December 1998

Dear everyone,

As I write this newsletter, the temperatures in Prague have already dipped below the freezing mark, and snow covers our backyard lawn, surprising both me and the dandelions.  It looks like a long, cold winter will be our lot, something we haven't had for two years, and we look forward to some good skiing.  We are still relatively hale and healthy, and, in fact, we have taken to an exercise program and a non-fatty diet that have left us diminished in size but more energetic than ever.  As for Prague, it is still THE place to be in Europe, with its combination of exquisite architecture, top flight art, music and restaurants, and very reasonable prices.  We can't believe our good fortune to have landed here just at the right time in history.

Last year proved to be another good one, filled with our usual blend of travel and an appropriate amount of work, whilst socking away extra bucks for retirement.  Spring was especially fun, with another week-long trip to Provence and long weekends in Austria which we spent biking up and down the hills, more alive with wild flowers than music.  Austria has become our retreat of choice, now that we have seen most of the rest of Europe, and we always feel that we're in a movie when we go there.  Last summer we returned to the States as usual (thanks to some 60 mg of valium), spending some quality time in New Jersey and driving to Florida to see the folks with a mid-way stop in Columbia to visit friends, check on our property and try to open our storage unit (impossible).  Returning to Europe, we proceeded to drive across the continent to the D-Day beaches of Normandy, which is a pilgrimage that every American should have to take before being allowed to vote.

It has been a wet year so far, and our fall vacation plans were literally drowned by the intense precipitation.  In October, we rented a gorgeous villa on the slopes of the precipitous mountains surrounding Lake Como in Italy, in a secluded area along a narrow, winding road that made driving a heart-stopping experience.  Touring was made even more difficult by the never-ending rain which drenched us for 6 long days without respite.  Fortunately, we had a fireplace that we kept stoked and blazing constantly, the environmental consequences of which will probably be felt for years to come.  That disappointment behind us, we did manage a weekend near Vienna, traveling along the Danube while the fall colors were at their peak.  We landed in the village of Durnstein, whose ruined castle's most famous "guest" was Richard the Lion-hearted some 700 years ago.  Now the town sits immaculately groomed in the river valley among vineyards that produce luscious wines which we purchased in quantity.

As for future plans and travels, we are really looking forward to a long Christmas vacation that will take us to the southern-most point of Spain, where we have rented a villa on the beach for two weeks.  It is ideally located for visiting the highlights of Andalusia, including Gibraltar, Malaga, Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada, while enjoying the mildest winter climate in Europe.  On the return, we will pass through the French Riviera and up through Italy to Austria where we will have our usual apartment in Kirchberg waiting for us for a week of skiing.  I can taste the apple strudel with hot vanilla sauce already!

We know that our time in Europe will be drawing to a close in the not-too-distant future so we are trying to fill a few of the gaps in our experience while we can.  It looks like we will be able to retire in comfort in 2.5 years, or, if we have to, we can quit in 1.5 years with a little less comfort.  We know that we'll have some heavy transition expenses when we finally do leave, such as purchasing a car and an entire household of furniture, and the specter of providing our own health insurance coverage keeps us awake at night.  All in all, no complaints.

And that's it again, from Golden Prague, with all our love.