We had another great day in Innsbruck. We took the funicular, and then two cable cars, up the Nordkette — the massive mountain to the north of Innsbruck. It was snowing today, and while that was fun and very seasonal, it obscured what would have been a breathtaking view with clouds and fog.
Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy
January 28th, 2012Toboganning in the Alps
January 27th, 2012One of two things I wanted to be sure to do while in Innsbruck was to go sledding. I had inquired about it at the hotel before we came, but when we stopped by the front desk to get more information this morning, the receptionist was only kind of helpful, and when we got to the bus stop she directed us to, we found that the route number she gave us didn’t go to the right place. So, we took a gamble and picked another bus. We asked the driver, who was very patient with our Germenglish, about sledding (“rodeln” in German — my new word for today) and he assured us he could get us there and then helped us load the stroller in the bus. Off we went.
To Innsbruck
January 26th, 2012First off, I’m going to brag a little: I think I may be the world’s best packer. When we laid out all of the things we needed to bring with us on this trip, I thought there was no way we were going to get away with only packing two suitcases and a backpack . . . but we did. It’s impossible to really pack light with kids, and winter weather makes it harder (snow pants, wool socks, long underwear, hats, gloves, mittens, etc., times two) but we got away with only a little luggage.
Adventures, and failures, in dress making
January 25th, 2012Earlier this evening, I had my first (of two) fittings for the dress I’m having made for the ball. It’s a pretty color. The skirt is quite full, so I shouldn’t have any trouble dancing comfortably. My arms will be covered. I’m sure it will fit me quite well. I am confident that it is of a style appropriate to attending a ball.
Those are the only nice things I have to say about it.
Direct sunlight
January 24th, 2012Until yesterday, we hadn’t had any direct sunlight in our apartment for months. Given that we have windows that face all four sides of our building, that’s pretty impressive. What surprises me is that I hadn’t noticed that the sunlight was gone until it came back — I think I had attributed the darkness to the cloudy, overcast and rainy days we’ve had lately. But it was more than that — the angle of the sun had actually dipped so low that the sun didn’t crest the side of the building on our south-facing side until it had passed beyond the point that it could shine in our windows. And the afternoon sun, which in the summer overwhelmed, overheated and dazzled us, can’t make it in to our west facing windows because the angle has changed so much that it’s completely obscured by a neighboring building.
Yesterday morning, I was playing cars with Liam on the floor and I was being persistently blinded, and slightly irritated by, all the light that was streaming into our south facing window in our living room. After a few minutes of repositioning ourselves around the living room, the sunlight went away — hidden again behind the wall across our courtyard. Only then, after it was gone, did I realize that all that brightness would be back with us to stay, every morning, from now until November.
I like the winter, with the cold, the wind and especially the snow. But I’m glad to have the sun back. I didn’t realize how much I had missed it. I can’t help having my spirits lifted by its return, and with it, the promise of longer, brighter days soon to come.
Benjamin’s first mountains
January 23rd, 2012Later this week, we’re taking our first multi-day trip outside of Vienna, to Innsbruck. Innsbruck is in western Austria, 5 hours from Vienna by train, in the Alps (and probably most famous for twice hosting the Winter Olympics). We’re all very excited about seeing the mountainous part of Austria, and about getting to (hopefully) play in some significant snow.
Shoe shopping
January 22nd, 2012For reasons I may never understand, our movers decided that nearly every pair of shoes I own should go to storage, rather than coming here to Vienna. Only about 6 pairs of my shoes made it to Vienna — and that includes a pair of snow boots. Although this would have been an emergency for a lot of women, I managed to get through my first 9 months here with only one shoe purchase, but with the ball coming up next week, I need a pair of shoes that isn’t snow boots or sandals.
Calle family movie night
January 21st, 2012I love Fridays. I like to do special things on Fridays to mark the beginning of the weekend: on the way home from school, Benjamin is allowed to pick out a treat to have with his lunch; we try and do something special or easy (or both) for dinner; I go easy on the housework (even easier than the other days). But I’m always happy to add something new to our repertoire.
Inscription
January 20th, 2012Every evening, after bath time and before bed, we have story time. Dan & I take turns reading to the kids — Liam usually only makes it through one or two stories, but Benjamin always gets four (unless he can convince us to do a few extra). I love it when it’s my turn to do stories. I love reading to them, seeing them learn and enjoy the stories, and I really enjoy many of the stories themselves – we have some really good ones, and a lot of them are favorites of ours from when we were little.
New Year’s Resolutions
January 20th, 2012The nice thing about the New Year is the strong symbolism of a clean start. The hard thing about the third week of the year is feeling discouraged about anything you didn’t (re)start cleanly.
But every day, every hour, every moment, is charged with the same power. An almost-toddler learning to walk, a baby bird learning to fly, a child learning to ride a bicycle…they all look the same: after every thud, there is a standing up followed by an exuberant thrust. It doesn’t matter if the last attempt lasted 1 second or 100, the thrust has the same energy.
…until it’s time for a snack and a nap. Tomorrow’s play is just ahead.
