GREETINGS FROM VIENNA

Hello to all. Just a few quick lines to bring you up to speed. All is going well with our journey thus far. We arrived in Frankfurt on time and with about 7 hours to kill before we departed for the beautiful city of Vienna and the home of our very good friends Bogdan and Ewa. We took a quick bus tour around Frankfurt, then ate and then finally boarded our flight to Vienna. After being awake for nearly 18 hours, we arrived in Vienna to find Bogdan patiently waiting for us in the baggage area. Being quite tired we relaxed with Bogdan,Ewa and thier children Bartosz and Klara. They are a lovely family and we are very grateful for thier hospitality. This morning we embarked on a tour of Vienna. Along with Bogdan as our friend and guide we saw many of the relics of Austria. Ill be posting some pictures soon. Probably one of the most interesting sites we saw today was both the summer and winter residences of the Habsburgs. We also toured St Stephans church. This church, over 500 years old, lost its roof during a bombing during ww2. The roof has been rebuilt. Beneath the church are catacombs which we entered. In the catacombs are not only caskets, but preserved organs of Habsburgs long past. Additionally, during the black plague, over 13,000 people were entombed here enmasse in about 4 years time. Enough of the morbid talk. When we returned from our Vienna tour we enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Ewa. The best part for me was her chicken soup. It goes without saying that the best chicken soup is prepared by Polish hands. We ate hardily. And now for some more good news. Bogdan has spoken with Zosia. She says that Father Zoubek will be making the long journey from Szechien to Koniowka on Tuesday or Wednesday. I will have much to share when we return. Stay tuned to the blog in the next few days for exciting updates and photos. An early rise for us for our continuation to Koniowka in the morning.