holiday homelife, Tuesday

I slept well but wasn't very motivated to go out sightseeing after the big day I'd had before. M. had mentioned she was going to clean house a little and go to the grocery store. I wanted to go to the grocery store too--my favorite place to visit when I travel. I asked M. if we could go a place she mentioned near her house, where she sometimes went for breakfast. We took the boys along. The little cottage restaurant was so pretty, and all dark wood inside. It was too cold to sit outside, but we were on a sort of enclosed porch, looking across a valley to the beautiful hills beyond where M. said the vineyards were. M. had brought one of those wheeled carts for shopping, and she just parked it to the right of the door.

I was quite hungry, so I ordered a sandwich instead of breakfast. It was some kind of pork or ham with lettuce and cranberries. There was some kind of sauce on the plate, may have simply been sourcream. I had fresh orange juice again, and spoiled myself with a second glass. It was fun to be out with the children. M. had yogurt with fruit.

Then we walked through the park and down to the supermarket. M. apologized that this was an expensive, larger, American-style grocery store (Merkur), but it was her nearest one. It was set up for shoppers who came in cars. We chose out some food for a breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I decided to go back in to buy berries, then got in line and paid with some help from M. who was waiting.

Back up through the park, this time uphill. We stopped to watch the boys play on the playstructure. Some older boys, maybe 10 years old, came by with army recruitment folders, wearing official-looking badges and many things on their belts. M. politely declined their literature. We couldn't figure out if they were doing some official canvassing, or just playing with materials the army had been passing out the day before during national holiday.

After we were home awhile, M. suggested a drive into the Weinerwald, where the vineyards are. We drove thru picturesque Grinzing, and up to a park. Fog blocked some of the view of the city, but it was beautiful. Though eerily like Michigan or California. We watched the boys play on the wood structure while we sat on a blanket and ate apples. A friend of M. happened by and we visited with her; she teaches at the same school that has recessed for a week of autumn break. Then M. played with her sons while I walked on the seesaws until one of them liked me enough to ask for a push on the swings.

M. was hosting a bookclub that night, I read Guensey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society beforehand in preparation. M. made a beautiful composed salad with the ingredients we had bought earlier that day, with baked potatoes, green beans, kidney beans, gabanzo beans tomato, basil, and what else. M's bookclub had delightful women and I really enjoyed the discussion, so nice of them to include me!

Then I went to bed.