.We toured the Hofburg Palace on Thursday. Wow - those Habsburg's had a lot of dishes. The tour was really interesting. We got to see some of their fancy bedrooms, meeting rooms, a banquet room, and lots of the household items that were used back then.
Can you imagine living in a palace, wearing fancy dresses every day, having your hair elaborately done, and then sitting at a large banquet table with your rich and famous friends, eating delicious meals made by a gourmet chef? Ah...that would be really amazing. But I think I would get tired of it after a while and I'd like to go back to my jeans and t-shirt. Wait...keep the gourmet chef.

Friday we were all walked-out. So we sat around our apartment all day until we decided that we needed groceries. Then we had two little friends over (we babysat for the Petersen's) and watched movies and played.

Saturday we went to the Prater which is a large public park that has an amusement park, playgrounds, a river, events, etc. We just walked and walked (seems like we do that a lot, eh?) down the paved pedestrian road and enjoyed the autumn sunlight and crispy leaves. Peter started a collection of chestnuts and pointed out each horse that came trotting by. We found a relay race going on and it looked like SO much fun. I decided that we've gotta do a family relay race soon! Whaddayasay Hesses and Lehnardts?

Saturday night the Petersen's watched our kids so Sean and I could go on a date. It was so nice to be out alone together! We felt like a couple of kids running around the city and having fun. We had a fabulous dinner at a little place at the Naschmarkt (called Logantia? Mediterranean specialties), bought some cheap Stehplatz (standing-place) tickets to the Opera "Pique Dame", and then walked around till we found our favorite kind of Mozartkugeln. The Opera was really interesting: the music was incredible, but the acting was really, really, really strange. So, I'm guessing that the director of the Opera has to stick to the music and the words, but gets to decide how to portray the Opera (like which time period to set it in, styles of the costumes, etc.) And whoever directed this version decided that it needed to have men dressed up in really funky gowns and high heels, and have people making out on stage. It was like the director just wanted to shock people or something. Well, I was shocked! But the other Operas/plays I have been to in Europe are always more scandalous than back in good ol' Utah. But still, our date was wonderful and our boys had a lot of fun playing at the Petersen's.

Today we attended High Mass at Augustinerkirche, the church the Hapsburg family attended back in the day. We walked into the church and the most glorious music filled our ears. The mass has an orchestra and choir every Sunday, and wow, they are truly incredible. I found a video on youtube that will give you some idea of what it was like. But really, it was such a beautiful musical experience, I felt like my soul was filled to the brim. Wish you could have been there!Found this just south of the Augustinerkirche. This is my favorite fountain/statue I have seen as of yet in Europe. I don't really know why. I just love how the guy has his arm around the lady and there's a cute little kid at his feet. And the mer-men holding them up have scaly-legs and fin-feet instead of the usual mermaid bottom half. Sean thought that was a much better idea.