New Experiences

Christkindlmarkt

The traditional Christmas Market of Vienna is a sight to behold.  It is an assortment of food, decorations, and gatherings that happens from the middle of November until Christmas Day.  We had so much fun wandering through the market.  We sampled new foods like KartoffelPuree, potato patties made from mashed potatoes, and spicy wurst wrapped in croissant-like bread.  We also had some roasted chestnuts.  Never had a roasted chestnut, not a tradition in Texas, but surprisingly enjoyed them.  Sweet flavor.  The desserts called krapfen, giant filled doughnuts, were a big hit at our house.  Overall, a wonderful experience that we will treasure forever.

Snowfalls

We experienced our first and second snowfalls this week in Vienna.  The first snow fell and we played in it making snowballs to our hearts content.  A second snowfall, even more than the first, would have closed schools in Texas but not in Austria.  We trudged through the snow to school and had a great time keeping the kids from eating the snow and sliding around the streets of Vienna.  Freezing temperatures have kept the snow around and we have enjoyed seeing it for days now.  The girls came home tonight to have a snowball/ice war in the backyard in the dark.  What other choice do you have when the sun goes down at 4 o'clock!  Great times.