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We have returned to Belgrade after 12 wonderful days in Austria. Needless to say, it was a true blessing and a tremendous treat to spend so much time in one of the world's most interesting and beautiful cities. Our time there was full of sightseeing, relaxing, being together, and just plain having fun. What made the trip especially great was that we had so many days there, and didn't feel rushed to pack everything into 3 or 4 days.

During the trip, we took a short day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia, and also spent a day in Salzburg. The highlight of our time in Salzburg (and possibly our entire trip) was taking the Sound of Music Tour, which was particularly fun since Virginia played Gretl in Hume Fogg's production of this wonderful musical in November of 2008. Having grown up in a Sound of Music-loving family (and with a sister who also played Gretl in a dinner theatre production of the musical when she was little), I had always wanted to do this tour, and it was really fun to finally realize this little dream of mine. The tour was a bit pricey, but well worth the cost, as we got to see many places (both in and out of Salzburg) that were featured in the film. Unfortunately, it was snowing most of the day and visibility was poor, so we weren't able to see the Alps very well, but other than that, it was a super day.


A few thoughts about Austria, which undoubtedly is one of the most beautiful places in the world, if not a bit odd. First, if you ever go there, be forewarned that (1) most places do not take credit cards (unlike the rest of Europe, including Serbia!!); and (2) stores have very limited operating hours. For instance, every grocery store in Vienna closed at 3:00 on December 24, and did not open again until ... Monday, December 28!!!!! Seriously, we went three and a half days without having access to a grocery store, and out of desperation, sought out a gas station across town that was reputed to be open 24 hours a day, and which carried a small (and very expensive, I might add) selection of food items. Fortunately, restaurants were open through the weekend, and so, alas, we did not starve, but it was disconcerting to say the least not to have access to a grocery store for so many days.


Second, while there is no doubt that Austria and its people are extraordinarily tidy, New Year's Eve appears to be an exception to that general rule. For nearly the entire day of New Year's Eve, the downtown section of Vienna was turned into a vast outdoor party venue. There were stages set up all over town featuring bands and other kinds of entertainment, and the streets were closed off, full of people and filled with stalls with hot wine, beer, pretzels, potatoes and just about anything else you might want to eat or drink. All of this was more than okay with the Richardson family!! The problem was that throughout the evening, we encountered folks shooting off their own fireworks within close range to passersby. As you can imagine, this made us a bit nervous, and therefore, detracted a bit from the otherwise festive feeling of the evening. We were surprised that folks were able to get away this kind of behavior in a country that obviously reveres order and the rule of law (for Pete's sake, the public transportation system in Vienna operates on the honor system -- these people are seriously law-abiding, generally speaking). Nevertheless, it was a fun evening, and we enjoyed spending 8 hours roaming the streets and eating pizza with our friends, the Moynihans!!


I won't go on and bore everyone with more details of our trip, but I thought that posting some pictures with captions might give you a flavor of some of the highlights of our trip:










Eli, Graham and Virginia outside the gazebo that was used in The Sound of Music (where Sixteen Going on Seventeen was filmed)

















The outside of the palace where they filmed the backyard garden scenes and lake scene in the film (the exterior of the house was never used -- just the gardens and lake; a different house was used as the Von Trapp family home)












Wes and Virginia inside the church in Monsee where the wedding scene was filmed. This is a beautiful little village about 30 minutes outside of Salzburg.



















Wes and Virginia on the famous Ferris Wheel in Vienna's Prater






























The outside of the church in Monsee where the wedding scene was filmed





Eli with his stein of beer at Vienna's well-known Fischer Brau restaurant


































Virginia and Sophie Moynihan dancing the night away on New Year's Eve

















Graham's Austrian EEG -- our primary reason for being in Vienna, and a procedure that lasted about 45 minutes

















Things you don't see in the United States -- two dogs accompanying their owners at a Burger King in Vienna





















The beautiful lights on one of Vienna's main pedestrian streets


















Sweet Graham looking out the window of the tram, with Vienna's famous City Hall (Rathaus) and its Christmas Market in the background





















A classic Viennese scene