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Vienna 2023, Week 1 - arrival, dance and finding our feet

And here we are again - Vienna, my hometown, all summer long. This time we flew from Heathrow... I would choose the train again, as would the kids, but it's three times the cost for a single journey than it is to fly there and back. I just can't do that.

We arrived at nearly midnight and my sister was there to let us into the flat. The next morning was Sunday, and I had already scoped out the nearest parish church, St Florian: rebuilt after the war in a modern style that I really like, though I'm not fond of the Tabernacle being placed in a random spot at the side of where the congregation sits - it's hard to know where to bow to! 

The kids had a little table there and met a lovely little Iranian girl.

In their little spot at the side


Loving the old organ

They have abandoned the big altar at the back, using an odd 
wooden contraption closer to the congregation instead...

Monday morning was off to dance camp - the jump-right-in experience where the kids spent every day 8-5 doing dance, sports, swimming... amongst other Austrian kids, where they had to get on with their German. And they did. And they loved it. Every night they came home so tired and happy, it was a brilliant week!

The camp is at the very northern edge of the city. Last year we stayed nearby, which meant we could walk to the camp but then had to commute into the city for everything else in the weeks following. This time I booked us into a more central place, but it did mean quite a commute in the morning to the camp this week. 


And what did I do, you ask? I didn't have a week off, I realised I had scheduled myself some work each and every one of those five days! Not on purpose, but hey - it meant I had something to do each day, but still enough time to get to grocery shops and relax. And an income, which is never a bad thing.

On Friday afternoon, the dance camp celebrates its great finish with a show for the parents. Such fun! First, the kids get their prizes for the previous day's 'Olympic Games' (involving eating gummy worms, jumping through hoops and similar...) D(7) scored 3rd in his age group, and N(8) 4th!

Running to collect his prize!



And finally, the dancing! Over the course of the week, they work through a choreography for each age group as well as one for all to do together. Didn't they do great!




Made a lovely friend whom we hope to meet up with later this summer




Of course, both kids have decided they'll absolutely do this again next year. What a blast.

After this full on week though, we thought we'd take it easy and spend our Saturday by the Danube. 35 degrees, that seemed the best thing to do. Restful it wasn't though, at least not for them - of course they found kids to play with again and while I spent most of the day reading in the shade, they were out there the entire time except a few half hours I made them spend in the shade for a break. We all fell in our beds - what a week. 





Tired but happy.



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Comments

  1. Anonymous16 July 2023 at 12:52

    How lovely to watch the dance group amazing things you been up too I loved all the photos of your children see you soon enjoy the rest of your time away

    ReplyDelete

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