Nostalgia

Heat - Schönbrunn - Esther

Because most of the girls had spent the weekend running through countries, and didn’t get back til 8am this morning, we changed our plans and met at Schönbrunn Palace. The gardens are beautiful - even in the heat! And boy was it hot!!

As I walked, memories of my past visits came to mind! First, the evening with Morgan, Katie, and Bailey and the cool concert. Then the past Study Abroad groups - and the fun I had With my kiddos and Lisa year. It’s a beautiful place - and I was Happy the students really didn’t care to go inside.

We wanted to find a vineyard to walk through but ended up walking to the wrong place. As I’ve read each of the student’s blogs, I’m happy they weren’t upset about it but counted it as a bonding activity.  We were then off to Esther’s for a farewell dinner. She is leaving and won’t be back til after we are gone. It is fun to visit her each year - to sit full of nostalgia on her terrace.

Steps Steps and more Steps

It is quite new for me to have down time....to sit in my apartment, not talking, not listening to anything, just being. I have spent time this morning conversing on FB messenger with a missionary from our Stake, doing laundry, reading my student’s blogs, and blogging myself. Laundry is always interesting when I don’t know the language. Thank goodness for Google Translate. But why was I getting an Error message? Hadn’t I done everything I was supposed to? Oops...forgot to turn on the water. They conserve so much here. I love it....but forget quite often.

Laundry hung to dry, waiting for another, and a happy Denise :) 

This morning I found a blender in a drawer so added a banana to my shake. I brought Shakeology to save time and money and get some good nutrients each day. 

This afternoon I will meet up with Christine again. She will take me somewhere beautiful I am sure. I am looking forward to it. But right now I am relishing the quiet, the solitude, and just being with me. I like me!

And now I am going to read - Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl is wonderful. I will be sharing it with my students before we go to Auschwitz next week.

I should have taken a picture for sure...to have proof of eating liver dumplings. I hate liver, I think. It turns me off COMPLETELY. But made into a dumpling...not so bad. It had a bit of a liver type after taste, but not bad. I don’t think I would ORDER it, by ANY stretch, but trying was ok.

Christine was a gracious host with a gift for me and everything. I had THOUGHT to bring her something but had nothing. Then I was going to bring her M&M’s .... that would have been perfect. But I didn’t :(

She took me up to the old psychiatric hospital. LOADS of history - Hitler, maltreatment of mental patients, killing of handicapped children. Sad. But walking up there was beautiful — many people were there. Then we went down and took the U-barn out to the Danube and had another beautiful walk. We had fun laughing, looking at plants, talking, walking, and swatting bugs! It was a fun couple days .... and MANY steps! I have made another friend....and for that I am grateful!

Slow ... Spiritual ... Stunning ... Satisfying

There it was...Loud as day! Echoing inside why sleepy consciousness as I awoke, groggy yet excited for the Sabbath.

Be fixed in your purpose, for Satan will try you
The weight of your calling, he perfectly knows

I am not sure why it was there, but I hummed it the entire 45 minute travel to church. I am usually humming a tune, thanks to my mother, her mother, and most likely her mother before. I love this about me!

Memories of this walk 8 years ago flooded my mind. And now it is familiar. As I turned right on Böcklinstraße, my heart filled with happiness. I was walking ‘home’ per se. I have been to this ward building only a handful of times, but each time I am met with the Spirit of ‘home.’ I am grateful for that ... wherever I go in the world I can find family in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today was NO different. They have an English and a German ward that meets. One year I visited the German ward. It was the year I had taken German for that year and I tried to understand. It was not easy ... so I had one of the missionaries translate for me. Today was English and I am soooo glad. I needed the messages of today — in a VERY personal way!

Because there are many diplomats and Embassy workers here in Vienna, amongst other jobs, the ward is very transient. This week two families will be leaving so they spoke to us. One family is just moving to a new government job - the young woman spoke excitedly about the new adventure but will miss all she learned here. The other family has been called to serve as Mission Presidents in a new place. I listed to their daughter and her testimony of the Book of Mormon! It astounded me, to say the least. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that it is the word of God, translated by Joseph Smith. It testifies of Christ. Her testimony lit a fire inside me. I thought of Spencer, soon to be heading out on HIS mission. After the mother spoke of the many miracles she has witnessed in her life, the goosebumps were apparent all over. God is ever-present in our lives!! This I KNOW!! He is in the little details of our lives, day in and day out, helping here and there and everywhere. While the grandiose miracles still abound, He cares about our day to day experiences. She was powerful and I loved it. I determined to introduce myself to them with Spencer on my mind. They may or may not be his new mission President and wife. After Bro Picard spoke I was equally amazed. His humble strength was evident. His main message - there IS a plan despite the difficulties. This I KNOW as well! He spoke of training paratroopers and how there are imminent dangers that require IMMEDIATE attention and those that, if not tended to, will lead to other dangers.

When I introduced myself and asked where they were going, I found that they are going to the mission in which Preston Moline is serving! How cool is that! So I found them after church and snapped a pic to send to him and his parents. Who knows, Spencer MAY go to Armenia Georgia.

Relief Society was equally as needed for me. The sisters throughout the world are stunning....why can I not find a better word that describes how I am feeling? I met Stephanie and Jessica - two wonderful women, both whose husbands are diplomats living in Bratislava. They will both most likely be here next year when I come. Jessica and her husband helped me navigate a boat and train to Melk. Maybe for this year, maybe for next. We will see.

Needless to say, church was wonderful and JUST what I needed today.

I went back to my apartment, ate, and then studied the Come Follow Me manual. I was tired from my late night so allowed myself a nap. It is nice to NOT be in a hurry. I walk Slow, I eat slow, I live Slow. How nice is that!!!

After my nap I didn’t really have anything to do. I didn’t care much about going out, but finally determined that I would head to some vineyards outside Vienna and take in the view. I found my way there and found a friend. My mom laughs at me that I always find a friend. When I got on the bus, I noticed here and sat next to her. It wasn’t until almost to the end that I finally spoke to her. We ended up spending the evening together. She showed me some of the wild plants she looks for and we walked/hiked all over. It was a great way to spend an evening....much better than just by myself. At the end of the evening, she invited me to do it again tomorrow. How fun...she will show me something new, something outside Vienna and in the nature. I love this. Her name is Christin Strasser. I love meeting new friends!

It was a beautiful evening with wonderful company and fun visiting. She is a few years older than me, but we have a fun time laughing together. I am grateful for my ability to make friends easily. I hope we can meet each year!

Seeing Through Viennese Eyes

After a few thousand steps these last few days I decided That this would be a lazy weekend just chilling. I’ve seen the icons of Vienna many times and they are beautiful! But today I just Wanted to be a local.

So after meeting up with Nico from Argentina to purchase some beautiful jewelry, I hit The back streets. I know My direction fairly well after 4 times here so I just Walked in the general direction trying to get to the Danube canal on which all the locals walk or bike. Hidden wonders of beauty arise right before your eyes. Everything is beautiful!

And walking along the canal is just peaceful period! The overbearing clamber of the crowds fades into the simple solitude of the walk, though graffitied is quite peaceful and centering.  

I must have walked for almost an hour or so. I knew I wanted to get to the Stadtpark - famous though I haven’t been once in all my visits. I knew I was getting close from what I thought I remembered, Sure enough, pull it up on Google Maps and I just barely passed  it....I was at a juncture so took it and headed back following my phone and still looking up at all the beauty. I loved just walking as if I were a local. Just walking and taking in the serenity of it all. 

Soon I was at the park, marked by two crazy head statues. The park is larger than  Burggarten with more walkways and benches. I LOVE that Vienna has a multitude of benches EVERYWHERE for folks to sit and just be! Just BE! With the light breeze I was near heaven, I know. It was beautiful! After scouting out shade and solitude I found three benches in a U formation with NO ONE! That was it - my spot for the next 90 minutes of reading from Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search For Meaning!

The park itself had some neat things and was beautiful...

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I then headed for the Albertina and Stats Oper (again walking in the general direction figuring I was on the right track) to get a Kasekrainer from the famous sausage shop there. This is a holiday weekend so there were more than the usual swarms of people! I waited in line for 15 minutes, I bet! Just for the best Kasekrainer in town ... for my friend!

Sitting in the Burggarten eating lunch and just soaking in the atmosphere was special to me. I felt Almost like a local! Off to the Naschmarkt - I wanted to get some hummus and pita and check out the prices for some pants like Kelsey got last year (yes, she wants ANOTHER pair). It was FAR to busy for my liking....and much less for the locals than I would imagine. I only had 7 euro in cash so I was pretty sure there was no bartering that low for the pants. They started at 20 and only got down to 15. I guess He didn’t believe me that I ONLY had 7 euro. Hahahaha

I left and stopped by the local Hofer grocery store (equivalent of Andi back home) for some essentials - yogurt, cheese, rolls, and milk. I have only been eating OUT once a day! Trying to save money and eat a lot less too. 

Home is a nice place to be, even if it just a small apartment in Vienna. I can still here the police and their crazy sirens but not much else. I’m near, but not close to a major road so it is fairly quiet! 

All my students - except one - went to Venice, Rome and Zurich. So I met up with Rachel to check out the city at night. We went by the Rathaus to check out the Life Ball - it is Pride Month and there were so many cool costumes and people dressed up in everything. We couldn’t get IN, but saw from the outskirts. 

We checked out the Volksgarten and all the beautiful roses then wandered the back streets til we found some place to eat. Even found an old (like 1600s old) little relic in the middle of the city that had been hidden for years. Beautiful!!! Rachel ordered (unknowingly) the exact same thing she had at Bier und Bierly the first day. We laughed. We split our meals....Bier und Bierli was MUCH better for her dish. 

We stopped by the Stats Oper to watch part of the opera on the jumbo tron and then headed home. It was late and I was getting up early for church. Fun evening for sure!