Lainzer Tiergarten (Wild-freakin-boars)

We went hinking in the Lainzer Tiergarten. 20,000 acre wood right outside the city on our side of town. Beautiful and peaceful sylvan setting. Excellent escape from the bustle of the city. Hiking up the Lainzer Tor we were rewarded with a really nice view of Vienna.

The most exciting aspect of the experience was the wild boars. I had never seen a boar before and was really hoping to come across one and we did! He was just rooting around in the earth when we spotted him.

This beast was large and intimidating. Nevertheless, I wanted to get a good photo and tried to creep up on him. Everything was going OK until I spooked it and it charged at me!

Freaking scary. Thankfully, I was not gored. Did the trick though, I will never attempt to approach a wild boar again. After charging at me he kinda stared me down and then just trotted off into the woods.

Later in our hike we came across another boar, this time right on the trail. This one charged at both Maddy and I.

My conclusion: Wild boars are mean!

Change and Walking...

Andy and I have decided to combine forces as far as blogs go, so this can be a one stop shop for all our friends and family curious about how things are going. So, Andy and I will both be adding updates to this blog, and it should indicate who is writing:).

Today was long! We had to go to the immigration office, which was about a 10 km walk (we wanted to walk so we could see the city). I found that not being used to that amount of walking is quite painful. We were out and about walking and taking care of business from 8:30 to 5:30. Every bone from the waist down hurts! I'm determined to continue having a good walk like that every day, and I'm sure that walking won't suck so much after long. Andy, however, is a machine that neither tires nor gets hungry. So....yeah.

Here are pictures of the apartment!



This is Andy in front of the entrance to the building, Nobilegasse 14!



The entryway.

Andy pointing at our apartment.

Living area

Sleeping Area.

TV/Desk/Closets

Well, that is all for now. More pictures to come soon. The next item on the agenda is to explore the Schönbrunn. I'm sure that will be fantastic (and much closer!)

Travel and Arrival

We have finally made it! After an exhausting 6 month process, of paperwork, certifications, background checks, and vet visits, here we all sit in our tiny, comfortable apartment in Vienna.

Traveling with Nisa was difficult. I did not feed her the day before we traveled, so she wouldn't make a big mess in her box (which she didn't do!). I took her to the vet the day before we left, where she attacked everybody in the room. She was yowling and biting me all night so I would feed her, and that made me feel even worse about what I was going to be putting her through. At our layover in Washington D.C., it was so sad! She had a white crust on her nose, and she spilled her water tray all over her, and she didn't even react. It was terrible. However, she pulled through it all, and she seems quite comfortable here in the new apartment. My sweet international kitty!

Our apartment is quite nice. All the furniture is new Ikea furniture, so it is very comfortable. There is a surprising amount of storage here, and we are all moved in. There is something very satisfying about only having clothes and a few other items, especially after moving out of our old apartment!

Andy and I walked to the two grocery stores about a block or two away from our house. The first was like a dollar store, and the second was a bit nicer with more selection. The dollar store meat section had an entire pigs face for sale. That was probably the weirdest thing we saw.

The strangeness is that everything is similar, but different at the same time. I'm being reminded of German words I knew and forgot already, and I hope my German improves. I'm going to look into finding a tutor or class this week or next.

We are all happy. I have slept all day, and it's 9:30 at night and I'm wide awake! So, I will have to get my sleeping schedule figured out.

I will take pictures of the apartment and our surroundings tomorrow, and post them!