Dan and Em's Blog

I haven’t been to the dentist since January.  I’m a bit of a nut about oral hygene, and my teeth were starting to feel icky, so I just couldn’t leave it any longer — it was starting to get to me.  So I found a dentist, and today, I went.

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It’s cold in Vienna, already.  We’ve already hit the freezing mark (not officially yet – officially we’ve gotten down to 1, apparently, but there was ice on the sidewalk when we left for the zoo yesterday morning) and the warmest it’s gotten in the past several days is about 12 degrees (low 50s).  This week is forecast to be more of the same, with lots of nights nearly hitting the freezing mark and several days of high temperatures in the single digits.

I absolutely love the onset of colder weather.  I’d much prefer to have a slightly chilly October, rather than a warm one — I much rather be bundled up in scarves, hats and sweaters than to be wearing shorts while pumpkin picking.  This is my kind of October.

I do have to admit, though, that as much as I like the chill in the air, the smell of woodsmoke and the sparkle of frost, it puts me more in mind of November or December than October.  (I’ve already caught myself singing Christmas Carols with the kids a few times!)  And, despite my careful research into relative temperatures, I’m a bit worried about what December, January and February have in store for us.

So far, though, our apartment is warm, I can find coffee and hot chestnuts on the street corners, and (most of) our sweaters and cold-weather clothing safely arrived from home.  If I could just find someplace that sells hot cider, I’d be all set.

One of the many things I love about living in Vienna is the food.  One of the many things I love about the food is its seasonality.  When we first arrived, it was Spargl (asparagus) season.  You could hardly order food in a restaurant without somehow getting asparagus involved:  it was on the pizza, in the soups, in the risotto, in the bread, on the side.  It was everywhere.  The same has been true for the other seasons we’ve gone through:  strawberry, chanterelle, blueberry, apple.  It’s great — for a few weeks, every restaurant incorporates whatever is in season, and then, just as you’re getting tired of having asparagus for every meal, the dishes change and you won’t be able to get them again until the next time that season comes around.  I’m really enjoying it — not only is the food fantastic, fresh and flavorful, but it’s making me more aware of the season.

We’re in the best food season so far right now.  It’s fall and harvest time, and several great things are in season at the same time:  pumpkins, chestnuts and game.  We went out to dinner tonight and shared a dinner that included venison, wild boar, glazed chestnuts and baked sweet potato (the first time I’ve even seen that particular vegetable on any menu here).  This particular restaurant gets extra points for advertising their “wild game” specials by erecting actual “deer crossing” road signs on the sidewalk by the front door.

Our dinner was excellent.  But, beyond that, I am quite enjoying the celebration of the autumn and the feel of the season.  I love this time of year, and there is so much to appreciate about it.  All I have to do is find a place that sells hot cider and I’ll be all set.

As we explore Vienna, I often talk about “discovering” something — a restaurant, a shop, a favorite spot, or a new way to do something.  Yet, my “discoveries” are a little like Columbus discovering America . . . there were aleady people LIVING in America when he “found” it.  (Although, I think I’m going to start declaring locations around Europe, as I visit them, in the name of the Calle clan.)

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