Naschmarkt or Smashmarkt?

Train ride into Vienna

Steve took this picture of Naschmarkt. It doesn't look crowded here ... but I won't lie to you.

Vienna is having unseasonably warm temperatures. This means - if you're from Bend, Oregon - you are sticky, dripping hot and - if you're Steve Vossler - borderline grumpy. (insert smiley face)

This would not be a day for a man who doesn't like crowds or heat to head to the center of Vienna for Naschmarkt. I knew this, but I didn't mention it. I wanted to be a supportive wife. He told me I shouldn't have been so biblical.


Naschmarkt was crowded, hot, crowded, busy and crowded. But we were thrilled we negotiated our first ever foray into Vienna. We still have our children. We also had delicious hummus and flatbread from a Turkish vendor. And we are finding that Austrians seem to love children - they were always offering tastes of yummy somethings to our boys (and counting them). There seemed to be more delicious food, but we escaped Smashmarkt and we'll try again another day.

Additionally, the boys love riding the train. They don't have to buckle up. If Si hasn't fallen asleep, he arrives on the train and says, "Bu?" That is "Si" for, "Would you please unbuckle me so I can move from seat to seat and look out the window and yell when I see an airplane?" The big boys wish we would let them try to balance without holding onto anything. They call it surfing.