Finals Weekend

Yesterday was the championship of Euro 2008 (Spain 1 - Germany 0). Elli and Gerd came up from Carinthia so I got to check out the Fan Zone with them plus we had Peter Fryderyk's baptism in the mourning so it was a very eventful yet nice day (and the weather was perfect for being out in the city). By game time the Fan Zone really filled up as you can see but luckily we did a full walk through earlier in the afternoon when it was much easier to move around. The top picture is of Heldenplatz about an hour before game time and the bottom picture was taken from the side of the Burgtheater shortly before kick-off. My hope was to watch a bit of the game from Rathausplatz but unfortunately by the time we got back over to that side of the Fan Zone there was absolutely no availble space for movement. The setup was good though as there were several large screens spread out over an area of about a kilometer plus an endless line of porta-potties. Add in all the beer/sausage stands plus fans from several different nations and it was the perfect atmosphere for a football game.

Zwickl

I've mentioned Zwickl as a kind of beer on here several times so I thought I would take a moment to clarify what it is as I don't believe it exists on a very large scale in the U.S. Zwickl is an unfiltered, unpasteurized beer. It typically contains more nutritional substances then normal beer and can easily be distinguished by site as it has a cloudy appearance. Originally it was a sample amount of beer taken from the barrel but is now commercially sold by the barrel or in bottles. Most breweries here offer a Zwickl alongside their other, more typical kinds of beer and it has quickly become my favorite brew over the past few years in Austria (though as you know I am open to all brews).

Stormy Weather Update

Up until recently I missed the stormy weather of the Midwest (as I noted in a post awhile back). Well the past few days Vienna has been making up for that but I must admit I haven't been missing such weather as much this year with all that you people in U.S. have had to deal with. Even the storms we've had in Vienna have been a bit of a pain with Euro 2008 in town (luckily they have left everything standing though). Two nights ago those of you in the U.S. lost the game's TV feed while I watched the storm from our balcony. The company behind our flat was hosting a nice party for their employees and I stood outside and cheered on the storm as it sent a roller-cart full of dirty dishes flying towards a car with two waiters chasing after it (the wind/cart duo won the race). Later it really picked up so I got Kathi to join me for the show that was now being presented free of charge from our living room window. After a few minutes half of the tents set up for the party were ripped out of the ground, sent flying up about 7 stories, then sent crashing into the side of the building (the office not our flat), before finally smashing into the ground (all to near the guests). Luckily no one was hurt and they moved the event inside after the unexpected entertainment, but they were really lucky as the next morning we realized the tents were heavier then they appeared as 5-10 windows had been shattered and a few marble-like side tiles were destroyed. All-in-all a very impressive storm for Austria, but in the future you can keep those on the U.S. side of the Atlantic as I become more and more accustomed to only the occasional rain and small clap of thunder.

Active Kärnten x2

On our way to Carinthia this past weekend we drove the S6 so we could stop by the village of Hirt and visit the Hirter brewery. For those of you who don't know Hirter is my favorite kind of beer. The brewery has been open since 1270 so over the past 738 years I think they have learned a trick or two. To accompany my Zwickl (which isn't the easiest of Hirter's brews to find) I had a plate of Kärntner Nudeln. You can tell by my smile in the picture that I was one happy guy that evening. I look forward to many more stops at the brewery in the future.
And to prove that we truly were active in Kärnten, I have attached a picture of me and Gerd that was taken early Saturday evening. We were resting off our dinner and building up our energy to watch the football game later in the night.

Active Kärnten

As I mentioned we would in my last post, Kathi and I spent the weekend in Carinthia. We had a relaxing time in the mountains, yet we were still more active then we typically are during a weekend in the city. Saturday morning started off with Elli and Gerd taking us to a little private mountain lake where we went for a swim and enjoyed the sun.
After the swim we moved on to a nice restaurant set in the countryside for a lunch of traditional meats and cheeses so we could power-up for an afternoon of mini golf. By the time we were finished at the putt putt range we realized most of us had spent our alloted time in the sun for one day so we finished up the evening by grilling back at Elli and Gerd's flat.
Before heading back to Vienna on Sunday we got to grill again at Anna and Fritz's, and since Kathi was driving home this time I even got to have a beer with the in-laws so it was the perfect weekend in my opinion.

The Fan Zone

Well, the quarterfinals of Euro 2008 start tonight but unfortunately Austria is no longer in the tournament, though they did manage to stay in contention for a late round spot through all of their three first round games. For the fans of the tournament Vienna has set up a very large Fan Zone that stretches across many of the city's landmarks and provides a very nice public viewing area. So far we have only walked by part of the Fan Zone but I plan on exploring the area a bit more before the tournament ends. For the Austria vs. Germany game on Monday night reports say that 200,000 people watched the game from these public viewing areas. The picture I have included is of the Fan Zone right in front of the Burgtheater. To get a feel for the environment that this kind of crowd creates you can watch THIS video.

Kathi and I will be heading to the mountains for some fresh air this weekend and I hope the warm weather holds for some Alpine swimming. I will see you back here in a few days.

College World Series

Now that we have NASN I am able to watch the College World Series from Austria. For you Europeans who have never heard of the College World Series it is the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship and it has been played in Omaha, NE every year since 1950. Being from the Omaha area I would go and watch some of the games at Rosenblatt Stadium every June when I was growing up. Unfortunately I am no longer in the area so I am unable watch a game in person with my dad or the city workers like I used to, but atleast I still get to be a little involved with the addition of this new television channel.

Chili Dogs

On Friday night I made a Crock-Pot full of chili at Kathi's urging and ever since we have been eating Chili Dogs. The dogs are great but no comparison to the ones my mom and Gregg made for us when we were in Florida in January. Those came with a side serving of College Football bowl games which made the perfect combination. Next up on our chili adventure is Frito Pies followed by Chili Cheese Wraps.

Friday The 13th

I did not realize what day it was until I arrived at work and found this guy standing in front of my desk: Luckily I have learned by watching numerous horror films that a simple recipe for success (in survival) is to walk in the opposite direction at a brisk pace (no need to run) without turning around or stopping (and also avoiding possible things that you could trip over is a must).

I win!!!

The weird thing is that I was not skinny dipping in a lake or partaking in any other activity that could be considered immoral when he first appeared which kinda goes against the grain so maybe Jason wasn't even there to see me in the first place. It could have just been one big misunderstanding or coincidence. Either way, another Friday the 13th has been survived!

My Throne

Just like all other highly important people I need a throne, and with Euro 2008 coverage currently on TV everyday I was in the need for a theme specific throne. In stepped the Boschler and now I can watch the soccer matches in style. Plus there is not one but two built-in cups holders for my beer.... errr I mean water. Thanks to the Boschler for helping a person of my stature find a throne capable of holding my awesomeness. And yes Ilkan, you can share it with me if you want.

Indiana Matt Returns

Last week I received a notice from the Post saying that there were two packages to be picked up by Indiana Matt at their local office. Waiting for me was the most perfectly decorated box that I have ever set my eyes on with an almost complete set of Indiana Jones toys from Burger King enclosed, and a second package containing the newest poster for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull which I needed to complete my set. Now I just need to decide where to erect my shrine. Thank you Sir Richard for the excellent gifts.

Euro 2008

Yesterday marked the beginning of the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship hosted in Austria and Switzerland. For those of you who don't know, this is the world's third largest sporting event after the World Cup and the Olympics. This is my first time knowing anything about the tournament as it only takes place every four years and it's obviously not widely followed in the U.S. (though Nichole tells me that ESPN2 is having some coverage this year). Last night Kathi and I got our first taste of what's to come as on the way home from some friends apartment the subway had several more drunk people then normal, but for the most part it is really neat seeing the large gathering of fans from all across Europe. The first game that will be played in Vienna will be tonight with Austria facing off against Croatia. At the end of the month the finals will take place in Vienna and by this time I fully expect the city to be filled with football euphoria and a possible doubling of the population. It should be a neat experience as we can always escape to the quiet / comfort of our flat when needed while still being able to head out to the Fan Mile for some soccer action when we want.

Johnny's Pub

After a hard week of work Kathi and I decided that we earned a good meal so we went to Johnny's Pub for some Guinness and cheeseburgers tonight. I will tell you one thing, those Irish know how to pour a pint and serve a plate full of beef. It was an excellent end to the week and I look forward to going back to the pub sometime in the future. The only catch is that we should wait until the end of June because the streets in the area have already been blocked off and filled with tables to accompany the influx of football fans that have started to arrive for the Euro 2008 Championships, but I will post more about that later.

Back At It

Well.... Hmm.... I guess it's time to get back to posting about normal things again so I will have to try and be creative, or something like that. As everyone knows we have been back from holiday for a few weeks now and are therefore back in our normal working mode. Last week was quite warm for the end of May in Austria (at least it was in my opinion), but it seems the temperature will stay perfect for the next several days (in the low 70s). During the weekend we spent one day in the Wachau with Martina and Martin. I tried to make a toy boat to sail down the Danube but it sunk. I will try to make a better one later this summer in Carinthia. Kathi and I also went to the Wachau at the beginning of May but the one month between visits was enough time for everything to really green up which I really enjoyed. Ok, that's it for today. The creativity needs a few more days to build up it seems so you will have to patient while I try to become more entertaining. Ciao for now.

Kilkenny

And today we finally reach the end of our journey. Congratulations on making it through all of my posts about Ireland.

The last stop during our 'anniversary vacation' was Kilkenny. We stayed at a very nice B&B which was right across the street from the grounds of Kilkenny Castle. Kilkenny was the one city that we really enjoyed in Ireland as it was the only one we visited that had a really nice historical feel. Also the food and service were really good in the city and once again we had to try out the local brew which this time was an ale that shares its name with the city (also very good). After Kilkenny we drove back up to Dublin where we caught an early morning flight back home which is where we have been for two weeks now. Yep, I have been posting about Ireland for two weeks. As I said, congratulations on surviving. Cheers!