I can´t tell you how many time when I was 19 I walked by the Kunsthistorisches museum on the top left and by the statue of Maria Theresia. You can see the booths getting read for the KristKindelMarkt for this Saturday! Can't wait! I'm standing by the Vienna Opera house where we had our vocal lessons with Miss Christa Ludwig! Carla is standing by one of the many beautiful shops on the main shopping lane headed towards StephansDome. 41 Kircengasse is the addess of my pension from years past! Yes, that foot picture is the tile I walked on many, many times just before heading up the several flights of stairs to my room. I'm heading up! Look up those stairs! We enjoyed a wonderful meal at the restaurant we ate lunch at every day we were in Vienna those many years ago!!

Tuesday, we enjoyed lunch with Prof. Michael Temma of the Institut fur Gesang und Musiktheater by Schonbrunn. We were enjoying his recliners observing his new t.v. He was kind enough to show us around. They are possibly going to collaborate with George Mason University. Great possibilities!

Consider the double picture a technical difficulty not an over abundance of self worth!! I've had the hardest time getting my pictures downloaded!! Yikes! We had gone to church Sunday in Vienna. It was one of the most welcoming wards we had ever been in. We were greeted with open arms. The people were incredible. We met a young man from the BYU Study Abroad. He had met his dad recently for the first time here in Austria. He hadn't seem him until now because of a hard divorce. That was quite a story. An amazing young man.

Monday, Carla was kind enough to make the jaunt with me to my stomping grounds from my Study Abroad from more years ago than I would like to admit! Kirchengasse is the street my pension was on. Always a blast from the past when I visit Kirchengasse. I would have to say that that time of my life was to this day one of the biggest highlights of my life! Each time I come, I cry!

We arrived in Vienna, Austria, Thusday, 11-8. We had dashed and driven for hours. Why the hurry? Because we were singing for "The Miss Christa Ludwig" at 2:30 p.m. We got to Vienna early, had just enough time to get dressed in our most fabulous apartment (can you tell we were impressed???) and hussled to the Vienna Opera House. She is so gracious! We both had vocal lessons of a life time on Friday! Pictures to come..........The other picture is with a lovely lady from Argentina. I'll enter her name later, I forgot to bring her name to the intenet cafe...oops.. well, she remembers Celeste very, very well. She said that she had Celeste in her home many times. She had a great love for Celesste. Every time I mentioned Celeste's name, she would cry. Like most everyone I know, Celeste is very special....all love her! What a coincidence running into a lady at church just visiting from Argentina who knew my sister on her mission 25 plus years ago!

After a coaching with Erika (11-6), we continued having a wonderful day inWiesbaden with Susan. We went on base for lunch, ran some errands and walked by the opera house to our favorite scarf store!

The next day on Wednesday (11-7), Carla and I sang for an agent and then dashed off for Vienna. It was raining and pretty tired. We actually found a motel, it really said motel off of the Autobahn on our way.........thus, the we found a bed and were ready to konk out!!

Carla had a fabulous audition at the Mainz Opera House! She was great! Whomever hires Carla will be very fortunate! That night we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Nadine Secunde's home. She is an amazing cook. We were joined by Susan and Bret Hamilton and later on the evening by Erika and Gerhardt Le Roux. Susan and Bret are both outstanding singers. Susan is also a member of the ward there in Wiesbaden. She had flown in from the US on Thursday and showed up Friday with a desert. Is that going over the top or what? I just love her. I don't have a picture of Erika, darn!! Erika is an amazing coach!! I love her, love her, love her! Thank you Erika. Erika and Gerhardt could keep anyone laughing for hours. They did just that with us. They are both from South Africa. What a great couple. I've already mentioned about Nadine. She has made our experience in Germany even more special. Thank you Nadine. I had to put the picture of Nadine's wooden carved lamp shade on the blog. Quite unique!

Okay, some more spa pictures...we couldn't help but pose! The third picture is Ben dressed like the real Harry Potter..you know, Ben really is the real Harry Potter!! Happy Halloween.

It looks like this is the last of the Burt family pictures. We had spent about a week with them. We had the best visit ever. Carla was doing some recovering from a cold so we hung out for several days. It really gave me time to visit with my brother and siter in law, Dave & Debbie and niece and nephew, Claralynn and Ben. These days are forever charished memories. Debbie & Dave have lived far away all their married life from us. It was so nice to really spend time with them. Debbie you are truly beautiful. I am so lucky to have you as my sister in law..and all the rest of you, Dave, Claralynn and Ben...cherished memories being with all of you. Thank you for such a lovely time!!

Carla and I ate at a fabulous restaurant in Mainz, Heiligeist, Holy Ghost. Quite the name. They say it was an old hospital. It really looks like the inside of an old church. Very interesting place....more like California cuisine with a holy twist!

This first picture is me at the door to the singer's entrance to the Stuttgart Opera House. I had a fabulous coaching with Stephen Hess. He is an American coach whose as been coaching at Stuttgart opera for around 30 years. Carla and I finished our coachings with dinner at a Chinese restaurant in downtown Stuttgart. Debbie had been given a year ago a gift certificate to a fabulous spa outside of her town, Shoenaich. Carla and I had the pleasure of getting to enjoy her gift certificate with Debbie. We went from pool to pool to pool on a beautiful sunny day. I did the real European thing!! I went from a hot spa to a freezing cold pool to a warm pool. I can actually say it was exhilerating!!

I really like your pictures. She country side is beautiful and so are all the people. The lunch looked great. Did you have a chaser of lipitor? Sheldon and I took another load to the dump and went to sam's club for salt and groceries.

I rode my bike to the lake yesterday w/ my new shoes and cleats. I didn't fall on my maiden bike. I did fall when I was tring to practice in the driveway. I need to remember I left footed. We had a beautiful sunny day today.

Debbie, Dave, and the Kids look great. Iam glad you are having this chance to spend time with them. Living in Germany looks great. Vacations are great. If you have a chance to find a surgical instrument manufacturer let me know. love steve

After the perfect walk, we had the perfect lunch at home, the perfect nap and then practiced! It just keeps getting better! Thanks again Steve, kids, mom & dad for all your support!