Final Tally

1. Countries visited: 3.

2. Cities visited: 13.

3. Trains taken: 10.

4. Talks given: 11.

5. Funiculars ridden: 3.

6. Castles toured: 6.

7. Hotels stayed in: 9.

8. Official dinners eaten: 16.

9. Hospitals visited: 15.

10. Asparagus stalks consumed: Hundreds.

11. Friends made: Countless.

12. Blog entries posted: 100.

It really has been an incredible experience, and I loved every minute of it.

Thanks for reading!

Love, Susan

Things I Learned

1. Most doctors in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany (ASG) wear whites in the hospital.

2. People in ASG don't clap to applaud...they rap their knuckles on a desktop or armrest.

3. Public restrooms in ASG are incredibly clean and private. Visitors from there to the US must be disgusted when they see what we have.

4. There may be such a thing as too much asparagus.

5. There may also be such a thing as too much chocolate, bread, and cake, but I apparently didn't approach it.

6. It isn't as easy to motivate oneself to exercise in a hotel room as I thought it would be.

7. When traveling by train on a Eurailpass, seat reservations cannot be made online...you must do it at a train station.

8. When multiple people tell you to "pack less than you think you need", believe them!

Hopes & Dreams Revisited

So, here's what I accomplished:

1. Drink Eiswein. (I didn't have Eiswein, but I drank plenty of other wine and, of course, beer).

2. Go to the opera in Vienna. (Done, and it was one of the best experiences of the trip).

3. Go to the symphony in Berlin. (Were we in Berlin?)

4. Buy Steiff teddy bear keychains for Eli and JoJo. (Done).

5. Complete my Rosenthal coffee cup set. (Done, but I've yet to find out if they survived being shipped over).

6. Ditto for John's espresso cup set. (Ditto).

7. Try at least 3 new flavors of gummi candy. (Done).

8. Visit Dachau. (This was something we unfortunately didn't have time to do).

9. Reconnect with some of my old friends from Salzburg. (Done, and it was really fun to catch up after so long).

10. Spend time with my dear friend Alex and her family in Heidelberg. (Done, despite a last minute threat posed by the Icelandic volcano).

11. Give myself "carbs amnesty" and eat fresh bread, pastry, and potatoes every day. (Done, and then some).

12. Take the Gustav Klimt walk through Vienna. (We didn't do the walk, but we went to the Belvedere, where many of Klimt's most famous works are hanging).

13. Buy Mozartkugeln. (Done, not to mention sampling every other type of chocolate I came across as well).

14. Have a "Bosna" for lunch. (Done...and it just might have been the highlight of the whole trip).

Overall, I'd say I didn't do too badly.

Verkehrt und Umgekehrt (Upside Down and Turned Around)

The last few days of the trip, I was feeling a bit tired, and I was looking forward to getting home, and even dreamed about home the last couple of nights away. Today, it seems like the whole trip went by so quickly, and last night I dreamed about being back in Europe.

Swag

We were presented with gifts at many of the hospitals we went to. I came home with 1 baseball cap, 1 winter cap, 3 bags, 3 scarfs, 1 coffee table book, 1 cd, 2 t-shirts, 1 coffee mug, 2 pens, 1 kitchen magnet, 1 key chain, 1 business card holder, 1 group picture of our visit, and a chocolate bunny. Not bad.

Someone Is Still Giving Me The Cold, Yet Furry, Shoulder

Elvira is none too sure about my return. She's still giving me a pretty wide berth. When I got home last night, she didn't come running right up to me, and when I picked her up, she cried and looked longingly at John. I think it's going to take a few days before she forgives me for going away for a month. However, she did enjoy picking out a souvenir.

Home Sweet Home (For Real)

It was actually a relief to arrive back in Omaha after about 21 hours of travel yesterday (I left the hotel in Baden Baden at 6 AM and arrived home at about 8 PM Omaha time, which translates to 3 AM German time). John met me and Suitcase-Zilla at the airport, and made a light dinner for me (scrambled eggs with fresh herbs, well-done like I like them, and a light fresh cabbage salad). It was nice to be back in my own house, with my own bed. Especially since my garden looks so beautiful right now, with loads of tulips and my favorite bleeding hearts blooming.