Merry Christmas from Amstetten

Mark, Deets, and I were fortunate enough to celebrate Christmas with Christina’s family today. The five of us hopped into the car headed for a small village near Amstetten where we met an exceptional number of family members, who were gracious enough to share their Austrian Christmas traditions.  Our first stop was a holiday buffet in town complete with schnitzel, fried fish, garlic soup, cheese plates, and beer. That was only the first course…

Adequately stuffed, the Kahrers, Linzattis and Schlinks continued onto the Kahrer residence for a small gathering before moving onto the grandparents’ house. The gift exchange started with bottles of wine Mark picked out, along with a chocolate cake I picked out. They outmatched us with homemade cookies, spiced cider, coffee, digestifs and toys for Deets. Their hospitality was undeniable.

Sparklers in the tree! Totally awesome.

Mark's toy house, Deet's spiced cider.

Mark showing Deets how it's done.

Maria and Josef, married for 29 years and still madly in love.

Walking down the road to the grandparent’s party, we learned their home, which could be seen from the Kahrer’s, was about 300 years old. It was a gorgeous two story yellow house that was tucked behind a hill, on farmland that has been with the family for about the same time. Their dining room alone contained about forty family members, from 4 months to 80 years old. The children gave a mini violin/cello/flute recital and we all sang our version of Silent Night before they tore into their gifts. Needless to say, food was boundless along with beer and tuica. We were having a blast and it seemed the fun was just getting started as we bundled up Deets to head back to Vienna.

Bratislava Side Trip

Braving spitting rain and bum chafing cold, today we piled onto a train for Bratislava, for a quick and dirty tour of the city Mark once lived in. First thing we did was grab lunch in a local bar, known for traditional Slovak food: bryndzove halusky, a sheep-cheesey dumpling mush with fried fat. Apparently this hot, white mess is a favorite of his.  Me? Not so much. But I was treated to freaking awesome pilsner: Zlaty Bazant. According to Mark, it is considered a moderately decent pilsner but it was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Definitely the best tasting pilsner I’ve ever had.

Baco-Bits and Chive. Hmm.

Mine.

With lucky timing, we watched the changing of the guards at Bratislava’s “White House” and meandered into the town center which was lively with Christmas cheer. Of course, we saw beautiful churches and buildings that my camera just couldn’t do justice. It was a mad dash to take it all in before we headed back to Vienna for date night!

Pink manly building.

I want to ride my bicycle.

St. Michael's

"White House" of Bratislava. Gorg!

Of note, the funeral of Vaclav Havel's was today, so flags were at half mast. He was president of Czechoslovakia after communism ended and presided over the Velvet Divorce creating the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

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Wein and Dine

We were treated to a night off (Christina, you are full of awesomeness!) from parenting, so Mark and I headed downtown for Date Night! Getting our priorities straight, we started with booze infused caffeine, enjoying the historic novelty of Café Central. Outside, Christmas lights lit the way to Saint Stephan’s, where we began our search for food. I was in the mood for Indian, but our search was fruitless and hungry stomachs began to take charge. Thinking Italian would be a fall back plan, we chose a restaurant that had a handwritten menu on display, full of promising choices. Right? I mean, even the waitstaff spoke Italian and the place was half full.

After being curtly denied for sparkling wine by our angry server, I settled on a watery yet chilled Pinot while Mark ordered the special: beer. It had the undeniable flavor of skunk.  First course: Sahara textured bread without butter. Mark was served broccoli stump soup that he managed to glug down with about a half cup of pepper and heaps of gritty parmesan cheese. But he still had hope he reasoned, it’s hard to mess up pasta! Well second course came around:  green pepper ketchup lasagna for Mark and I had slug carcass tortellini in a gristly gray sauce. We each took a bite of our own and a bite of each other’s before asking for the bill. It was that bad. We got out of there as fast as we could, laughing the entire time. Guess we’d better stick to kasekreiner!

This man made our evening complete.
We ate "dinner" at nearly midnight and it was awesome.
Sausage and beer.

It was one of the best dates we have ever had.

A Day for Deets in Vienna

Feeling particularly chilly today, Mark and I decided to head indoors. Not sure of Deets would appreciate the depths the Leopold Museum or Mumok would have to offer, we settled on the Zoom Kindermuseum. He joined Team Zissou, exploring an ocean themed play-seum for a blissful afternoon. He was captivated, and quite frankly, so was I. It was well worth the 4 euros.

Sea snake: some species can dive up to 100 meters.

 Now, this might not be funny to anyone but me, and it’s a total non-sequitur but their bathroom had a VERY gender specific trash can. It reminded me of this clip from Flight of the Conchords. Thank you HBO!

Where a woman has women's needs.

Va Va Vienna

Austria, opulent home to Silent Night, PEZ, and Porsche/VW founder. Boasters of pretty buildings, sausages chock full of vitamin D cheese, and an abundance of hot wine concoctions. For the Christmas holiday we stole away to Vienna for just that and more. Thanks to the Linzatti family, we had an apartment to shack up, a stroller for Deets to cruise in and firsthand tips on traveling about the city.  I mean, Christina literally showed up on the train we were on to get us started on our Viennese vacay! She's so awesome, and we get to meet her family later this week.  Time to get our touring on. Obviously, we hit the usual stops: Christmas markets galore, Rathaus (aka Parliament), and St. Stephans Cathedral. Deets was pretty much the most excited of all, as he feasted on giant food and was adored by everyone who walked by him.

Kasekreiner? Yes please.

Rathaus

Giant foodstuff.

The mug collection has started.

Mmm. Beer.

In the mood for some beer and Belgian cuisine, Mark, Deets and I piled into the Peugot today for a trip downtown to dine at Waterloo Restaurant.  Mark went for an intense, malty Boucanier Red Ale. Since I was DD, I ordered a lemonade (read: lemon water with a side of honey) which Deets promptly commandeered.

We ate beer glazed chicken, frites (fries) and roasted vegetables. Lunch concluded with the waitstaff spoiling Deets with Belgian chocolates, while we spoiled ourselves with a case of Orval for 200 RON. Translation: $62.50 for 24 beers. Whadda deal! 

Hospital Visit in Bucharest

Romania's health care has a bad reputation, and with good reason according to various reports from the BBC and NYT. After joining the European Union 1/1/2007 the country has been struggling with nationwide improvements of standards of care, general access to prompt medical attention and even bribery.  But, they are trying.  I was lucky enough to join some work-force ladies associated with Mark's place of employment on a tour of a remodeled teaching hospital in downtown Bucharest. 

Renovated lecture theater, with original ramrod seating
guaranteed to keep and student awake.

A light stirrup session.

Gonna spew? Spew into this.

We met Dr. Sorin, a physician involved in surgery and research who gave us a tour of his proverbial "baby," Spitalul Cultea, a three hundred year old hospital that has been to hell and back. This hospital specializes in cancers, especially of the ear, neck and throat, and hematologic disorders. Site specific specialization is common throughout the country. 

First thing I noticed was how clear of debris the hallways were. Venturing through Urgent Care, we passed by several patients seated in the hallways into an exam room that had the same packaged, sterilized instruments used in the States. Their choice of sterilization is steam. Coming into the radiology department, chock full of medical students, they showed off their brachytherapy machines, mammogram room, and CT scanner, all a familiar brand: Siemens. 

Brachytherapy

Boobs.

Baby.

The ICU was terribly interesting, as the patients were all lined up bed by bed full of complicated lines, pumps, and ventilators.  They do not have separate rooms or even curtains to provide privacy, but the nurses can view their 2:1 patients easily during their twelve hour shifts.  Their proudest additions are the touch screen Drager ventilators. It was quite intimidating.

Mrs. Ambassador, ICU Director, Lindsey P., Me, RN of Hematology, RN of ICU

Moving onto the OR, I was impressed to see surgical towers of comparable equipment, familiar to my rusty eyes from the glory days of surgery: Aesculap, Valleylab, Drager, all seemingly cleaner some U.S. operating rooms I've been in. Their case carts looked the same, as did the giant walls of suture available to surgeons who would no doubt, not get what they "really need."   Q: What do you call a basement full of surgeons? A: Whine cellar! 

Septoplasty anyone? 

This'll only hurt a minute.

Renovations continue to be underway, but they made significant changes over the past several years, and Dr. Sorin hopes to dynamically impact Bucharest's standards of quality health care and patient safety. It was an absolute pleasure to see their perseverance in action.

Marine Corp Ball 11/12/11

And, finally. We got our pictures from the Marine Corp Ball. Mark was smashing in his Clooney tux. And I pulled off lacy get-up that didn't completely chafe my arms, thanks to Amy B. who advised doing pushups prior to leaving.  Well, that and the fact I needed my arms away from my sides to balance on those CFM shoes.  They were totally worth it. Lastly, thank you to Aminah for the creation around my neck! It lured people in like a trap, forcing them to talk to me!

The night was off to a slow start, what with being ditched by our taxi. But just like in high school, we clown-carred 5 people + driver downtown to the hotel. Somehow drawing the short stick, I sat on Mark's lap, hugging the passenger seat, smelling the aftershave of his boss's boss as my head was snugly pinned between the head rest and roof. It was just like high school.

Into the ballroom, we were treated to a plethora of Marine Corp speeches and a cake cutting ceremony that put ours to shame when we married. Then dinner, drinks, dancing, repeat. It was a damn fine time.

It's Rainin' Men

For those who love to see a good uniform every now and then, and Romania's National Day Parade is a great place to find one that suits your fancy. Kim and I took the opportunity to enjoy the scenery in honor of Romania's unification of Transylvania with the Kingdom of Romania back in 1918. We spied a variety of pressed polyester, wool, and even neoprene fabrics along the parade route. 

Mountie Mike? Sure! Firefighter Frank? Yup. Air Force Armand? Don't mind if I do. Scuba Steve? I'll take two please!

Very large binoculars or very small man?