Christie and Vicki's European Adventure: Day 1, Vienna / a look back at Oberammergau

I arrived in Vienna with Christoph last night around midnight, had a very short sleep and a fast breakfast, and then before I even knew where I was, I found myself on a train heading to the airport to meet Gramma. The trip to the airport was uneventful in that I managed to get on all the right trains and end up at the right airport at the right time, but there was one pretty strange thing-- there was a live Gypsy band playing ON the train. Not at the station, but actually standing up in the train, playing accordions and fiddles and everything. I'm pretty sure this actually happened, although it sure does resemble the kind of dreams I often have.
Gramma and I took a taxi to the hotel in the middle of the city (I can tell it's the middle because the streets are so narrow that cars don't fit). It'll probably be sometime tomorrow when she comes alive again. She's here, she's fine, she's looking good, but she's definitely getting kicked in the butt by jet lag. I can totally understand that, and actually, I'm thankful that today's a resting day because I still haven't caught my breath since the Cimbalom World Congress.
I've just come from five amazing days in Oberammergau, Germany, communing with some of the world's best dulcimer/hackbrett/cimbalom/etc. players. There was absolutely no time to be blogging from there, but if I'd had the chance, I could've written all about the massive variety of music I was hearing, the reunion of friends from the 2003 congress in Appenzell, meeting many new friends, and sharing an absolutely unforgettable experience with my fellow Americans.
Here's just a sample of the music that went on there.

And here's where we were, Oberammergau.