We're in Venice and I can't believe my eyes

After leaving the train station, and walking down the steps, lo and behold just a few steps away there's water!

To get to our hotel/bed and breakfast (a former palace), we took a water taxi. We parked Astrid's stroller towards the rear of the boat, sat down next to her to reassure her that everything was okay, and just drank in the scenery. We're finally in Venice!

I can't believe my eyes. Everything looks unreal, like a Hollywood movie set. Astrid's not too sure if she likes it yet. This was her first time on a boat in the water.Riding under a tunnel.The backdrop is like a scene out of "The Merchant of Venice." Uwe standing up in the water taxi, taking in the scenery.This is the effect that Venice has on people. You just have to smile. The city is surrounded by water (and sinking) and it's old and beautiful and something out of a story book. It's unbelievable. Look at these old buildings. The water continues to rise, and the city continues to flood and sink lower into the water. An old door. City inhabitants can open a door and literally step into their boats. (Our water taxi pulled right up to our hotel, which had a small porch/deck area over the water, and from the boat we walked right into our hotel.)Lots and lots of bridges.I know, such a touristy thing to take a photo of a woman hanging the laundry, but you can see that people really do live here. It's not a fake Disney town. It's an authentic city with real locals.Enjoying the breeze and taking it all in.I took Astrid out of her stroller and held her up so she could see better and feel the wind.Look at her wind blown hair. She loved the feel of the wind.There are two gondolas in this canal. (We had planned to go on a romantic gondola ride, but with the baby we decided against it. It's very expensive and spending that time chasing a toddler around just didn't seem romantic or worth the money. But no worries - we will be back and will get a chance to go for a ride then.)

Day 10 - On our way to Venice, Italy

I went to bed early last night. Herr Geyhalter had me drink some really strong liquor with my hot tea last night. I don't know if I slept so well because my stomach cramps went away and I was finally pain free, or if I was just pickled. But in any case it did me a world of good.

Uwe stayed up longer and spent the evening chatting with Herr Geyhalter.

We got up early in the morning and Herr Geyhalter drove us to the train station.

We're on our way to Venice, Italy where we'll stay for 2 days before traveling to Rome.We're gotten very good at traveling in general with the baby. We've got our system down. I take the baby in her stroller with the diaper bag, and another bag (with food, drinks and books for the baby), and hang them from the stroller's handles. I also keep all the passports and tickets. Uwe takes care of our luggage (2 large suitcases), and carries everything aboard while I just worry about the baby and carrying her aboard.

We've started to call ourselves "Team Hook," which is a reference to one of our favorite shows on TV, "Amazing Race" where teams travel around the world, find the destination, solve clues, and complete tasks without coming in last, to go on to the next round.

Uwe and I have a shared wanderlust. If I tell Uwe I want to go to Timbuktu, he'll say "Okay, let's go!" Even with the baby we've traveled quite a bit. But there are still so many places I want to see.

Later on today we'll be in Venice. One place I've always dreamed of visiting.

Kunst Haus Wien - Hundertwasser

Kunst Haus Wien is a museum and home for the works of the famous Austrian artist Hundertwasser. The modern building itself is an example of creative architecture with it's crooked lines, funky/innovative style, and uneven floors.

"The flat floor is an invention of the architects. It fits engines, not human beings." - Hundertwasser

Friedensreich Hundertwasser (German: hundred water), was an Austrian painter and sculptor (December 15, 1928 - February 19, 2000). He was born Friedrich Stowasser to a Jewish family in Vienna. Before he was twenty, all of his relatives on his mother's side were killed in the Holocaust.

By the end of the 20th century, he was arguably the best-known living Austrian artist. Although Hundertwasser first achieved notoriety for his boldly-colored paintings, he is more widely renowned today for his revolutionary architectural designs, which incorporate natural features of the landscape, and use of irregular forms in his building design. The common themes in his work are a rejection of the straight line, bright colors, organic forms, and a reconciliation of humans with nature.

After a long-standing career in avant-garde art, he died on board the QE2 while sailing from his adopted New Zealand on a trip back to Europe. He is buried in New Zealand, in his garden of the Happy Dead, under a tulip tree.

The above photo and the following 4 photos show the exterior of the building. A close up of a pillar made of colorful decorative tiles.A shot of the inner courtyard which also features a restaurant.Decorated with pumpkins.Astrid checking out the pumpkins.A unique fountain found inside the downstairs lobby.Astrid fascinated by the fountain.Trying to jump into the fountain.Our little pumpkin fits right in with her orange shirt.Bringing Mama a leaf.

We weren't allowed to take photos of the interior gallery exhibits (located upstairs), but you can visit the website for a virtual tour at:

http://www.kunsthauswien.com/

I've also posted 4 thumbnail pics of Hundertwasser paintings below:

Palace park

After lunch we continued to walk through the city, but my stomachache was getting worse. I have a high tolerance for pain but this was something I'd never felt before. I'd feel fine for a bit and then literally be bowed over in pain and unable to walk any further. We stopped by a pharmacy and bought some charcoal tablets for me which helped a little bit but I'd still have to stop every so often due to the stomach cramps. I tried my best to keep up, but after awhile it was obvious I needed to lay down and just rest. So we decided to separate - Uwe would go to the Post Office with Astrid to ship the books we purchased in Germany to our home back in LA - and I would go back to Palace park where I could lay down, take a nap, and wait for the pain to pass. Uwe took a photo of this sculpture on his way to the Post Office.

It's amazing how much art, music and philosophy have come out of Austria, such a small country. Austria has always felt like Germany's little crazy brother. But as Herr Geyhalter put it this morning at breakfast, "The world needs a little craziness." (Good/creative/constructive craziness that is.) Still on their way to the Post Office, Uwe and Astrid passed by this carriage pulled by two horses.Back at the Palace park (formerly the palace gardens) there were around 30-40 people, mostly students sitting on the lawn. A couple students were playing their guitars, surrounded by their friends and they were singing and having a great time.

Meanwhile I laid my jacket down on the grass and took a nap. An hour later I woke up and although I still had a stomachache, I was feeling a little better. However Uwe and Astrid were still no where to be found. I was intently watching the entrance to the park, hoping to see Uwe and Astrid walk in at any moment. But as the saying goes, "A watched pot doesn't boil."

I realized I had no money on me when I went to use the restroom in the park and the attendant demanded I pay before using the facilities. So I went to look for Uwe and Astrid and then when I didn't see them, I went back to the park and sat and waited some more.

Finally after 2 1/2 hours I saw them. Evidently it was a long walk to the Post Office and there was a ridiculously long line once they got there, and the service was slow too. But the books had been shipped which was great, because we wouldn't have to lug them back in our suitcases and have to pay a fine for being over the allowed weight limit.

The day was almost over so we decided to take a taxi ride over to see the Hundertwasser exhibit.

Hotel Sacher & Sachertorte

Next we went to Hotel Sacher for lunch and had Sachertorte for dessert.

Sachertorte is a chocolate cake, invented by Franz Sacher in 1832 for Klemens Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties. The cake consists of two layers of dense, not overly sweet chocolate dough with a thin layer of apricot jam in the middle and dark chocolate icing with shreds of chocolate on the top and sides. Sachertorte is served with whipped cream on the side.

The menu claims that Sachertorte is the most delicious dessert in all the world. That's a pretty bold claim. With my stomachache I wasn't in any mood for cake, but I didn't want to miss an opportunity to try it since we were in Vienna. After my first bite I wasn't all that impressed, but with each subsequent bite, I found myself enjoying it even more. The cake is a bit dry by itself but when eaten with the whipped cream, it is delicious. It may not be the BEST dessert in all the world (the German Black Forest cherry cake is one of my favorites), but it's definitely up there as one of my top 10 favorite desserts. I know what I'm getting when I go back to visit!
The Hotel Sacher is a five-star hotel, founded in 1876 by Eduard Sacher, famous for the speciality of the house, the Sachertorte. After his death his widow Anna Sacher became manager. Under her rule, the hotel became one of the finest hotels in the world, where the aristocracy and diplomats would meet. There is also an art-gallery in the hotel with works from the 19th century. Astrid enjoyed a little bit of my dumpling soup, but no Sachertorte for her yet. Uwe studying the menu. You can see more of the hotel/restaurant's decor in the background, with it's old world charm.

Unfortunately, a group of old German tourists sat next to us and were quite vocal about how the Sachertorte was overrated and had very strong opinions about Austria. In situations like this, it helps that I have difficulty understanding German spoken in conversation. But no such luck for Uwe who understood every single word and felt embarrassed. Rude tourists are just that. I'd feel the same way if a bunch of rude American tourists sat next to me. Makes you want to hold up a sign saying "I'm not with them."

Here's a famous Sachertorte reference:
On Sesame Street, The Count refers to Countess as "my little Sachertorte" before singing the "Number of the Day" song.

Day 9 - Sightseeing in Vienna (Wien)

On our first morning in Vienna (Wien) and I woke up with the baby and had breakfast with Herr Geyhalter. Sitting there at the kitchen table eating bread with jam and drinking coffee, all the while feeding the baby, we communicated in a hybrid of German and English. Herr Geyhalter said it was good not to have Uwe with us, because we were forced to communicate with each other so that he could practice his English and I could practice my German.

The one new German word I learned on this trip is Geige (violin), thanks to Herr Geyhalter who is a violinist.

Uwe is usually the first one up in the morning, being the morning person that he is, however this morning he slept in. Herr Geyhalter was worried that Uwe would sleep the day away and we wouldn't be able to see any of the city, but I knew Uwe was tired and I let him enjoy his restful slumber.

After Uwe woke up and came downstairs, he had a quick breakfast and Herr Geyhalter drove us into the city, and dropped us off in a huge plaza surrounded by the Royal Court, so that we could do some sightseeing in Vienna.

Walking down the streets of Vienna, everywhere you look there's beautiful architecture and history all around you.

Our plan was to meet up with Hans, who we met last night, who offered to show us around the city on his lunch break. Since he worked nearby, we called him from a pay phone and coordinated to meet him at a certain church. Us being newbies to Vienna, we thought we had found this particular church, but then realized that it wasn't the right one. We were standing next to a magnificent church and thought "this has got to be the one" only to realize there are MANY magnificent, grand churches in Vienna.

We asked several people for directions on how to get to this particular church, and many said they didn't know, many said it was too far to walk, and another (a bike messenger who we thought knew the city) sent us in the wrong direction. We tried hailing a taxi, but none could be found, so we ran on foot all the while pushing Astrid in her stroller, and after an hour finally found the church we had been looking for. I spotted Hans immediately. I felt awful that we had kept him waiting for so long, (without a cell phone it was impossible to call him - and we only had his work number). (*Note to self: next time we travel in Europe - get a cell phone that works overseas.)

After hearing our apologizes and what happened and seeing us look like we had just run a marathon - Han's response summed it all up with, "Oh sh*t." Then he took us to one of the oldest coffee houses in Vienna and we had a drink and laughed about our little mishap and adventure.

Hans is a very cool guy who has lived in several different countries and speaks English fluently (as well as French, Italian and German). We hit it off with him immediately, and if we had more time, we would have loved to have spent more time with him.

Meanwhile I had a stomachache in the first degree. Last night it started and as the day was progressing it was getting worse. I think it may have been the salami we purchased at the grocery store in the Venice train station. So even though I was overheated from the run, I had a hot tea to see if that would help my stomach. Since we were so late, Hans didn't have a lot of time left on his lunch break to show us around, so he took us down a few streets to a Royal Palace, which sits in the middle of the city with a park on one side. It also houses a butterfly sanctuary inside it, and we decided to take a look.Large butterflies enjoying a tasty treat of bananas and an orange.It was hot and humid inside and fashioned to look like a forest with trees, shrubs, vines, and an assortment of plants, encased in a glass greenhouse.

After that, Hans walked with us to the Hotel Sacher (the spot to be for authentic Sachertorte) but couldn't join us, as he had to go back to work. We thanked him again and let him know that if he's ever in LA, he's always welcome to stay with us.

Austrian vineyard & Hoffbrau Haus

Herr Geyhalter was the perfect host and treated us to dinner at a traditional Austrian Hoffbrau Haus. We had a great conversation over dinner and it forced me to speak German, as Herr Geyhalter only speaks a little English.

Herr Geyhalter is a classical violinist and it was great to hear him speak so passionately about music. We shared with him our wishes for Astrid to play the violin, and how we have been looking into children's music classes for Astrid, but they all require the students to be at least 2 years of age. He told us that in order to play professionally, a child must start playing an instrument before the age of 6, and recommended Astrid start taking violin lessons at the age of 4, when she can hold and play the violin.

Afterwards we took a stroll through the vineyard behind the restaurant. A view of the vineyard and the sweet grapes.A picture perfect first day in Vienna. The grapes look like they're ripe and ready to be picked off the vine.
Look who's trying to peek out of the side of her stroller to look at what Mama's doing.
Happy baby, and looks right at home in Austria.Later in the evening Uwe and I went and visited our friend Stefan in the city. (Herr Geyhalter offered to babysit while the baby was sleeping.) Stefan is a graphic designer and we knew that he'd be living in a very cool area of the city, which it turned out he does. We hung out all evening at his apartment and had a little party of our own with his girlfriend and his neighbor who came over to meet us. If it weren't for it being a week night, I'm sure we would have stayed much longer, but we knew they all had to work the next day.

It was one of those days when we really didn't do as much sightseeing as we've grown accustomed to on this trip, but we still had a blast all the same. Sometimes on those days when you do nothing and just hang out, is when you have the most fun with friends.

On a side note, I found out that our friends in Austria eat the same Korean shrimp chip snacks that Uwe and I eat. It was the funniest thing. I saw the bag and was like, "No way! You guys eat Korean snacks over here too?" They go to a small market that carries them and they are a hot commodity. Who knew?!

Stefan's neighbor, Hans is going to show us around tomorrow on his lunch break.

We came home at 11:30 PM and quietly entered the house. We were surprised to see Herr Geyhalter was still up waiting for us. He had stayed up to make sure we got home safe. Uwe and I felt like two teenage kids coming home after a party. We got the update that the baby had been sleeping soundly the entire time, thanked Herr Geyhalter again for his kindness, and then we went upstairs and both quickly fell asleep.