101 days of Europe

   The highlight of my 100th day in Graz was Marietje's birthday party. Marietjen (middle in the photo) taught us all a series of traditional Belgian dances, complete with live music! The first two of were in a circle and we rotated partners so that all the girls danced with all of the guys- I can now say that I have danced with a dude wearing Lederhosen, lol. 

   I can still hardly believe that it has been  as long as my calendar says. I have just crossed the triple-digit line for time spent on the east side of the Atlantic. So, I started thinking about what has happened since February 2nd... 

   My first impressions of Graz and Austria have certainly changed. I didn't really like Graz when I first stepped off the train (or Vienna, for that matter!). It was cold, gray, and smelled (PM, NOx, SOx, ozone... for my Sci friends). None of the streets are parallel, so my usual map-making system could not fit everything onto a convenient grid. Now I appreciate the treasures tucked into the crooked corners and am always amazed at how lovely (but balanced) the weather is. Really, coloured buildings pop against a blue sky, rather than gray!