Austria!

Time for a Break!

Well here it is…the long awaited spring break. Actually the months have flown since Christmas but I think everyone is ready for a change in schedule, break from the routine, fresh perspective, all that good stuff.

Today we take off for Austria for the week and are very much looking forward to it. In preparation we watched “Sound of Music” last week so we can burst into song as we skip through the countryside in true Maria fashion.

I did have a moment of panic when I checked the web site of the famous Lippizaner horses, which Claire is DYING to see in their fancy show. The home page splashed red words about “horses having a cough” and “show cancellation.”

At that point the cough hadn’t bled into our week so we’ll see if the horses are up and running next Friday…

Ava finished school Thurs. at 11:10; I do wonder about the effort expended to get teachers, kids, administrators there for 2+ hours of “instruction…” But alas she did go which allowed me to have my mammogram and ultrasound (routine stuff – the former wasn’t bad; just a squashy experience with a woman who I swear was a foot shorter than me and needs a lesson in what not to say aloud to patients…to the tune of “this is difficult because you’re so small…”).

On the school side of things, Ava is the first Weber to experience the London Eye. Since I was on a bus to Van Gogh w/ a bunch of “dare you to kiss…” 2nd graders I had to opt out of the Abercorn Eye experience.

The kids had a lovely, sunny day for it, enjoyed a picnic and playtime along the Thames and it sounds like they had fun seeing Big Ben from on high.

With the 2nd graders, I must say teachers probably keep Excedrin in business. We did not have the teacher on our bus so we had some very loud, daring conversations taking place…I did intervene when the dare you to kiss…business referenced “privates.” Eight going on 14 it seems.

The conversation then turned to burps and farts. Great stuff.

Van Gogh was fabulous, though packed full of people, mostly 50+, so some canes and wheel chairs thrown in. Picture that in small rooms with INCREDIBLE works of art that everyone wants to drink in… and an influx of 2nd graders with 30 minutes to do the entire exhibit.

Oh and we weren’t the only school group.

We (the parent chaperones) were hastily thrown kid worksheets and pencils and told to have at it…one kid in my group asked, no joke, after looking at the first painting if we could leave.

(Naturally she’ll be the one kid who becomes a curator in her 30’s.)

The exhibit is fabulous and I’m dying to go back.

However, tix online/via phone are sold out so the only option is to stand in line and hope you are awarded a day of ticket, which are limited in number so you could stand in line for two hours and walk away with nothing…

My friend Allison saved the day, though. She stumbled upon a restaurant giving Van Gogh tickets away if you enjoy a 2-course lunch SO I rallied two troops and we had a lovely lunch last week. Now w/ VG tix in hand we’re set to fight the crowds!

Among other things, I also recently got to enjoy a tour of the Fuller’s Brewery in Chiswick. Lovely town, Chiswick – quaint shops, antique stores and the like.

The Brewery is immense and near the Thames, so lovely area to walk, jog etc. behind it.

We started with a little beer tasting and lunch ordering, then followed our guide through the brewery, learning how beer is made, history of the business, its evolution, etc. Here’s the Fuller’s description:

Based at the historic Griffin Brewery in Chiswick,
between the serenity of the River Thames and the hustle
and bustle of the Hogarth Roundabout, Fuller's has been
brewing quality beers and running excellent pubs since 1845.

At the end of the tour we did a bit more beer tasting, comparing their family of beers and one special holiday brew. And while I’m not a big beer drinker, I did enjoy the tasting experience and one or two brands my find their way into our fridge…
Last, we had a good pub lunch (though I think Fuller’s is better for its beer!) and headed back for the school run.

On the art end of things I was able to join a group for a tour of the Old Masters paintings at the Wallace Collection. The museum is huge, free and has something for everyone, from armor and shields to kids events to famous paintings to porcelain collections, plus a nice café.

And that same day Joe and I tried a restaurant in Notting Hill – Osteria Basilico. Fabulous food, charming interior – one I would highly recommend!

The other restaurant of interest that I hit last week after a walk of the Jewish Quarter was Rootmaster, a vegan restaurant on a double decker bus. Bizarre, I know, but very good. The bus rocked everytime anyone came upstairs, where we were perched. RM is in an eclectic part of town, great fun!

The rest of my week was filled with doctor business and Ava got out of school Thurs, so we had some down time together. Friday we swooped Claire up from school and zoomed to the zoo for a preview of the updated Rainforest Exhibit. Great tours of the upstairs with lots of monkeys, sloths, birds, toads, etc. hanging out.

Downstairs low levels of illumination for the night forest creatures and another tour guide, who gave lots of insight on various types of rats, bats and other evening critters.

We then hit the carousel and Ava’s ballet class.

And now, off to enjoy Austria for a bit!