Innsbruck

After a wonderful stretch of visitors, we decided we wanted to get out of town for a weekend on our own. We headed to the region of Tirol the farthest region west bordering Switzerland. We hopped a train and headed all the was across the country to the city of Innsbruck.

Upon arrival, it is hard not to notice the amazing scenery of the region. Known for skiing, Innsbruck hosted the '67 and '76 winter Olympics and at first look it seemed like an ideal place to host the games. The Inn river runs through an impressive valley surrounded by mountains with a steep vertical accent. Once we got situated at our hotel, a place along the river, we wandered around the charming old town. A famous city center features a building adorned with a gold roof. We took the time to observe the quaint streets and cafes along them and enjoyed a meal at an Italian place where we could sit out side in the sunshine and people watch.

The following morning we awoke to a beautiful day allowing us to walk around town and do some window shopping. We then headed up to the Olympic site and took a gondola up to the top for some spectacular views. Then we headed into the small town of Igls where we had a lunch in the picturesque little village and then back into town. Once in town we hit a few tourist stops, most notably the Hofkirche, and inside is a mausoleum built for Maximilian I. It was quite amazing with 28 life-like bronze statues surround the ornate tomb. We found a wonderful place for dinner that evening and finished a wonderful day with a night cap in a man-made beach bar. Sand and palm trees with a backdrop of striking mountains. Our third day was the nicest of them all and we took great advantage of it by taking the Nordkettenbahn up to Seegrube where we had a breathtaking view of the entire valley. Several hang gliders and para gliders readied themselves as we began our decent down to town. A wonderful hike with vistas at every turn and the sun shining down from a bright blue sky. It could not have been more perfect. After a wonderful hike and a meal we headed to the train station to head back to Vienna. A wonderful first impression of the city of Innsbruck and the region of Tirol, one that definitely inspires other trips out there in the near future.                

Matt & Kari's Visit

Just before our farewell to Edgar and Roheela (sniff, sniff) Matt and Kari arrived from Seattle as our second wave of visitors. They left their sweet boy Finn home with the grandparents. It was so good to see our friends and give them a glimpse into our life abroad.

On their first full day braving the weather, which has been pretty ghastly in Vienna this spring, we went out in Vienna to see the sights. We wandered around the first district and down into the Naschmarkt, checking out the market and making sure they got a chance to visit Dr. Falafel a favorite that has become a traditional place to take visitors for its wonderfully flavorful falafel sandwich. I think they liked it because they went and got it again later in the trip. We bought tickets to Salzburg and planned to go on a Friday of the Austrian holiday weekend. Unfortunately for us as we called several places to find a place to stay on Friday and Saturday nights it became utterly clear that we were not going to be able to get a place for Friday. Luckily for us Ciara took the initiative to call instead of just heading there and hoping to find a spot. So we decided to leave Saturday instead and come back Sunday. Once we secured a place to stay and got our tickets for Saturday the banter began about us going on the "Sound of Music" tour. Matt and I were dead set against against it and of course Ciara and Kari were all about it. We had a nice dinner and prepped for the trip and continued the tradition of intense card playing. We played spades and hearts and had tons of fun.

The next morning we gathered our bags and headed to the train station. On the tram ride down it became apparent that it was going to be close if we wanted to catch the train we wanted. So we quickly devised a plan where Kari and Ciara would secure seats and Matt and I would get pastries and coffee. The events that followed can only be truly appreciated if you lived them but I will do my best to describe them. Once at the train station we located the train then the boy and girls split up. Matt and I headed to a bakery in the train station. Once inside the bakery our urgency continued to grow as we waited in line and subsequently waited for our order to be carried out. As soon as we had our goods we headed intently to the train we picked up the pace as we were getting closer to departure time. In the process I managed to dump half of one of the coffees I was carrying all over the front of myself. We pressed on. We charged down the platform in search of our wives. After a call we reunite and begin to realize that though the girls fought the busy train crowd and had secured a couple of seats, the train was pretty full and that we wouldn't be able to sit together. So the quick group decision was to get off and catch the next train for Salzburg that left in 35 minutes. That's when things got crazy. As we are walking down the platform, the whistle blew as if to say "All Aboard" and we suddenly realized that none of us had the tickets. Needless to say panic set in. It was left on the train where the girls had secured a couple of seats. Frantically we all bolt toward the train that is moments away from departure. Ciara jumps on; I jump on Kari jumps on, all on different cars. Frantically we were charging through the crowded aisles looking for the ticket. I then decide to stand in the door of one of the train cars in an attempt to hold the train if they begin to close, Matt stood watch to let me know if the girls got off. Suddenly, Ciara burst off the train with the tickets. Relief began to set in until we realized Kari was still on the train. "Kari" we are all screaming "get off, we have it!" finally we see Kari hit the platform. That very next moment the train shoved off toward Salzburg. Catastrophe avoided! It took about 20 minutes for my heart to stop pounding though. We didn't really feel like paying for 4 train tickets a second time around. Once on the train we had a nice ride with beautiful scenery, great company and of course some cards.

Once we got to Salzburg we headed out on the town. Salzburg is incredibly scenic and we enjoyed it thoroughly. We walked all over and got some great views from the hills. We went to the Augustiner Brewery, the oldest brewery in Austria run by monks. Quite a place they serve big mugs and delicious beer since 1621. After the brewery we wandered around Salzburg and stopped to play at a "big kid" playground that had all types of obstacles for rock climbers. After that, Matt and I finally gave in and we booked the "Sound of Music" tour for the next day. After dinner we hit the hay with much anticipation of what the "tour" would be like considering that the Salzburg marathon was going on in town it ended up being a pretty good idea. It took us out to the Lakes district which is very pretty, and we all enjoyed singing songs on the bus that took us to all of the sites from the movie. Let's just say you can understand why they filmed it where they did. It was beautiful. I could tell that Ciara felt like a child again.

It was nice to have Matt & Kari in town to get us out on some runs, enjoy meals, and out to the Western part of Austria. I loved having this time to get to know the both of them better. Being excited about parenthood, they were a great couple to talk with as it's a fresh experience for them, we cannot believe that Finn is turning 1 this month! Thanks for the running shoes!

Now that it's June, the school year is wrapping up, and that summer is just around the corner, we are anxious to go home. We don't have any more visitors lined up until August, so missing home will start settling in. At the end of this month we're going to the French Riviera-to Nice, Monaco, and Cannes. A little sunshine and beach action is something we're really looking forward to!

Eddie & Roheela

London Bound! Originally we were going to meet Ted & Kim in London, then they were going to come visit us in Vienna. Then coincidentally Eddie & Roheela had similar plans at the same time. How fun, the more, the merrier. Sadly, the Icelandic volcano put a halt on Ted & Kim's flight and they weren't able to fly over (we will have take-2 next spring!). Luckily, Eddie & Roheela's flight the following day was successful and was the 2nd flight to land in Heathrow since the start of all the volcano and traveling madness.

Once in London it felt almost like home. Having studied abroad there in college, Andrew came along with me to some old stomping grounds. I felt like it was so easy- English everywhere to be heard and read, and we had a blast. It was so good to be with E & R and meet their English and Irish friends and paint the town. We spent all day & night making the best of our 3 days there.

Back in Vienna, Eddie & Roh made for some fun roommates. The mornings were spent making breakfast-including Eddie's famous french toast and pancakes and nights of playing intense card games into the wee hours. Being the sleeper-inners they are, it was almost comical to witness the infamous church bells outside our living room (AKA guest bedroom) window piously wake the angels. Eddie learned quickly and started wearing earplugs to bed-but nothing can really escape you from the heavenly sound right outside the window, especially on Sundays and holidays.

Eddie & Roh really explored the city with & without us. When I wasn't at school and when Andrew wasn't working, we loved getting out together. They even joined us in a double-header softball game. Aside from Vienna sightseeing, we rented a car and took a little venture. The first day we drove to Bratislava, Slovakia and then to Sopron, Hungary and back to Vienna. Along the way, we saw such things that looked like a hobbit village (a street lined with short houses with small doors), stumbled upon the European Kiteboarding tournament at Lake Neusiedlersee in Austria, and ended the night with our navigation system taking us down some crazy scary back roads in Hungary where we thought for a moment was "the end."

The next day we went on the most fantastic road trip. Passing through the gorgeous Austrian countryside, we headed northwest to a small town called St. Oswald bei Freistadt. E & R met a co-worker of Eddie's mom who is Austrian. Although he has lived in Seattle for 19 years, he told us that his parents would love to have us visit. Rudolph and Martha were the sweetest couple and most gracious hosts. The little country town they live in is straight from the movies. From the beginning they spoiled us-bought us dinner, cooked us breakfast, and fed us unlimited food, beer, schnapps, and bole (a spiked punch drink). The best part about this place is that we got to stay in their country cabin that was a few kilometers up the mountain from their house. The charming cabin was quaint, had no electricity, was equipped with the nicest outhouse we'd ever seen, and had 2 stocked fishing ponds on the property. We got to take our turns catching our fish. There was minimal screaming done by the girls as we reeled them in and Rudy conked them out. It was hard enough watching him filet the fish in front of us but at least we didn't have to do it ourselves. If catching our fish wasn't fun enough, the adorable couple smoked and prepared our catch of the day and we had ourselves a lovely lunch. The evening was spent sitting by the outdoor fire and gazing at the night sky that was splattered with stars. Sitting by candlelight, we talked and played games until the AM hours. That night, the four of us slept surprising well in the 2 twin-beds in our little cabin.

We spent the weekend walking the small town, drinking and filling up our water bottles with the local healing water, and visiting the brewery. Like everyday, we stopped to get ice cream. Gotta appreciate friends who made it a priority to have at least one stop for ice cream each day.

Having nearly 3 weeks to spend with Eddie & Roheela was incredible. When else do you get to spend day-in and day-out with such fun people? Sunrise, sunset. Although we didn't request anything from home (except pen pal letters from my past classroom that my class in Vienna is writing with), E & R came bearing gifts. They got us new ski goggles (they noticed how I borrowed Andrew's huge ones), Tillamook cheese (cheese is good here, but not the cheddar so much), a big box of chocolate for the prego lady, and some booze for the dad-to-be. Before they departed they got us some new place mats (we had service for 2), a salad bowl (again, ours served 2), an electric tea kettle (our stove kettle can take a little time), and a BBQ! We've got to hand it to them, they are observant to our needs/wants and know how to take care of us.

We are very happy that our world traveling friends put us on their vacationing map. Promise me that we can get back on the daily ice cream diet when we come home this summer!

Baby on Board

So, we've been a little busy since our last post. We had a good stretch of visitors that we will write about in the next post and many, many things have happened. As you may know by now, we are having a BABY!! After we popped the news to Destiny & Eric (it was so nice to tell them in person), we spread the word to all of you. We are due October 16th. Now that I'm 5 months along, my belly recently decided to pop, and we are getting more and more excited. I have had an easy pregnancy and haven't had an obvious prego signs, just some fatigue (but who isn't tired). If it weren't for the monthly ultrasounds, I would still be in disbelief. I found an excellent doctor and the health care in Austria is amazing. We are planning on delivering at a reputable hospital across the street from our house (http://www.rudolfinerhaus.at/en/the-rudolfinerhaus.html). No taxi or public transportation necessary. It makes me laugh and ponder when I think of going into labor and walking down the 63 steps from our flat and crossing the street to deliver our child.

I am planning on starting off the school year in August then taking October-December off. I get 3 months maternity leave. We plan to bring our new bundle of joy home to Seattle all of December. I will return to work in January and Andrew will be Mr. stay-at-home dad. He is so excited and we are really lucky to have this opportunity for our baby to be at home with dad. Andrew (along with everyone else except Marko), thinks we're having a girl. We're keeping it a surprise. Of course we won't know for sure until the baby is born and I find it peculiar that so far there has been an overall GIRL response. Our baby is ALREADY loved by so many. He/she is already blessed by having amazing family and friends. Thank you for all the love and joy you've already shared with us. As time is getting closer to coming home for the month of July, I can hardly wait to see you and give lots and lots of hugs. And I cannot wait to squeeze my nieces!

Greece and Easter Break

Our most recent adventure started Friday, April 2nd. We left after work and headed to Athens where we met Eric and Destiny-we were so excited! Our flight to Athens was 1 hour and 45 minutes. After our reunion with Eric and Destiny, and though they had been up for what seemed like forever, we went to a little street side cafe near our apartment. We sat and enjoyed the night spring air-in Athens! After that, and most nights from there on out, we stayed up chatting-sometimes until 5 in the morning! I don't think that helps with jet lag.

The weekend brought some great meals, weather and sights. Being Easter weekend, the usual busy streets of Athens were quite. Most Greeks were spending the holiday in surrounding villages. Our apartment was situated about a 15 minute walk from the Acropolis. We explored that area extensively and ate in the Plaka a couple of times. Walking up the Acropolis and to the Parthenon was amazing, we had clear blue skies, sun over head, and few crowds!

We cooked our own little Easter dinner. At midnight went to a nearby church for part of Easter services. It was very festive- at midnight the clock bells rang, firecrackers went off endlessly, and we lit our candles at the church. It had a much different feel than the services at home.

After an enjoyable stay in Athens we decided to head to the islands. We got up early in the morning and headed for the metro down to the port to catch the boat we had booked earlier that weekend. The ferry was huge and much nicer than we were expecting. It was a high speed boat but still took 5 hours. After stopping at a few islands along the way, we made it to Santorini. We spent a couple of nights and got a feel for life in the Cyclades Islands.

Once we reached the island of Santorini, hotels were eager to advertise their accommodations. The first guy we talked to drove quite a bargain so we headed up the hill with a couple of options. The place we ended up staying at had an epic view in a town called Fira. Fira itself is perched on the cliff side and we had panoramic view of the crater and a view into downtown Fira. Quite extraordinary. We ended up with two rooms next to each other with a "private" (patio) in between that had the view of which I just spoke. It was hard to beat. It didn't take long for us to settle in and soak up some much needed vitamin D. With the sun and smiles draped on all of our faces we took a deep breath of life on the the Aegean Sea.

For the next couple of days we took walks along the ridge into town, enjoyed the amazing scenery and continued to have amazing meals-we LOVE Greek food! Tiropita, spanakopita, dolmades, tzatziki, moussaka, gyros, greek salad, pastitsio, saganaki, and baklava-YUM! Each night we enjoyed the sunset, and we even caught a morning sunrise. We took a trip out to the beach town of Kamari and walked on the black sand. What an amazing time of relaxation and sight seeing we had with our family.

Unfortunately the time came that we had to leave the beautiful island. Two flights later and a bit of time in the Athens airport and we were home in Vienna.

We got the opportunity to show Dest and Eric a bit of the city before the poor weather crept in. We did our best tour guide impersonations. While together, we loved having morning coffee, eating bowls of cornflakes, Skping with the girls, walking around town-oh and of course, introducing Eric to Kaser Krainers and taking them to have falalfel sandwiches at Dr. Falalfel. It was nice just to show them what life is like where we are living. Eventually Eric and Destiny had to leave us (luckily they made it a day before the Icelandic volcano eruption). We had an unbelievable time together, one we will remember forever and ever! We are already planning our itinerary for next spring.

Jack & Renae's Visit

For the latest of what is going on in Ciara and Andrew's world we had some esteemed guests visit in the last few weeks. Jack and Renae Foster showed up in Vienna on the 15th of March, much to the excitement and pleasure of the Leckie family (Europe Post). They immediately brought a smiling attitude to our home. They came bearing gifts, we felt like it was Christmas all over again. Two of which being some of the most missed things from home, Emergen-C and a half loaf of Tillamook Medium Cheddar. What a delight. They also made us a personalized calendar with pictures of family and friends. Those Fosters always take care of us! Where would we be without them?

Once they got settled we immediately got them out on the town. We headed out for drinks and dinner and got them exploring the splendid public transportation we've come to love. We kept them up the best we could in an attempt to avoid jetlag.

The next day we ventured out in Vienna. We stopped in a local Biergarten style restaurant in the center of town and had a good meal. I introduced Jack to some Austrian Bier's-which he welcomed whole-heatedly the entire trip. Coming in at a close 2nd-the Kaiser Krainer (sausages filled with cheese) was also a favorite.

While here, they got a chance to see Ciara's school, shop for produce and eat fallafel sandwiches at the Naschmarkt, shop on Maria Hilfer, roam around the 1st district and visit Schonbrunn Palace with its Easter Market and delicious food. Being the best of running friends that they are, Ciara and Renae got to go on a few runs together like old times. Through the course of their 10-day stay, we started with snow, a day of rain, and then sunny 70 degree weather.

Thursday we went to Semmering to go skiing, and enjoyed a wonderful spring ski day. From the scenic restaurant on the top of the mountain, we of course got our fill of Kaise Krainers and Biers! It was great to get in a good day on the slopes in mid-March.

For the weekend we got out of town and went to Prague. We packed up the necessities-cards, nose cups (courtesy of Alice), assorted cheeses, snacks, chocolate, and of course a few beverages. Well equipped for the trip we ended up having to run for the train! Miscalculation in the time of departure. Barely making it on before the doors closed, we made it in the nick-of-time. Always an adventure. If we counted the rounds of cards we played on the train and throughout their entire stay, I'm sure it would be well over 100. With sore losing and heated contests aside, it was a fabulous time. Once in Prague, we checked-in to our suite in the Castle District. During our time there, we had a traditional Czech dinner, roamed the picturesque city, checked out some new restaurants and visited the Easter market in Old Town Square. That Sunday, Jack & Renae walked along side Prince Charles and snapped a great photo of him.

Back in Vienna, we spent time having pajama parties, making meals, going to dinner, playing games, roaming the city, and just spending time together before they left. It is so nice to have a little piece of home in our new home abroad. Thanks for visiting Jack & Renae-we had a wonderful time! Next on the books.....Destiny & Eric meet us in Greece. Only 3 days away now...

February Fun

February marks the beginning of visitors. We are excited to have a list of friends & family coming from now until summer. We started first with Sarah and Nikki. After a little confusion of the arrival day, Sarah arrived in Vienna just in time for an adventure to Venice for Carnival. We took the "Carnival" train which meant an overnight ride Friday, spend all day Saturday in Venice, then another overnight ride Saturday, bringing us back to Vienna on Sunday morning. We had two cabin sleeping cars for the 7 of us, and the train came complete with a Saloon Car and Disco Car-it never fails, no matter how far removed you may feel, you can never escape the Macarena!

Once in Venice, the colors and artistic beauty of Carnival costumes were abundant. One-by-one we selected and bought masks to celebrate the occasion. We walked along the cobble streets and over bridges and took in the sights. The people dressed in extravagant costumes were exquisite-they assumed serious roles and posed for the cameras. Most of the festivities took place in San Marco square and the day was filled with celebration and ended with shows and dancing. We had so much fun walking into squares playing music where we stopped everything and danced. The train rides were also a blast, filled with games and eats and drinks.

The day we returned from Venice, Nikki arrived! It was so great having both Sarah and Nikki here during my February ski week. We spent the first 3 days touring around Vienna-went to a couple museums, ice-skating at the Rathaus, quiz-night at Johnnys, and of course eating and drinking. Then we were off to the mountains in the Salzburg area. We stayed at a guest house in Altenmarkt and skied gorgeous slopes at Zauchensee. We were blown away by the amount of mountains and ski resorts there are in this area

and we are already making plans to go back in the summer for rafting and canyon hiking.

One night in a nearby town called Flachau, we did about an hour hike up a steep and snowy mountain with unguarded cliffs and subtle turns. Our destination was a huge traditional

Austrian restaurant. There, we ate heavy and delicious food amongst other locals and visitors whom we became friends with as

the evening went on. After dinner, the best part of night was the sled ride back down the mountain. We saw the terrain during the sunset hike, but now it was dark and we only knew that it would be best to stay away from the edge.

The sleds were fast, really fast, and all we could do to slow down was dig our feet in the snow as best as we could. Once we got the hang of it, we eased off the breaks

and went for it. It was incredible and some of us were a little more out of control than others (Nikki :).

The day before Nikki had to head home, the girls took a Salzburg trip. We walked around the charming city, gave ourselves a small Sound of Music tour, and visited the Augustiner Brau-the brewhouse where monks have brewed beer since 1621-and they know what they're doing!

This February "ski week" has been non-stop fun filled with shenanigans. We miss Nikki and her excellent German and shopping talents and are still loving having Sarah here until the end of this week.

It's back to school and to "normal" life-although, I'm not sure how "normal" our lives have been lately.