This one wild and precious life!!: Final Thoughts

July 19

It's over 3 months since we returned from our amazing trip, and my account of it wouldn't be complete without some final thoughts. There's so much that I miss about European life, and wish we had some tastes of those here. But there are also many things about my life here that I wouldn't trade for anything. So, here is a by-no-means exhaustive list.
What I will miss:
* The beauty, tradition and culture of the cities of Europe--museums on every corner, architecture from many centuries, castles and palaces.
* The music of Vienna and Salzburg, the fact that classical music is visible and audible no matter where you go, and treated with respect, honor and appreciation.
* The beauty of the spires, domes and rooftops of the buildings, more often than not against the backdrop of a river running through the city.
* Kaffee und Kuchen (Coffee--though I don't drink that much, hot chocolate was a lovely substitute, and cake), not only the foods themselves, but the institution of sitting in a cafe which is beautifully decorated, choosing the cake of choice from an artfully arranged display case, being served on elegant china by snooty waiters who will let you sit there for hours and whom you have to practically wrangle for the check in the end.
* Schnitzel (of all kinds) and chips, Cheese Spaetzle, and many other foods.
* Cobblestone streets, almost too narrow for 2 cars to drive on at the same time.
* Public transportation that will get you almost anywhere.
* Having tax and much of the tip included in the price you see on a restaurant menu, so that the price you see is what you really pay.
* The chance to celebrate a holiday surrounded by the warmth of a large extended family.

Some things I won't miss:
* The cost of the above Kaffee und Kuchen or some of those above-mentioned meals.
* The fact that they look at you like a crazy person if you ask for tap water in a restaurant.
* The European idea of a salad.
* Sore feet (partly from the lovely cobblestones).
* Grey skies.
* Trying to convert Euros, Kroner and Florints to dollars to see how much I'm overpaying (for some things).

All in all, the first list is a lot longer than the second, and I will definitely look forward to the chance to visit Europe again. Despite the weather it was a wonderful experience: the holiday with the family and our time in Israel, spending time with Shiri in her environment and seeing her thrive there, experiencing new places and reliving the old ones, a reunion with an old, dear friend, and the beauty that is Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Budapest, Bratislava, Jerusalem, and even Beersheva, I am so grateful that I got to experience it all!