Almabtrieb

Orientation and Internet

Dear All, the past week has been CRAZY for me, setting up shop in Steiermark. I've been hiking in the mountains, saw an Almabtrieb (when the farmers bring all their livestock down from the mountain at the end of the summer... pictures to come) and attended a belly-dancing festival in Niederöblarn, Austria. It's been quite a week!

Now I'm in Graz for a week of orientation which begins this evening. I know some of you want to read about my spa experience, but that will have to wait until I have some sort of Internet connection. Earliest will probably be Friday, unless I can hook up to the wireless here at the conference venue.

First Impressions

I arrived in Austria on Saturday, and spent the day with my friends, Kurt, Annemarie, und Walter. The next day, K & A drove me to Irdning. Annemarie's parents went with us, because the priest who married them in the 1990s now lives in Irdning - Small world! (the Austrians say, die Welt ist ein Dorf, "the world is a village").

So far, the whole experience has been a sensory banquet. Everything is to be savored, from the natural beauty of the fall colors and mountain vistas, to the architecture and flowerboxes of the pastel-colored houses. The smell of wood smoke is in the air, as it gets chilly, particularly at night! The delightful smell of Wienerschnitzel emanating from a local restaurant, and the aroma of Julius Meinl coffee in the morning contrasts starkly with farm animals and their attendant odors. One hears cowbells and church bells mixed with the twitter of birds, the plash of corner fountains fed by moutain springs, and the nearly unintelligible Styrian dialect. The taste of Steiermark in fall is pumpkin and Sturm. Pumpkin season includes the delicious pumpkinseed oil which is dark in color and nutty in flavor, as well as pumpkin cream soup and dishes using pumpkin meat. I had a wonderful pumpkin goulash in Vienna. Sturm is grape juice which is just beginning to ferment into wine. It comes in white, red, and Schilcher, which is a Styrian specialty. September has been relatively warm, and the sun on one's face is as welcome here as a cooling rain in Baton Rouge. And at night it is wonderful to hunker down under a down comforter.

The most surprising thing I've done since I arrived is go to a spa. Bad Aussee is a resort town for Austria's rich and famous. I can tell you all about the Austrian spa and sauna experience, but it's not for the faint of heart! Send me an email and I'll tell you all about it!

Skype

One of the ways I hope to keep in touch with people is through Skype, an Internet communication system that is FREE. Skype offers different services, including the opportunity to chat online in real time. It will work with a simple headset (microphone and headphone) but works best with a webcam so you can see the person you're talking to. You can also do Internet messaging, and set up an international telephone account so you can call any telephone in the world from your computer for pennies a minute. You can download the software from www.skype.com My screen name is pocketjoey. Just send me an email if you want to test the waters!

Safely arrived in IC

Arrived in IC Saturday around 2:30, just in time to catch up to my parents at the Natural History Museum for their first calendar signing. The Iowa Nature Calendar is available just in time for the holidays. Saturday night Dad and Jean attended the Iowa Game, while I watched LSU on TV (Go Hawks! Geaux Tigers!). I'll be catching up with friends between now and my departure on Friday. I still have 5000 rollover minutes on my phone, so please give me a call! 225/939-5098.

The Odyssey begins!

Last night I met with some friends and colleagues for one last goodbye at Chimes East. I left Baton Rouge this morning at 7:15 with a fully loaded car and armed with my old car tapes from the 1980s. Would you believe that the first song that played on my "Funky Favorites" tape was Falco's "Vienna Calling"? How appropriate! Then I listened to the Dillards (they played the Darling family on the old Andy Griffith TV show... "Rainmaker" always makes me cry!). I found a Paul Simon tape my friend Danielle had made for me, and "Graceland" started playing just as I entered Memphis! And there's a line from one song, "Aren't you the woman who was recently given a Fulbright?"! And I sang along to the B-52s and rocked out with the Ventures (remember the theme song to "Hawaii Five-0"?)

So about 570 miles later, I'm relaxing at a luxurious Hampton Inn. I had a a pulled rib sandwich in Mississippi with fries and coleslaw, so for dinner I opted for a chocolate-coconut sundae and coffee at Outback - I've earned it! Tomorrow, Iowa City or bust!

Only two more days in BR

The apartment is moved out of and I'm trying to make last minute contact with friends and students. Ed and I spent a lovely day in New Orleans on Labor Day Monday, where a lady sketched our picture:

On Saturday, some of my students had a party for me at the Chimes. Most of them were from LSU in Germany, and we had an excellent time (I did anyway!). On Tuesday, the Whiskey Widows had a party in my honor at the Patrician. Thanks, everyone, for the wonderful send-offs!

The car is in the shop, being prepared for the long trip north. I'm in my office at LSU today, tidying up.