Day 13 – July 13, 2003
A Relaxing Day
Considering the previous day we had, I think we deserved some down time. The kids were up before me. Beno was playing CDs on the floor and Cosbo was eating breakfast. Today we got to spend some time with them and with Gabi. Her involvement with the Theater im Bahnhof has kept her pretty busy.
 DJ Beno |
 Ahh! Refreshing |
Beno has had a pretty rough week. One day he fell at his grandmother’s house and had to go to the hospital. He whacked his head on a metal chair or table or something like that. Luckily he did not need stitches. Then, when we were eating on the Schlossberg, he tripped and fell while playing and hit the other side of his head on a metal chair. He got a pretty good sized bump.
We think he is going to grow up to be either a professional wrestler or a stuntman. Either way, he’s getting his practice in now that’s for sure.
He’d have one more bump on the noggin on our last day in town. He bent over to play with a toy in a market place, then stood up to tell Gabi about it. At that point he hit the back of his head on a shelf. Luckily he was wearing a had so there was no real damage done to him or the shelf.
In the States you could have had 3 lawsuits in court already. I’m told though that it is just not the Austrian way to do things. People just don’t sue each other with the frequency and ease that they do in the States.
When accidents happen, the Austrian attitude seems to be, "That’s why we have insurance." A very healthy attitude for a society to have I think.
Lunch at Rupp
We packed up the car and headed up to a place called Rupp. A winery and farm located on a country hillside. We met up with Helmut and Eva from the theater and their 2 boys. Come to think of it, they had come to the Starcke-Haus on the Schlossberg the day before as well.
I love the fresh food you get around here. Nothing is ever over cooked or laced with preservatives and hormones. And, you always seem to get just the right amount of food.
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This is one of the reasons why you see very few overweight people in Austria. At least not as much as the US where more is always considered better when it comes to food. Where you can order a 5 pound deep fried onion loaf or super biggie sized french fries with your triple Whopper and chocolate shake.
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Today I had a sampler plate of smoked meat. That’s it, not cooked … smoked. The site of it put me off a bit, but it was delicious. Of course I had salad, bread and some yummy apple wine as well.
A strange thing happened just as I chomped down on a particularly tasty slice of bacon. A little piglet ran past my feet and through the outdoor dining area. You could almost here him saying, "That’s my mom!"
I felt a little guilty, but still kept eating as the children ran off to chase the little guy. I tried to get a picture, but they were to fast.
The kids had plenty of room here to run around and play. This is the case with many of these outdoor cafes. And .. the parents don’t panic. They let the kids be kids.
Along with the elusive piglet, there were quite a bit of animals wandering around this place today. Two enormous geese, that little piglet and one very cantankerous rooster. He’d strut by and cackle something nasty to us and strut away.
There were two large dogs. Well one large, one absolutely huge. He was sleeping by are table when we arrived. He was so incredibly still that we started to worry that maybe he was dead. Something finally startled him and he practically knocked over the table trying to get out.
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The big attraction was the donkey. Everyone wanted to get close and pet him. The adults as well as the kids. I chose to hang back and take pictures.
Quizoola! and Contemplation
Even though the Republic of Acconci an der Mur had dissolved, there was one more night of events on he island that we wanted to see. This was a weird one. A group from England called Forced Entertainment dressed as disheveled clowns and sit in a ring of light bulbs. There they asked each other a series of about 2000 questions. It was an open door policy so the audience came and left through out the performance. Though I heard only a small bit of it, Eric tried to hold on a bit longer.
He came out to where Hilary and I were sitting and just shook his head. We were unable to figure out what they were doing. According to the group, their intention is to pose the question of what is real and what is performed. Still, it was lost on us. Eric quipped, "We got one performance in English and this is it?" I suppose that since they claim one of their purposes is to unnerve the audience, they succeeded.
But now, a sad moment for me. Sitting in silence on the Island as the water flowed by beneath me and the wind twisted the tattered Acconci flag. The reality of the end drawing near became clear to me. I will this place.
I remembered the people, the music, the laughter and the freedom of spirit. I recalled my joke about the only fat people in Graz are the police because there is virtually no crime here. We left guitars in the back of Norbert’s car for 2 days on the street with no incident. I misplaced my silver backpack on more than enough occasions only to find it hours later, in the place I left it and completely intact. Cell phones were left on bars and tables safely unattended.
The Republic of Acconci may have been staged for theatrical purposes, but there was much truth in their farce. Graz is a city that is secure, friendly and comfortable. Exactly what the Acconci was meant to represent. Eviva Acconci!
The wind dries a tear. What will I take home from this place? When will I return? How long will I stay when I do? All questions that fill my head and my heart as I try to save my soul. For the first time in a very long time I feel I have found home. They say home is where the heart is and right now my heart is in Graz.
Sleep Did Not Come Easy
It was back to the flat for dinner and a quiet night of reflection. Norbert’s sister Iliana and her friend were there. I met them a couple of days before. Iliana had spent some time in London so she had some Pounds to convert. I had some Euros left so we went online and figured out the exchange rate. For just a few moments, I was a financial mogul in Austria.
Though not as late of a night as usual, no one wanted to go to bed. At least i did not. We couldn’t imagine this trip coming to a close. We all stood in the hallway by the open window with a wilderness of flying insects racing for the light. It was an unusually hot and still night. Finally though, the time came to retire and face the next day. The day of departure.
I would lie awake in the bed for what seemed like forever. Once again thinking of what else I would miss about this place. The new love and freindship felt from amazing people. The welcoming warmth of old freinds Norbert, Gabi and the family. The musical energy of performing with Eric in a new world. The stimulating on-stage electricity coming from the enthusiasm of Anne, Albi and Norbert.
Puntigamer Beir, brewed right here in Graz it is a tasty lager in either a large blue can or a large brown bottle. The bottles are returned for payment and they are cleaned, sanatized and reused.
You could drink this stuff all night and not get that beer gag or a hangover or the constant need to piss. Like the food and the music, we’re talking quality. It quickly became my beer of choice.
You can control the flow of the water in the toilets! This is probably one of the single greatest things on earth. No more of that embarrasing second flush. Hey, we all know what it’s for. Here you just hit the start side of the lever, wait and then hit the stop side. Brilliant!! Works to conserve water too. Why use the same amount of water for small messes as for large. No need here!
I felt a bit of pride when I was told that two of the more popular TV shows here are The Simpsons and NYPD Blue. That is next to the hardcore porn that have at night on basic cable.
And sleep finally came …
 July 2003 |
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| 13 | 14 | 15 | Graz Links | |||
