A Sunday Escape

Determined to find the aspects of Vienna that attract so many people, we are pushing ourselves out during free weekends.  On Sunday, we roped our friends the Eberts into a local hike into the Vienna Woods.  They live right on the edge so we began the journey at their house.  Our long hike became more of a long walk through the several huge clearings to a playground.  I do love how close these huge natural areas are.

We paused at the playground for snacking, drawing, catching, running, and discussing future trips.

Long lines at the park restaurant drove us back to the Eberts for an impromptu dinner.  We grilled hot dogs over a fire, enjoyed soup and fresh bread, and of course roasted marshmallows.  (We did discover Austrian marshmallows are definitely missing something -maybe the chemicals.)

I am sure this place will grow on me...

30th Dave Matthews Concert

Much has changed since my first DMB concert New Years Eve 1996.  All of our high school friends, home from college for Christmas break, met on Arley Drive at Amy Adamchak's house.  We caravanned to Norfolk for the New Year's Eve concert - ten of us piling into three cars and two hotel rooms. Carefree.

After a brief hiatus, Dave and I went with Colleen and Robbie the year after graduation to see a Dave show at RFK and we were hooked. 

We sat in nosebleed seats at the MCI center having arrived an hour early. We ignored an odd guy who kept saying "are you in the fan club" until I realized we should just say yes.  Twenty minutes later, we looked straight at Dave from front row center seats.  It pays to be in the fan club.  We followed them to Madison Square, to Pittsburgh, back to Norfolk. 

I watched them through a summer of shows nursing a pregnant sick stomach.  We spent our anniversary in Charlottesville - two shows in a row.

We hoped they would come to Frankfurt, and they did the fall after we moved back to DC. 

Last week, without Leroi or Boyd, in a very quiet crowd, with my 10 and 12 year old kids, I watched my 30th show.

Refuge in Art

I have fallen in love here with drawing and painting.  I found an amazing studio where I take weekly classes and attend monthly workshops.  I am learning both techniques and how to think more creatively.  It feels like an escape from the dull, formal city.

I have been learning about light by working on black and white pieces - this is phase two of an abstract painting. 

I love how oil paintings can have endless layers.  I learned how to collage my canvas and use the collage to add both texture and life to a still life.

In one class, we focused on different types of brush strokes.  She taped a huge piece of canvas to the wall, divided it into quadrants, and used left-over paint to just look at different types of marks you can make with paint.

In one workshop, we did 45 different drawings - each one, just a few minutes.  I loved when we used a straight edge and only had a certain number of lines to represent the essence of the figure.

Good - Bye London

We ended our trip at Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards.

We even glimpsed the Queen in her beautiful hat!

We had one last meal at Borough Market before we headed back to Vienna.

London Day 3

We took the Tube to the British Museum to visit the Rosetta Stone and the impressive Egyptian collection.

We hit Borough Market for Lunch

Along with the incredible donuts from Bread Ahead

which we enjoyed in Hyde Park.

We ended our evening watching an incredible production of Matilda!

London Day 2

We spent the morning exploring London Bridge, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London then the afternoon on an amazing food tour of Borough Market

We ended the day at the West End laughing to "The Comedy of a Bank Robbery Gone Wrong" and eating ice cream in the theater!

London Arrival

We decided to spend ski week in London.  I wanted the kids to see one of my favorite cities and everyone dreamed of Chipotle and Five Guys (seven months without a decent burger or burrito!)