Reunion!

After two long months apart, Rosalind has now joined me here in Vienna! This should explain clearly enough why I haven't written a post in over a week...=) Plus there's the sudden inconvenience of no longer being able to use free wireless internet from my apartment. That's the problem when you're not paying for internet - it could disappear any minute, and sometimes does. So when we get a proper plan set up for the apartment, I'll be online more regularly - and I'll post some of the culturally enlightening photos that I've been collecting, such as "ALF: Null Problemo mit dem Weihnachstmann" and "Chappell in Front of a Gigantic Teacup".

Yesterday Rosalind and I visited the Naschmarkt, which is one of a few very large open-air markets in the city. I had a scrumptious lunch of Pumpkin Lasagna and she sampled the Goulash, then we wandered around to check out the quite-international vendors (there were several Indian, Chinese, and general Asian grocery stores and stalls, plus the classic Austrian Käseland - land of cheese.) Then we realized that the Lange Nacht der Museen was happening - from 6pm to 1am, over eighty museums in Vienna were open, and a single ticket got you into all of them! - so of course we checked that out. Not surprisingly, we found our way to the Museum of Ancient Musical Instruments, which I will have to go back and spend more time at later...It seemed like there were far more Viennese than tourists out all night, and we suspect that it's a really good way for people to experience their own city. I remember various festivals at American cities, especially First Night on the 1st of January, and First Fridays in Denver, when galleries and museums and live music are all happening all at once.
I think that we all need reminders like that - when you live in a city, you might feel like the cultural attractions are always there, and you could go now or later - and myself anyway, I don't end up going nearly as often as I'd like to. But if it's a special night, and the whole town is out for a party...


Thanks for all of your emails and comments so far - I'll write more soon!