Europe-oly

Marty & Barbara drinking Tokaj wine in the Hungarian Embassy

Today Marty and I attended the European Union Open House event in Washington DC.  Once a year the embassy's of the European Union host an "Open house" where they invite the public inside to experience the cultural of that country.  We started our day with at our favorite B&B in Takoma park, then rode the metro into the city.  We picked up an official European pamphlet which featured the location of the embassies as well as 8 spots to have "stamped" as we attempted the tour.

Let me begin by saying that the embassies are located all over D.C. There were four "groupings" by area on the pamphlet, and we began by heading out to Slovakia and Austria, which coincidentally are neighbors in D.C. as well as in Europe.  Walking through the doors of Slovakia, we were greeted with samples of homemade Haluski and from that moment, our enthusiasm caused us to tackle as many of the houses as our feet could handle. 

 
Security was extremely heightened, and we found ourselves standing in long lines waiting to go through metal detectors and have our coats and personal items searched by nearly every embassy.  That certainly took up a lot of time, but we met some delightful people while waiting in line. 

We ate Haluski in Slovakia, tasted pastries and coffee in Austria, had some Tokaj wine in Hungary where we also managed to pet some very cute Hungarian dogs.  Marty feasted on Czech Goulash while quenching his thirst with a Pilsner.  We were certain that Lithuania was our favorite embassy when we found ourselves being offered free beer, bread, cheese and chocolates, without having to go through a search at the door,  but then we headed to Poland and found ourselves with free Kielbasa, pierogies and beer.  Needless to say, a new favorite was found.

Marty and I managed to fill all 8 stamps, and actually visited two more, for a total of ten embassies. I think we passed "Go" a few times, but didn't collect $200.00.  Luckily we didn't end up in jail either!

Fun with Family & Fish: What more could you ask for?

Today the long anticipated meeting of Marty and my Slovak cousin, Mary, was fulfilled!   Mary is my fellow "Takach" family genealogist.  Her father and my grandmother were siblings, so we share the bond of tracing the family from Slovakia to Pennsylvania, and, lucky for me, Mary speaks and reads fluent Slovak, which has come in handy on many occasions!

Now that Marty and Mary are facebook friends, Marty felt that it was finally time for them to meet, and Mary was equally excited.  She welcomed us into her home where her lovely daughter, Diane, had prepared a delicious lunch for us.  You'll note Mary standing with me, holding a DQ Ice Cream Cake which was truly scrumptious!  What a real treat!

Marty and Mary really hit it off, and he is looking forward to a return trip sometime in the near future when we can spend a bit more time together.  Mary and I didn't even have time to delve into much genealogy!  We did talk a bit about last year's adventure to the town where Mary's parents grew up before emigrating, but there's much more that we need to catch up on before too much time slips by!

Since Mary lives only 5.4 miles from the Bass Pro Shops, Marty couldn't resist stopping in for a "quick" look.  Lucky for me, Sunday hours are only until 6:00 p.m., so we only had about 25 minutes to wander through the place, but he didn't waste any time checking out the items of most interest to him.

Marty sports his new Bass Pro Shops while sitting on a "Fish" Bench

I've decided that the next time that we make the trip to visit Mary, Marty will have to drop me off, so that Mary and I can really talk genealogy, and Marty can spend as much time as he likes in the Bass Pro Shops.  This way we'll both be able to enjoy our favorite things.

No offense to you, Mary.  I'm sure Marty likes you more than fish.  But he'd definitely put this place ahead of the genealogy.

Hanging with an Angel

Most of my posts as Gallivanting Geismom involve exciting adventures to fun and fabulous places, generally accompanied by my husband of 30+ years.  But today I offer you an entirely different experience to ponder. This weekend finds me in Peabody, MA attending a Granulosa Cell Tumor Symposium with my daughter, Stacey, at her request. We hopped in the car early Friday morning and made the drive to the hotel in just short of 8 hours.  We've been quite busy since we arrived and today was spent sitting in a conference room listening to a myriad of speakers offer their expertise surrounding the subject of Granulosa cell Tumors.  Now, one might find such a subject to be a bit less than exciting, but I can assure you that the day was filled with enthusiasm and Stacey and I found this event to be of great value.  We met with some fabulous doctors, all who had a wealth of information to offer to us. The above photo shows Stacey posing with Dr.Penson, a man whom we had only corresponded with via phone or e-mail, but the one person whom I consider directly responsible for directing us to the best possible care for Stacey.  He remembered her name as soon as he saw her namecard, and he was thrilled to pose with her for this photo.  Don't they both look fabulous?  If you look hard, I think you can spot a halo around his head. Attending this conference was probably one of the best decisions that we could have made.

Genealogy at its Best

Nearly six years ago, Marty and I stumbled upon a B&B on the North Side of Pittsburgh, called the Priory.   We celebrated our 25th anniversary there and enjoyed the close walking proximity to PNC Park as well as to the city of Pittsburgh.  As we explored the hotel, perusing through the on-site history books as well as the photos on the wall, we realized that the Priory was actually part of the Church and Benedictine Monastery where Marty's Dad and siblings had attended grade school while growing up.  A stroll around the neighborhood led us to the actual street where Josef Geisler, a tailor, set up his residence after he emigrated from the small town of Zell am Ziller. Matthias Geisler, Marty's grandpa, raised his family of eleven children just a block away.  It was great to see that both houses still stood on streets where the original Belgian Block roads intact.

Just about a year ago, the Priory purchased the building adjacent to theirs after it had been gutted by fire.  They added 17 rooms to the hotel and as part of their Grand Opening celebration, the Priory offered a room special to past customers.  The offer was "too good to refuse", and Marty and I decided to reserve a room for Saturday night.

We began our Saturday night retreat by attending Mass at Most Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, located on Troy Hill.  The church has genealogical significance to Marty's family as some of his relatives were baptized there in the late 1800's. We opted to have dinner at Max's Allegheny Tavern located on Suismon street, just a couple of  blocks from the original Geisler Homestead and down the street of the home of Leo Woelk. ( Leo's sister married Matthias).  Max's restaurant is in the original building that housed a hotel and restaurant as early as the 1860's. The venue is German and Viennese food, typical of the immigrants who immigrated to the area.

Marty enjoyed the four beer sampler of specialized brews from the restaurant.  Our food choices included Schnitzel Royale and Viennese Chicken, which came with side dishes of potato pancakes.  We ended up switching meals as the chicken that I ordered came with a sauce that was filled with green peppers. This seems to be the trend anymore when Marty and I go out.  They say that cats migrate to people who are allergic to them.  I seem to have the same penchant with green peppers.  Luckily, Marty is happy to switch meals when this occurs.  The food was fabulous.

As part of the Priory hotel special, we found a dozen fresh Roses in the room as well as a chilled bottle of Champagne  and Priory Baker sweets.  So, we sipped our Champagne while enjoying a delectable mini cheesecake and chocolates.  I'm willing to bet that none of Geisler family relatives partook of such delicacies, but I, for one, am thrilled to have had this opportunity. Marty is certainly not complaining either!

Celebrating Spring

On this beautiful first day of Spring,  I realized that one does not have to travel far to experience adventure worth sharing.  Today, Marty and I decided to drive through the countryside to Annville, PA to the Allen Theater to view a showing of "The King's Speech".
The drive is certainly a familiar one, made countless times on our way to and from Lebanon Valley College in years past.  But, it has been awhile since we traveled this route, and I'm happy to say that the scenery continues to be as unspoiled as in the past, full of farms, many with signs featuring an inspirational reading from the New Testament, either on a placard by the mailbox, or painted in brilliant white on a dark blue silo.
Our travels took us back to the Allen Theater, a single stage theater with an old fashioned appeal.  It kind of reminds me of the Beaver theater where I remember going a few times as a little girl, but I do believe that that theater is long gone.  The Allen Theater was renovated with a state of the art sound system and crystal clear projection which adds to the entire experience.
Where else can you pay $6.00 for a ticket to enjoy not only a movie in plush, comfy seats, but pre-movie entertainment while you wait for the showing to begin?  Today's talent featured a young man playing classical music on a violin with background music piped through the sound system.   When the young man was finished, the audience was greeted personally by the owner who offered a "satisfaction guaranteed" experience.  At this point, your eyes are drawn to the stage to await the opening of the red velvet curtains when the performance begins.   Marty and I rarely see  movies in the theater, probably because we are spoiled by these personal touches at the Allen Theater.

Today's showing of the "The King's Speech" was spectacular.  I highly recommend this film which is based on a true story of King George VI of Great Britain.  The scenery, music, and attention to details make this movie well worth seeing.  Colin Firth's performance is deserving of the Oscar which he received.   I prefer "happy ending" movies, and this one was no disappointment.  The musical score at the end only added to the pleasure that I felt as we exited the theater.

On our way back home from the theater, we stopped in Cornwall at the BlueBird Inn for dinner.  They had 14 types of beer on tap to choose from, but Marty finally settled on the Yuengling Bach which he found quite tasty.  I decided to treat myself to a "Frozen Leprechaun" which was "magically delicious", despite the lack of Lucky Charms.  We had the dining area practically to ourselves and dinner was fabulous.  I chose the pistachio-encrusted chicken topped with melted brie, served on wild rice with a light Bing cherry sauce, while Marty ordered the Whiskey Salmon over browned butter & bacon Risotto.  It's a good thing that we both decided to take a hike through the neighborhood prior to our leaving, since I'm certain that we consumed way too many calories today!

Wild times in Western Arizona

Finally, Marty and I got to enjoy some sun in the morning before the Wild crew showed up to meet the Pa cousins. These folks sure do know how to have a Wild time, befitting of their surname.  The house was filled with babies:  six month twins, Indigo and Marley and nine month old Mackenzie, three little girls who surely have melted their grandparents' hearts, that's for sure.  Cousins came wandering in throughout the day, but not before we managed to check out some of the Glendale highlights, including a local candy store where one can actually see the employees hard at work dipping the chocolate.
The day was surely a sweet one in more ways than one.
It's a darn good thing that we managed to soak up some of the sun's rays because the news from home tells me that we will be heading back to a cold winter wonderland tomorrow evening.

Memories for a lifetime

Let me begin by saying that I do appreciate the concern voiced from my friends regarding my possible encounter with the netherworld last evening.  I will embarrassingly admit that I awoke every hour to look at the clock and tuck my head back under the covers and was relieved to have made it through the night without incident.  Marty, of course, had quite a bit of fun with the whole adventure, and you can witness his antics for yourself here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrcrazy/5461163989/in/set-72157626091359986/

The morning brought bright sunshine and we headed off to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum on the way to Phoenix.  We were lucky to be able to walk the main path which offered sensational views as well as some interesting birds who entertained us on our journey around the park.  We hopped in the car and headed to Scottsdale just as the rain began to torrent upon us once again.

We pulled into Scottsdale just as the blue skies began to appear as the clouds finally rolled out of town.  Here we spent some time with my cousin, Tina, and her husband David. Neither of us has met the "husbands" as our last encounter must have been nearly 36 years ago.  We had a great time catching up and sharing fun stories, wondering how the years had slipped by so quickly.

But we soon said our fond farewells, and Marty and I found ourselves basking in the sun as we headed off to the home of my high school "best friend" Tammy, who, as you can see from the photo, looks as wonderful as ever.  The hours flew by way too fast as we caught up on memories, enjoyed a delightful meal,  and shared so many laughs......just like old times.  It's funny how the years can go by with so little contact, but in a brief time together, we just reconnect as if we'd seen each other just yesterday.  How wonderful it was to rekindle the bond from time gone by.  It was certainly the perfect ending to our on the road adventure in Arizona.  We came to escape the cold, and although the weather did not accommodate us on that request, the warmth that we felt from the welcomes that we received certainly made up for any lapses from Mother Nature.

Tomorrow is sure to guarantee warmer temperatures and lots of action as we spend the day at the Wild Homestead in Glendale. I'll keep you posted.

Traveling Backwards in Globe

Pictured above is Marty and myself aboard the Copper Spike Railroad Dome Car leaving from Globe, Arizona. Just for the record, it is certainly well worth staying in this old mining town since it offers easy access to roads offering unbelievable views of canyons and Tonto National Forest, but let's face it, when the sun goes down, there really isn't much to do in Globe.  I had stumbled upon the website for this train excursion and decided that it would be fun and so I reserved the tickets, and we were certainly not disappointed.  We came to Arizona to escape the cold and found ourselves in the pouring rain with temps hovering around 50 degrees, so this train escape certainly was timed perfectly for the day.
Since the restaurant choices in Globe are pretty bleak, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to enjoy lunch while admiring the scenery from the windows.  We still managed to have a great time despite the raindrops on the windows and the haze from the rain.  The cabin is very plush, the staff was exceptionally friendly, and the music was from the 40's era, which seemed to be appropriate as we found ourselves in the presence of many "snowbirds" who flock to Arizona when the cold weather hits in other parts of the country.  It took two hours to make the trip over a mere 24 miles total round trip.
Upon our return we need only to walk across the street to the Holy Angels Catholic Church built in 1918 for Mass. Afterwards, since lunch was quite substantial, we decided to just munch on some snacks from the local grocery store in our room and relax.
Marty began asking me some questions about the B&B school where we are staying, and I did a quick search on google to find the history.  Big mistake!  I was soon delving into articles featuring paranormal activity in the very room where we are staying.  Although I must say that we made it through last night without incident, Marty has spent the evening finding all kinds of creepy u-tube videos and sightings regarding this place, so I can't predict what tonight will bring.  Going back in time on the train was definitely a pleasant experience, but sleeping in a supposedly haunted schoolroom is something that I think I can do without.  I suppose that I'll just have to leave you guess until you hear from me tomorrow.  Hopefully.......
In the meantime, be sure to check out the flickr pages from today's adventures. The rainbow over the Salt River Canyon was certainly a lucky shot.

Arizona and an Apache Trail Adventure

Our day began with a trip to the Botanical Gardens in Phoenix.  As we walked to the entrance, Marty was amazed at the beautiful cacti sparkling a shiny green, until I informed him that they were glass.  Chihuly glass, to be exact.  Not the first of his works that I've seen, and I'm sure that it won't be the last.  The shiny, pointy structures were indeed, quite beautiful, but paled in comparison to the amazing Sonoran Desert scenes that we would wander through in the Gardens.
After touring the gardens, we drove off to Apache Junction, a turn onto Highway 88, and we soon found ourself on the Apache Trail.  The vistas along the road were amazing. We weren't on the road long when we spotted flashing lights, and it was obvious that someone had taken the curve a bit too fast and had rolled off the side into some cactus.  Two people were crawling out of the open top of the sports car, and they were fortunate that they had not rolled off where there had been a very steep drop off, and that the car had come to a stop fairly close to the highway.  The scene was just what I needed to assure that Marty took this drive seriously and kept his eyes on the road.
We stopped for lunch at Tortilla Flat and there must have been a retirement special since the place was loaded with seniors.  But, lucky for us, they traveled in small groups, and since we were a couple, we were seated right away.  The restaurant was interesting, with dollar bills pasted all over the ceiling and walls.  There is definitely a lot of money invested in that place!  The saddle seats at the bar and the boar with the sunglasses hanging on the wall only added to the ambiance of the place.  We couldn't pass on a prickly pear cactus ice cream cone before heading off to the real challenge of the trail.
A few miles past Tortilla Flat, the road turned from pavement to dirt and the rest of the trail  was certainly a challenge with hair pin turns and several one lane bridges, not to mention the fact that some of the road was  not wide enough for two cars to pass.  All in all, we handled the drive well, but I was certainly happy to reach pavement once again.  It took a couple of hours to drive 20 miles and I found myself rejoicing everytime we passed another mile marker on the way.
The drive from the Roosevelt Dam to Globe was through the Tonto National Forest.  The vistas there were equally remarkable, with rolling hills of green cacti on either side of the highway.  Fortunately, I had printed up driving directions since our GPS unit was thoroughly confused.  and we managed to arrive safely at our destination in Globe. We are staying in an old school house, built in the early 1900's,  that was converted to a B&B. Let's just say that we are "learning" a lot about the area! Be sure to check out the flickr photos.

Slovak Camaradarie

While gallivanting through Slovakia in May, Marty and I stopped in the town of Zavar where we found my gr.grandfather's grave.  Once I returned home, I began searching for more information pertaining to my heritage.  I contacted a couple of people on facebook who looked like possible connections.  The one young man was definitely related and I was able to determine that his grandfather and my father are first cousins.  My other query led to a Mrena family living in Finland.  They had, indeed, emigrated from Slovakia, and this man's sister, Marcela,  was living only about an hour from my home.

My information was passed onto Marcela, and within no time I was speaking with this extremely entertaining woman, who is convinced that we are related.  It is certainly hard to resist her enthusiasm, particularly when she is excitedly speaking to me in her thick Slovak accent.  I promised her that we would get together, and tonight was the opportunity that she was waiting for.

We drove to her home where we were greeted with hugs and welcomed as if we were best friends.  Amy was along for this adventure, and believe me, she'd have quite a story to share with you regarding our visit. We heard family stories that had us howling.  Marcela's husband, Villo,  is from Denmark with Canadian citizenship.  The emigrated during the Communist regime, and although they were permitted to return to the country for visits, they were under extreme scrutiny by the Czechoslovakian authorities.  When Marcela's mother died, and she wanted to return to Slovakia, the authorities would not issue Villo a Visa for entrance into the country because his passport showed a photo with him sporting a beard that he had shaved off.  So, Marcela and Villo came up with the idea of using Marcela's hair to fashion a beard on Villo's face.  As she told the story, she mentioned that she was not sure what they should use to secure the hair.  They had considered superglue, but decided against it.  Then, honey came up as an option, but she thought that would be way too sticky.  They decided to use regular school glue to adhere the hair to his face.  She showed us a photo, and I must admit, it sure looked convincing to me!  Apparently the authorities thought as well, because they issued the visa to Villo, and while he was in the country, he was able to grow a real beard to satisfy them when it was time for them to leave.
It was heartwarming to hear these two people laugh about an incident that must have been quite traumatic for them at the time, since Marcela had been very close to her mother and had missed the opportunity to be with her when she died, due to the rules that the authorities had established.

Another entertaining moment was when we were issued into the dining room for dinner, and Marcela proceeded to crawl under the dining room table while we watched in wonder.  She came out with  a hammer in her hand.  Apparently, a hammer under the table on Christmas Eve assures good health throughout the year.  Who knew?

We enjoyed a delicious Slovak dinner of sliced potatoes with onions, pork tenderloin and roast tenderloin sandwiched in between.  Marcela and her husband were so welcoming, you'd have thought that they had known us for years!  So, are we related?  Marcela will tell you that the Mrena surname is extremely unusual and that there are only a few of us out in the world.  I can tell you that I have traced back the name to my gr.gr.grandfather, and so far, I can't see the tie between her family and mine.  So, if we are related, the relationship would be fairly distant.  But, if this woman is so excited thinking that we are blood relatives, why ruin her fun?  After all, she just may be correct in her assumption.  Only time will tell.

God Bless Us, Everyone!

Barbara with Katarina

What a wonderful day we had, despite the chilling cold. Marty and I bundled up early, and headed out on the metro to the Cathedral of St. Matthew, the apostle.  The church takes your breath away as soon as you enter the doors as it is filled with beautiful mosaic inlays throughout.  Right below the altar, there is an inscription in the marble in memory to President Kennedy, whose funeral mass was held here.  The choir was comprised of a large number of young men & women whom I suspect are music majors at the local colleges.  The melodies, accompanied by the huge church organ, sounded like angels from heaven.  We left Mass uplifted, and headed back on the metro to the Slovak Embassy.

After a walk up a long hill, in the freezing cold, we were warmly welcomed by Slovaks, and, with Marty wearing his pin, "Smile if you're Slovak", there was no lack of enthusiasm there.  We had a wonderful Slovak meal, and, of course, the appearance of Sv. Miklus, which was the purpose of the party.  In addition, we were entertained by a very talented Slovak musical group, who sang along with playing the accordian, bass, two violins and a symbal.  A great time was had by all.

Back on the metro, and we headed to Ford's Theater to see the production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story ".  We probably had the best seats in the house, in the center of the balcony, front row.  Who could ask for more?  The production was definitely the best that I have ever seen.  If you are in the area, and have the opportunity to see this show, I highly recommend it.  Of course, the basic plot is the one that we are all familiar with, but the poetic license that enhances the performance was definitely unique.  I was impressed with the choice of music stressing the real meaning of Christmas with the majority of the songs dealing with the birth of Christ.  It was certainly a fabulous performance and Tiny Tim said it best with that familiar phrase, "God Bless Us, Everyone!"

Wanderings in the Nation's Capital

We began our day at the House of Sweden in Georgetown, where we enjoyed a delectable lunch  as well as a taste of Swedish Glog, which offered quite a punch! We then headed off into the city  in search of the National Christmas Tree.  

We had read that it had been transported from Vermont, and we were eager to view the finished product standing near the White House.  We exited the Metro and began the hike down to the Visitor's center, where we were told that all the Visitor Centers had been cut by the federal government, but for one:  The White House Visitor Center. We hiked on over, only to find it closed for the day.  So, we decided to head off on our own, thinking that such a large tree would be easily found.

One of the obvious changes since our last visit to the capital, was the increase in barricades and road closures, particularly around the White House.  After pounding the pavement for several blocks, we finally managed to make our way nearly the whole way around the White House when we spotted a Menorah in the distanced.  Marty was sure that the tree would be nearby, and so we headed in that direction when I spotted what looked like a pretty sorry looking tree.  I honestly did not believe that what I was gazing upon was this infamous Vermont tree of which I had read.  But, Marty asked a security guard who confirmed, with a smile, that it was, indeed the tree, and that its official lighting ceremony is scheduled for Dec.9.  I'm hoping that it stays standing that long, because right now it looks like it wants to mimic the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

Although the tree was quite a disappointment, the rest of the evening was quite the opposite.  We headed to the beautifully decorated Willard Hotel where we listened to a beautiful choral group singing Christmas carols in the lobby.  Right next door was an absolutely wonderful French Restaurant where we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner.  After all of the walking that we did, we didn't even feel guilty enjoying dessert!
Be sure to check out the flickr photos:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrcrazy/sets/72157625405513275/

Gallivanting through New Jersey

I hadn't planned on blogging about yesterday's adventure.  But, there was a comment made by my mother yesterday that compelled me to take  the few minutes to post an amusing story.
Our morning began spending quality time with my brother and his family before taking off to make the trip home.  Our plans were to break up the trip by visiting Becky and Jon who had graciously offered to make us lunch.  Marty had spoken with Jon the night before to get directions since we has always approached their place from the opposite direction.
Once we hit the northern New Jersey line, we knew that the fun driving was over.  I'm sure that the traffic was compounded by the fact that it is Thanksgiving week and holiday shopping was in full force, plus it was lunch time.  As I attempted to direct Marty, it became quite obvious that the given route number did not exist.  It seemed as if we were driving in circles, there was no mercy from the New Jersey drivers when it came to shifting lanes or yielding, so we pulled over into a parking lot to call Becky for help.  While Marty was talking with Becky, and my dad was commenting that he thought that these kind of things only happen to them, my mother put her hand on my shoulder and said, "We're out gallivanting, aren't we?" I agreed wholeheartedly and decided that it was worth posting on the blog.
As you can see by the photo, we arrived safe and sound at our destination, had a wonderful visit, and headed home later in the day, none the worse for the wear, although I think my parents have had enough gallivanting adventures to last them awhile.

Alive with the Spirit

Today was truly a spectacular day as we witnessed the baptism of my brother's youngest baby, Rose. The ceremony was held in the same church where her parents were married nearly 18 years ago.  My brother drove his family for two straight days to the home of his in-laws for this special occasion, so that more of the family could be in attendance.  We were fortunate to be able to drive my parents so that we, too, could witness this blessed event.
And what a special occasion for Rose, who had her 97 and 93 year old great grandmothers in attendance! Both great grandma's were certainly excited to be able to attend the ceremony.
Rose's grandparents opened their home for us to continue our celebration, and Marty and I had a grand time playing with Rose as well as enjoying our nieces and nephews.
Rose is certainly a sweetheart of a baby, and we heard barely a peep of complaint out of her the entire day.  When she does begin to complain, she has five older siblings who do not hesitate to rush to her side to see what kind of antic they can try to entertain her.  Can't ask for much more than that, can you?
What made the day even more special for me was seeing Rose dressed in the lovely heirloom dress that I had so painstakingly made for my godchild, Abigail, Rose's eldest sister, nearly 12 years ago.  I learned today that the same dress had been worn by Brigid, as well as two of their cousins.  It has become a special family heirloom, and I was so touched to know that so many baby girls had worn the dress that I had made, and that it was now considered to be a tradition in that family.
Yes, it was definitely a special family day, filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit, and Marty and I feel so blessed to have been able to play a part in it.
Don't forget to check out the photos on flickr.

The Newest Mrenna Adventure

Dinner at Apricot Pub

Tomorrow, the newest Mrenna baby, Rose, will be baptized in Connecticut.  Marty and I decided to make the trip to join in the festivities, and we have Mom and Dad along for the ride with us. They behaved beautifully on the 4 1/2 hour drive, and never asked one time, "are we almost there yet?"  At one point, Marty thought that he needed to be in charge of the heat in the backseat, but I convinced  him that my parents were capable of handling the backseat controls. 

We stopped at the Connecticut welcome center, and while we were stretching out our legs, a Ford Expedition Limousine pulled into the parking lot.  The doors opened and about a dozen young men and women came popping out of the door and headed to the facilities.  Just about the same time, my dad was heading down the walk, and he couldn't resist starting up a conversation with the limo driver.  The driver was having a grand time answering all of Dad's questions.  Suddenly, I heard the driver ask my dad if he wanted  to take it for a drive.  Marty and I exchanged worried glances, but Dad decided to decline the offer.  Thank goodness for that, because Marty and I didn't know we'd be explaining to Mom just what happened to Dad if he suddenly disappeared in a limo!

We rolled into our hotel around 4:00 this afternoon, and we headed into town where we enjoyed a marvelous dinner at Apricot's Pub.  All of our dinners were fabulous, and the owner was happy to take a photo of all of us around the table.  So far, we're having a grand time and we're certainly looking forward to the festivities tomorrow!

A fun time at the Pittsburgh Slovak Festival

Ever since our wonderful trip to Slovakia, Marty and I have enjoyed spending time hanging out with Slovaks, eating great Slovak food, listening to Slovak music and talking with many interesting individuals who share our love of this culture. This weekend added to the experience as we attended the Slovak festival held in the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh.  The festival is only four hours long, but packed with a variety of entertainment, and scrumptious food at a very reasonable price.  The photo of today's blog features Marty with Jozef Ivasko signing the CD that Marty purchased.  We had seen Jozef perform in New Jersey in September and we found ourselves amazed at his energy and his obvious love of Slovakia. When Jozef began his singing career, Slovakia was under communist rule.  His lyrics were considered to be controversial and his songs were banned by the communist government.  Jozef was forced to flee to Vienna so that he could pursue his singing career.

He is quite the entertainer, dressed in his native attire, still attempting to woo the audience, with the ladies loving every minute.   When his performance began, he spotted an elderly woman in a wheelchair who was dressed in her Slovak finery and obviously enjoying every minute of his singing.  She was 95 years old, and her daughter had placed her in the front row for the performance.  Knowing that her mother was quite happy watching the entertainment, the daughter sneaked off to take a peek at some of the beautiful Slovak items that were featured in the displays around the perimeter of the room. As Jozef began singing, he grabbed the elderly woman's wheelchair, and wheeled her  into the performance area with him.  She was having the time of her life, shaking her hands to the music, absolutely loving all of the attention.  In the meantime, I noticed that her daughter was making her way back to the spot where she had left her mother.  There was obvious  panic in her face as she scanned the audience looking for any sign of her mother.  I realized that this woman had no idea that her mother was on the floor with Jozef.  I caught her eye, and I pointed to the floor where her mother was still having a grand time singing along with Jozef.  The woman let out a huge sigh of relief, came over to me, shaking her head and said, "I thought to myself, 'Surely, no one would taken Mother!'" I thought I'd share the fun by inserting a video clip of this event.

You can find more videos and photos of the Slovak fun on my flickr site which is featured at the bottom of my blog.

Dobre Rano

Good morning!  (in Slovak). I'm posting this photo taken at 7:30 this morning, just prior to breakfast and our heading off to the Slovak Fesitval in Holmdel, NJ.
Well, the day was certainly an exciting one.  One would have thought that we were in Slovakia once we arrived at the PNC Bank Arts center in Holmdel, because most of the people walking around were speaking Slovak, including little children!  Who would have thought that so many Slovaks would be living in the New Jersey area?

We began the day by attending mass, which was completely in Slovak.  The Bishop of Kosice was the presider, giving no less than a half hour sermon in Slovak, and I felt better about myself when the lady sitting next to me began nodding off about 20 minutes into the sermon.  I must admit, though, that the exuberance exhibited by Slovaks gathered for this celebration was infectious.  I'll bet that the voices in Slovak song could be heard throughout the hills of New Jersey.    The Mass itself, last on hour 45 minutes, extended by yet another speech by the visiting Bishop, once again, entirely in Slovak.  There was quite a bit of smiling and chuckling among the crowd, so I can only presume that Fr. Bober was entertaining in his speech.  No one was in a rush to leave the tent, despite the length of time.

One of the highlights of the day was the presence of the Slovak President at the festival.  He was surrounded by several body guards, yet he took the time to walk around the tent where many people sat during the opening ceremonies.  Marty snapped a great photo of him, which I will post some time in the future.

We ate Slovak food and watched some very entertaining Slovak singers and dancers.  The weather was comfortable and cool, and we were fortunate that there was no rain, since the event is held outdoors.

We decided to spend the evening at the B&B, relaxing, and finishing last evening's scrumptious cake that we had brought home from the play house.  All in all, it was surely a super Slovak Day!

Floatin' down the River

Loving all things Slovak (well, maybe not all, but a lot), we decided that it would be fun to make the trip to the Annual Slovak Festival held in Holmdel New Jersey.  One of my fellow Slovak genealogists whom I help out at the FHC had told me what a great time this festival was, so on the calendar went the mark for Sunday, Sept.26.
Since Holmdel, NJ is a few hours from home, we thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to relax this weekend, so I booked a room at the Isaac Hilliard House in Pemberton, NJ,  about an hour away from the festival.
Our adventures began in the  Pinelands in  Wharton, NJ, where Marty and I rented a double kayak and floated along the Wading river for nearly two hours.  The water was smooth, and actually rather shallow and there were several spots where one could have easily waded, as the name implies. But there were a couple of times where I worried about getting impaled by a fallen tree limb.  I realized after short time, that since I was in the front, I could not keep an eye on what Marty was actually looking at, so, after fighting off a few trees nearly in my face which resulted in some annoying comments directed towards Marty,  he finally  caught on to the fact that he needed to pay more attention.  All of the lovely photos that I found on his camera card later verified my suspicions that he was not actually paying attention to the river ahead.  Moral of the story:  sit in the back of the kayak.  
For the most part, the trip down the river was pretty relaxing.  The only wildlife that we spotted was a turtle on a  log, basking in the sun which I decided to feature as  my blog photo.

After our trip down the river, we headed to our B&B in Pemberton.  We had dinner at a lovely Italian Restaurant in New Holly.  For some added fun, we decided to attend a play at a local playhouse just a block down the street from our B&B..   The name of the Play was "All in the Timing" by David Ives, and it was a series of short one-act plays.  We had been warned that the language was strongly adult, and we were worried what awaited us, but were pleasantly surprised to find that we had heard much worse language in some movies that we had watched in the past.  In addition to the performance, you could purchase dessert and coffee at the intermission, which everyone in the small theater had opted for.  Much to our surprise the size of our dessert was humoungous, and Marty and I couldn't help but laughing at the size of it.  Everyone was handed a bag for takeout, as it appears that no one can actually finish the dessert due to the size.  That was certainly the icing on the cake, as they say.

Rekindling Memories

On Saturday, Marty and I attended the Pitt vs. New Hampshire game in Pittsburgh.  Admittedly, the experience was quite different than those from our younger days.  I remember looking forward to Saturday home game days, trudging up "Cardiac Hill" to the back of the old stadium where the Student section entrance was located.  Back then we had benches to huddle on, but I don't recall sitting much.  We had a great time regardless of the weather, and it was a refreshing break for me, from my stringent engineering curriculum.
Today, the Peterson event center stands in the spot of the old stadium, and the University football team shares Heinz Field with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  This means that students now hop busses into the North Side rather than walking to the stadium.  There is much hoopla along the river front with games and DJ's offering entertainment.  Everyone, including the students, is guaranteed an actual seat rather than having masses huddled together.  The entire experience is filled with constant visual stimulation.

From the grand entrance of the Pitt Band to the emergence of the players from the locker room, one cannot help but be caught up in the excitement.   When the Pitt players enter the "red zone", the two Heinz ketchup bottles above the scoreboard flip open their lids, and they begin to tilt downward, getting ready to pour red streams which "fill up" the scoreboard with red, in anticipation of a touchdown.

I'm sure that the fans never tire of hearing the bottles opening!  At least I know that I didn't!

But, what I found the most fun was the entire stadium, at the end of the third quarter, breaking into song along with Neil Diamond, singing out "Sweet Caroline". Words cannot describe the experience.

It was obvious that the regular crowd waited for this big moment and there was no timidness among the ranks of those singing.  And, of course, we certainly had to join in!
Back in our younger days, Pitt was ranked #1 and Tony Dorset was the star of our college days.  But, I have to tell you, attending a Pitt game today is a whole lot more fun than what it used to be.  But, then again, I don't have to worry about cracking open "the books" to study later in the day, either.  That automatically makes it more fun!

Last Day at the Beach

This morning was, once again, a glorious beginning to the day.  Marty and I walked down to the beach to see the sunrise.  It was just past high tide, and Marty decided that he would do some fishing while the beach was empty.  He immediately caught a 15 inch flounder which we will enjoy, once again, for dinner.
I forgot to mention the spotting of dolphins, yesterday, as they swam north along the water.  This morning, Marty and I spotted dolphins, considerably closer to the shore, traveling south, this time.  You can see a shot that I managed to capture on my flickr site.
The water was crystal clear and warm, once again, and I even ventured out to do some boogie-boarding with Marty.  I could see Amy, camera in hand,  waiting for me to come riding in on a wave, but I must tell you that I had to leave her disappointed.
The last day at the beach is always a bit of a bummer.  We enjoyed the day to the fullest, but we needed to get back to clean up the house and pack the car for an early departure in the morning. 
As the kids used to say when they were young, "I didn't have enough fun yet!"

A Perfect Day at the Beach

You certainly can't ask for a better day at the beach then what we were blessed to have today.
The sky was a brilliant blue, the weather not too hot.  The water was considerably warmer than yesterday and crystal clear. I even ventured out into the surf for awhile and was amazed that I could see the bottom of the ocean despite walking out quite a distance from the shore.
The kids built a large sand castle in the afternoon, and later in the day, Marty and Jim had one of the most exciting fishing days at the beach.  You can see lots of fish photos on my flickr site.

At first, Amy and I began to question whether or not Marty was catching the same fish over and over, as it looked suspiciously similar each time he reeled one in.  He caught several mullets, some spots and a few flounder, one big enough to cook up for dinner.

This final catch caused some excitement, having broken the line on the rod.  He was flopping all over the beach, and for a brief moment I feared that Mr. Flounder was going to flop right back into the surf (which he actually did at one point, but Marty luckily had quick hands) and get washed right back into the ocean.  But we managed to barricade the guy until Jim was able to retrieve a bucket for us to pop him into.

Marty filleted the flounder and Jim cooked up some tasty fried flounder fillets for dinner. I don't think that you could ask for a better day at the beach.  But we still have tomorrow, so who knows?

The day was just Ducky

Feast your eyes upon the excitement of the day:  Amy and her nephew sporting their
"Duckwear". The evening ended up rainy again, but we never seem to run out of rainy day fun options to keep us entertained.

I tagged along with Marty and Amy as they went kayaking in the sound.  I struck up an interesting conversation with a 10 year old boy who was apparently a blue crab-catching expert.  He was sure to give me all of the ins and outs and tips on how to catch these creatures.  I spied what he had managed to catch that morning, and those crabs were huge!

After heading back to the house, I eventually headed down to the beach for a little while, and watched Marty pull in a flapping croaker.  Once that fish heard that he would make great bait, there was no holding onto him.  He flopped out of Marty's hands three times, but I did manage to get at least one photo.  Marty tells me that he caught three more croakers, but I had headed up to the house by that point. The weather was drizzly and overcast, so the girls and I decided to venture out into the town for a bit, where we picked up the shirt to match Amy's from last year.

We had a wonderful in-house dinner again this evening, and the entertainment was a game called "Munchkin" which Jim thinks is the best game ever.  I can't say that the girls and I agree with his review.  Stacey ended up winning, with me as a close second, but, somehow, all kinds of rules ended up surfacing just when I thought I had the game in my hand.  But it's not winning that counts anyway, is it?

Or course not.  That is why my kids are once again playing a game of Canasta, accusing each other of cheating as the game continues, putting Jim primarily in the wrong.  What else is new?

Here Fishy fishy....

This morning, as we sat on the beach watching the waves crashing on the shore, enjoying the beautiful weather, Marty decided to share his fishing strategy with me. He and  Jim had noticed that the water was quite cold, and there seemed to be a drop in the ocean floor just a few feet out from the shoreline.  The combination of the cold water with the extra depth so close to the shoreline would most certainly result in perfect fishing conditions just after high tide.
(Little did they know that the weather would change to overcast with an impending storm on the horizon, sealing the fate for several hungry fishies. )
Their sharp, decisive analysis resulted in Jim pulling in two flounder, one munching on his finger with its very sharp razor like teeth while Jim attempted to remove the hook, and for Marty:  one croaker, a pompano, and two flounder.
The best memory of the day for me, was turning around to see Marty walking towards me with one hand holding his rod with  a Pompano attached while his other hand was grasping a wriggling flounder. as if he decided to just grab it in the ocean.  It turned out that he had actually caught two fish simultaneously, and that the one had broken loose from the line, and Marty had grabbed it in his hand. 
I had suggested that Marty just keep the Pompano on the hook as is, and throw it back out into the ocean as bait.  It made sense to me that this fish would be perfect in attracting a larger catch, but my suggestion was scoffed at by the two apparent pros. 
This is probably why I don't fish. For those of you who share my lack of fishing enthusiasm,  the rest of the day was certainly interesting with thunderstorms rolling in. We sat in the loft room and watched the lightning strike all around us while the rain pelleted the windows.
Not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I hear that there is a strong possibility that we will not be enjoying the sunrise or the sunset.  Perhaps I'll take my brother's suggestion and try to sleep in.

Mullet

Another beautiful day here in Duck.  The weather was hot, but if you got close enough to the water, the breeze was delightfully cool.  The ocean, itself, was surprisingly cold, and little Finn was not too crazy about getting his tootsies wet.
But I certainly had a great day hanging out with the little guy.
Here's the up to date fishing report for Dad:(see photos on flickr below)  Marty caught a large mullet and a flounder, both of which he threw back.  Jim caught a bluefish and a smaller mullet.  He kept the mullet to use for bait, which actually replaces the mullet that they used to catch the mullet.   Got that?
Luckily we weren't counting on these guys to supply dinner.  We feasted on an excellent Roasted Chicken with home made stuffing and corn on the cob from our garden.  For dessert:  Paul Neuman cake.  I don't know how the guy got a cake named after him, but it sure is great stuff!
As I write this the kids are having a grand time fighting over the rules to a game that they are enjoying.  We're having a blast!


 

Sunrise.... Sunset

Here you see a photo of last evening's sunset over the sound.  Beautiful, isn't it?  The house that we are renting in Duck, NC has a unique and smart layout with the bedrooms on the center floor and the living area on the top floor.  A short staircase takes you to a small loft, which is surrounded on three sides by windows, offering the guest the view of the ocean in one direction, and the sound from the other.  Today's photo was taken through glass in this room.  Really, you can't ask for much more.
The only downside to this place is the large spider population.  And I mean that in both contexts.  Large in numbers and large in size.  Can't say that I've seen spiders this large in real life, other than the ones the kids made in gradeschool out of playdough and pipe cleaners. 
Jim, Stacey , Marty and I were sitting in the hot tub last night, when we noticed that we were surrounded by webs with gigantic spiders in the middle.  When the one above Marty's head decided to play Tarzan, swinging up and down at random, Stacey and I decided it was time for our exit.  Amy never even made it into the hot tub, having arrived just as we were scrambling to get out.  She was more than happy to  make an exit with us.
Curiously enough, the spiders and their webs were absent in the daylight, making me wonder just where they packed up their bags and hid for the day.  Perhaps I'm better off not knowing.
The weather has been beautiful, although the surf is a bit rough for swimming.  But we had a delightful day just hanging out on the beach enjoying the sunshine, and relaxing in the house spending some quality family time together.  Add that to chasing a baby on the move, and one couldn't ask for a more perfect day.

Rain is Stupid, But Sometimes Humorous

Well we certainly had yet another adventurous day, gallivanting near our old stomping grounds here in the Pittsburgh area. Our morning adventures took us to the Oakmont Bakery where we marveled at the delicacies featured in this grand place located in the quaint town of Oakmont, PA. People were lined up by the dozens, waiting for their number to be called, to place an order with one of the cheery young ladies working there. We had to wait through twenty numbers until ours was called, but we needed the time to decide just what yummy items we wanted to bring home to enjoy.
Once our minds were made up, we headed over to Jim and Heather's place for a bit, before heading to Stacey's for a quick swim in the pool and some hot dogs on the grill. The weather was extremely hot, even for the pool, so we relaxed at Stacey's in the cool comfort of air conditioning, until Marty's brother, Steve, showed up with the family to join Marty and me for the Pirate Game. Marty had bought tickets for us to go at a crazy price of $4.00 each. One of the perks of the game was that the Steve Miller band would be playing after the game.
When Marty mentioned that this band was playing after the game, the memories of our last exposure to this band came flooding back. It was in the heat of August, at the Bethlehem Musicfest, and we had free tickets from some corporate sponsor. I wasn't exactly thrilled about attending, but went along because Marty was eager to go.
The weather was hot and steamy, and our seats were in folding chairs out in the lawn. The performance began right around dusk. The band played a few songs before the weather decided to bless us with rain. Before long, the rain picked up, and there was thundering and lightening all around us. The band was in the middle of a song when the power zapped out for a brief moment, and then all the music came back up again, and Steve Miller continued to play. Then, when the lightening struck again, the concert was called to a complete halt.
Marty and I found ourselves walking through ankle deep water, in the pouring rain, and I felt the need to stop into the restroom, and wring out my underwear before continuing to the bus that would shuttle us to our car. We were about as wet as someone who jumped into a pool of water would be.
Well, the story was certainly memorable for years, and I had just shared this with Mark, Susie and Sarah last evening when we were talking about seeing the band tonight.
So, we headed off around 5:00 for the game, in the extreme heat, bought dinner at the ballpark, and found ourselves seated comfortably in peanut heaven just as game time began. The Pirates were playing well through five innings, and the full moon began to rise over the city.
Soon, I noticed that the moon disappeared. San Diego began getting runs, and the next thing we knew, there was a rain delay. But we were comfortably dry up in the cheap seats, waiting for the game to presume. After about 30 minutes, the delay was stopped, and the Pirates went on to lose the game.
The field was set up for the Steve Miller band, and now, it was 11:15 p.m., and he was just beginning to perform. The band played through a few songs, and then the rain began, and we found ourselves watching this man playing in the rain just as he had 5 years ago. The security team was trying to get him to quit playing, but he insisted that the show would go on.
Once again, we were listening to the band, when lightening struck around the stadium, and Steve Miller decided to sing just one more song, and then quit the show. We all applauded at his efforts, and began the walk out of the stadium to our car, in the pouring rain.
Marty and I found ourselves soaking wet, only not so wet as to require the extreme measures of five years ago. We both decided that if we ever see Steve Miller Band again, it will have to be inside, because it would be nice to see an entire performance without having to worry about squishing our way to the car on the way home!
Be sure to check out the flickr photos. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrcrazy/sets/72157624571044178/

Slovak Fun

The weather was certainly steamy, but the company was exceptionally friendly at today's SASW Slovak Picnic. The people who organized the event were surprised that we would travel such a distance to attend. We were welcomed with open arms, and every time I looked around, Marty was chatting with a newfound friend. 

We met all sorts of interesting Slovak characters, including the Slovak Ambassador, who seemed to be happy for the invite. My brother, Drew, joined the festivities, and we had a grand time sitting under a shady tree, feasting on fašírka (Slovak hamburgers) with potato salad, cabbage halušky, cucumber and onions medley, bread with bryndza spread, and yummy desserts including palacinky, nutrolls, and all kinds of pastries. Marty enjoyed some Slovak beer as well. 

Check out Lubos' website for some photos: http://www.slovakcooking.com/picnic/ By the way, Lubos has some great recipes and Slovak language tools on his website, if you are ever interested in learning more about Slovakia. 

I had some great genealogy chats with Slovaks who had roots close to my own, and met a woman whose father was born in Slanske Nove Mesto, the town where I was treated so well by my Takach relatives. As you can see by today's photo, Marty was quite taken with little Martin, the youngest Slovak at the party, at just about 4 months of age. It turns out that Martin's parents lived just as far from Fairfax as we do, only in the opposite direction! That, in combination with the heat, could explain little Martin's grim expression. We had a grand time and we have been invited to attend an event at the Slovak Embassy in December, in honor of Sv.Miklus (St. Nicholas). I think I'll mark my calendar!

Manassas Adventure

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Yes, we are out gallivanting once again, this time we are in Manassas, Virginia. What brings us here, you ask? Well, it just so happens that there is a Slovak Food Festival scheduled for today in Fairfax, Va. When Marty found out about that, he said "Sign us up!" We weren't really sure how the weekend would be panning out for us, but by Tuesday, this certainly seemed like a fun adventure, and the invitation was still open, so we decided to RSVP for the event. But who wants to drive 7 hours in one day? Particularly since there is a Civil War battlefield within a short distance!

So, we headed to Manassas for the day, and have stayed in a lovely B&B within walking distance of Old Town Manassas.

Walking on the battlefield in 98 degree sunny heat certainly made me wonder how the men who fought the battles held up in such conditions while wearing their wool uniforms and carrying their equipment on their back! For those of you who weren't aware of it, there were actually two battles of Manassas. One in July of 1861, and the second in August of 1862. We followed along on a walking tour of the first battle, which was really quite informative. I was reminded of our visit with Steve, Sarah, Mark and Susie, when we toured the Gettysburg Battlefield and Mark and Susie received their Junior Ranger badge from the park. There was the cutest little girl taking her Junior Ranger Oath yesterday, in the Henry Hill Visitor Center. It's always impressive to see the young "rangers" give the oath, as they often seem as excited as the recipient. Kids loving history! What a wonderful idea.

After walking battle number one, we hopped in the car for the auto tour of battle number two. This brought back happy memories of camping in Gettysburg, with four kids, making the auto tour round. By day two, the kids had had their fill of the battlefield, and complaints were generated all around when they would see yet one more sign saying "Auto Tour".

This auto tour was much shorter in distance, although I do wonder at the fascination of looking at a field of battle from various perspectives, as all of those views look the same to me, particularly in the sweltering heat. Luckily for me, Marty had told the proprietor at the B&B that we would check in at 3:00, thereby limiting this battlefield adventure to 4 hours.

The B&B is located just a few walking blocks from Old Town Manassas, so we headed into the town for a delightful dinner. While strolling through the town, we came upon a Balaika concert of Russian musicians in the town plaza. The music was phenomenal and we stopped to hear the rest of the performance. What a real treat for us.

Today we head to the Slovak Food Festival. Who knows what adventures await us?
Be sure to look for Flickr photos.

Last Day in Vienna

Well, party time is nearly over. Tomorrow we head out of Vienna and should be in Sinking Spring by dinner time, if all goes as planned.

We spent a lot of time on our feet this Trinity Sunday. We walked through a park to attend Mass at a Cathedral in the middle of nowhere. And, then walked back to the hotel where we checked out to move to a hotel nearer the airport so that tomorrow's check in goes smoothly.

So, we packed up and moved all of the luggage to the new hotel, drove the rental car to the airport and dropped it off, got our boarding passes printed for tomorrow, took a fast train into Vienna, walked to Belvedere Palace (which was pretty far), toured the Upper Rooms, filled with fine art, walked into Vienna for dinner, took the tube, transferred to the train station, rode a train into Achau and walked from the station to the hotel.

The weather went back and forth from bright and sunny to cold and rainy to warm and sunny, cooling off for our trip back to the hotel. But, we had ponchos and raincoats so we were able to stay dry.

Our most exciting adventure today was dinner at a cafe in Vienna. We began dinner outside, but when three women decided to light up cigarettes, surrounding us on three sides, we decided to move indoors. And, what a treat that was! Little did we know that there were some entertaining musicians in the restaurant: a woman playing the piano, and an interesting fellow accompanying her on the violin. I've posted a video on my flickr account so that you can see for yourself the excitement of the evening.

As this draws to a close, I've enjoyed having blog followers along for the ride. I hope you enjoyed our adventures as much as we have. Thanks for checking in.

Vienna: From Harried to Heavenly

We decided last night that we would venture out early to Schonbrunn Palace with the car, since we have one, and the place wasn't too far from where we are staying. So, we got up bright and early and were ready to head out at 8:00 when we realized that we were parked in outside in the lot. I'm not sure that the lady who had to move her vehicle was too thrilled with our enthusiasm, but hopefully she was planning an early day as well.

We found the parking lot at the palace empty when we arrived, but the streets were already lined with tour buses and it was obvious that the place would be filling up in no time. We were fortunate to have arrived as the doors opened, otherwise we might have had to wait for a scheduled time in order to enter the palace.

The tour was phenomenal, except when we were stuck between two different tour groups, and were kind of squished in the middle. I think I heard the record amount of languages today supplied by tour guides. At one point, we were stuck in a Japanese tour group, with a French speaking group in front and an Italian group behind. And, let me just say, that none of the people in these groups were very friendly. I can't tell you how many bumps and shoves I got while attempting to work my way via audio guide!

After the inside tour, we had the opportunity to walk around the beautiful gardens. With the temperature around 70 degrees, we couldn't ask for a better day. There weren't any small spaces to have to share outside. When we left for the car, I was amazed at how many people were scrambling into the grounds. Tour buses were everywhere, and the parking lot that had held just one other car was filled! Good planning on our part.

We drove back to the hotel, and parked the car for the remainder of our stay here. We headed into Vienna via bus for a self-guided tour of the city thanks to Rick Steve's and his book. The place was loaded with people. I don't think that I have ever seen so many people in one place except for the time we went to Dorney Park and they were offering a special deal so the place was filled to capacity. But, Vienna is much larger than Dorney Park, and so exponentially, I can't tell you how many people were there, but the numbers were way too many for me to feel comfortable.

We did see just about every site in the book, though. When we had difficulty finding a place, we just looked for gobs of people, and, sure enough, we'd find what we were looking for.

Sorry to disappoint Nathan, Steve, but I cannot say that we saw any memorials to the Turkish invasion of Vienna, but I do remember reading about it recently. I was still trying to fit all of the history together with Maria Teresia and Ferdinand I and Napolean and Marie Antoinette (who, it turns out, was Maria Teresia's daughter). One thing I can tell you is that Maria Christina was the only daughter of Maria Teresia who was permitted to marry for love, and Ferdinand's wife, "Sissy" complained a lot! I hadn't really given much thought to that until Marty told me that he skipped numbers on the audio tour because he got tired of hearing her complain.

We managed to escape the crowds and found a lovely little restaurant where we could sit outside and enjoy our meal. My picture of the day is what Marty calls his "two favorite things". He clarified that I was #1 on the list, not the beer, just in case you were interested.

After dinner, we were walking to the subway when we heard the most beautiful orchestra playing. We followed the music and ended up in a plaza watching the Vienna Youth Philharmonic orchestra playing outside. We decided to stop in at the cafe across the street so that we could sit outside and hear them play while enjoying a coffee and dessert. The combination was truly heavenly, and made the day a happy memory after all.

Sunny Skies on the way to Vienna

We awoke this morning to blue skies, giving us the opportunity to actually get more than just a glimpse of the beautiful mountains that surround the village of Zell am Ziller. Breakfast involved excitement, once again, by the hotel staff, and the waitress actually shook our hands good-bye when we left. Marty asked the receptionist if they see many Americans and the girl exclaimed, "No! You are our first this year!" I attribute that to the fact that this hotel does not take credit cards and they insist on payment in advance via a bank draft. Not too many Americans would cater to the extra work involved in holding the room. The place is very nice if anyone is ever interested in visiting Zell am Ziller.

Although we knew that we had lots of ground to cover in driving to Vienna, we decided to get out early and attempt to see some of the local sights along the way, prior to picking up the Autobahn and driving into the big city. We stopped at the Museum Tiroler Bauernhofe, which we found with no problem due to excellent sign posts. This is an Open Air Museum very similar to the one that we visited in Slovakia, but this one was located in the countryside rather than near a large city.

The museum is set up with typical Tirolean houses from the Northern, Southern and Eastern areas of Tirol. These are actual houses dating from as early as the 16th century, that were donated to the museum. We were able to rent an English audio guide to help us understand the way of life of Tiroleans. The day was beautiful and the walking was pleasant without the rain. Typical to the area of Southern Tirol, we needed climb up a rather steep grade in order to reach the village. Once again we were surprised to see Stations of the Cross set up along the path to the village. Perhaps there is some connection between the suffering involved climbing up the hill and remembering the suffering that Jesus experienced. Who knows? I definitely have to read up on this when I get home. I can't imagine this would be a coincidence.

After trotting through a lot of houses, we decided to hit the road and stop in nearby Rattenberg. This beautiful village looks like it stepped right out of the Middle Ages. It has been kept up in Medieval style and it has a certain charm about it. Walking through the town was exciting for Marty, as the cobblestone streets were filled with antique cars due to an auto rally being held there today. It was tough dragging him away to view some of the historical sights of the town, but I promised him that I'd be brief and he could look at the cars in his leisure.

We couldn't stay too long because we had a long drive ahead of us. Traffic was pretty busy, since it is Friday, but we arrived at our destination west of the city around 6:00 p.m. We managed to find the hotel quite easily with the help of Garmin Girl.

This place is on the top of a hill and we have a beautiful view of the city of Vienna from our room. Actually, our room is large enough for us to have brought the entire family, with one masterbed, a twin, a baby port-a-crib and a sleeper sofa. It is on the top floor, which seems to have been a trend for this trip. There wasn't one place where we didn't have to lug our suitcases up several flights of stairs. I find it amusing that one must put the room key into a lock and turn it in order to use the lights in the place. Not a bad idea!

We strolled down the street to a local Heurigen restaurant, also known as "new wine" bar. What fun that was to experience. We were directed downstairs where we were met by the woman in charge, a lovely, exuberant local who spoke English like a pro. There were foods in a case, like the deli, and you could choose what you wanted, and everything was weighed. You paid by the pound. So, I had a Spinach strudel with sheep cheese and Marty had roasted pork, a huge dumpling and sauerkraut. Then, we took our food upstairs, and outside at a table and we were able to order from a rather extensive wine list, all wines made locally by friends of the owner. We chose to eat outside at a table and enjoy the beautiful view of the city. And, we only had to walk a few houses back to our hotel. Can't beat that!

Internet is available here only in the public lobby so Marty is reading up on possible sights for us to visit tomorrow in Vienna while I write this and post my photos. Can't wait to see what adventures await us!

Zell am Ziller & the Geisler Trail

First of all, let me wish a very Happy Anniversary to Jim & Heather. Hope you were able to do something special today.

Marty and I were enjoying a fabulous breakfast in our hotel when we suddenly found ourselves being the center of attention of the staff. We received an introduction from one of the employees who seemed quite impressed that we were from America. She actually spoke excellent English.

Suddenly, the waitress was all excited, asking if we were from America (in German), and when we said yes, she became very animated and began a long one-way conversation in German, then she pulled out her cell phone and began calling people to give them the news. We weren't quite sure why our presence would be that exciting, but hey, we'll take exuberant Austrians over crabby ones any day!

I have been meaning to mention our surprise at the religious devotion of the Europeans that we have encountered in Slovaki and Austria. In Slovakia, there were Crucifixes adorning the walls of the Penzions where we stayed, and it is no different here in Austria. Pentecost was a two day celebration (which I thought was a great idea), and we had arrived on Monday in Salzburg to find most places closed due to this religious holiday.

Today, Marty and I set off on a hike to the Church of Maria Rast, and, once again, were surprised when we began the ascent up the hill, to suddenly find shrines to the Stations of the Cross along the trail. Scattered among the Stations were Grottos dug into the cliffs, with religious statues behind screens. It was kind of strange to find these religious reminders along a path that was originally along a gold-mining section of town.

So, we hiked up the trail in the pouring rain, but the end results were definitely worth the effort. The inside of the church is breathtakingly beautiful, and the vistas from the top showed the town of Zell am Ziller, although it was slightly foggy due to the rain. The trip down the hill took very little effort on our part, although we were really quite wet by the time we reached town.

Marty and I spent the rest of the day exploring the trails around the town, which imbedded us right into the locals, walking past some very frisky goats and cute little bunnies.

Our hotel here is very cozy, although the room numbering is definitely interesting. Our room is number 110, and we are on the top floor, which is the third floor, and we must ascend 6 flights of stairs to get to our room.
So, between walking up and down to our room, and hiking about town, our tootsies could use a break. And our jackets need some drying time!