We're finally here in our host country! It's hard to believe we've been here a week because it feels longer and shorter than that all at the same time, you know what I mean? The week is one big blur so I cannot really begin to tell you what we've done each day. I doubt you want a blow-by-blow account of each day anyway.
First, I want to apologize to those of you who might feel offended by finding out all the details from this blog instead of a personal email from me. Forgive me. I am doing this for efficiency's sake. It's also the reason why I created this blog in the first place. I can do more on this blog than I would in an email.
I'll begin with our flights to our destination. I was anxious about our itinerary because we had a 4-hr layover in Charlotte during A's nap time. I knew it was a busy, noisy airport and I was afraid A would never nap which in turn would make her grouchy, which in turn would make for a miserable flight overseas. Surprisingly, we ended up being in a terminal that was pretty much empty and quiet. A actually took a nap and she did well on the long flight over the Atlantic and going to sleep at bedtime. We changed planes in Munich (it was 54 degrees there - such a contrast to the heat wave we'd just left in the States!) and made it to our city.
Our city is E-NOR-MOUS. Approximately 18 million people live here and I've heard that the city proper is 700 square miles; bigger than New York City in area and population, by far. It's crowded, busy, smoggy, noisy, and as urban as it can get. We knew this but we still shook our heads now and then in a sort of stupefied way. I've noticed the sidewalks because we've been pushing A in a stroller that is pretty much fighting a losing battle against the sidewalks here. The sidewalks are not friendly to cheap umbrella strollers and poor A has been jostled about so much. It has been exhausting to push the stroller over uneven sidewalks, broken sidewalks, over high curbs, around trees growing in the middle of sidewalks, cobblestones, sidewalks that disappear, etc. This city is not your orderly, standardized city with sidewalks all exactly the same. Not to mention that we have tons of stairs to climb and trams, metros, and buses to hop on and off. The stroller is cumbersome. In short, we need a Cadillac stroller with BIG air tires and shocks and especially one with a seat that inclines. A has pretty much taken all her naps in her stroller since we have been SO busy and on the go. Poor girl.
I don't want to give a negative picture of the city. I don't hate the city but it's an adjustment. Parts of it are beautiful and picturesque. Since G has picked up photography as a hobby again, he has plenty of subjects to choose from.
So, we live in an apartment. Not surprising. We like it. The floor in our bedrooms and in the living room is parquet. The kitchen was already outfitted with a stove and dishwasher but not a fridge. Here, you have to bring your own appliances and light fixtures; stove/ovens, fridges, dishwashers, light fixtures do not come standard with an apartment when you rent it. We bought a fridge, microwave, washing machine, and dryer used. The dryer isn't hooked up and it's too hot to use it; our stuff can line dry. Our washing machine is Austrian so the labeling is all in German. Tonight, I sat down with my laptop and translated all the German words from an online dictionary. We'd already figured out how to use the washing machine but I wanted to be on the safe side. For your useless information, schleudern means "catapault, shoot from catapault, hurl, sling, centrifuge." I can picture sopping wet clothes being slung and hurled from a catapault but we can safely conclude it means "spin."
We unpacked between outings and we're done for the most part. Yesterday, we spent a great deal of time shopping for furniture and kitchen stuff like dinnerware, eating utensils, pots and pans, cooking utensils, and all the basic stuff for living. The night before, I did a big grocery shopping spree to stock my pantry. Tomorrow, we are expecting a couch and loveseat to be delivered and I tell you, we are very excited about it. We have been getting by with sitting on a mattress in our living room. We want a real couch to sit on.
So far, we are learning our way around and getting settled into our apartment. We've set up bank accounts, our phone and internet, and got cell phones. I have cooked very little since we've been out so much so our meals have been in restaurants. The national cuisine here is very delicious! Most of the dishes here are gluten-free although they eat lots of bread. No worries, bread is mostly on the side.
This post is already long so I am going to wrap up. Pictures should come soon...
