Back in Vienna on Tuesday - our last day in Austria... we finished our stay with some dessert at at the Sacher Hotel (with original Sacher Torte of course, and apple strudel and really good hot chocolate too!).

But before this... I should tell you about our visit to the Cardinal's house - Cardinal Schonborn is the archbishop of Vienna, and I thought, hey, why not knock on his door and see if he is home? :) Ok, so Fr. Carola put the idea in my head, since he knows the Cardinal, knew it was his birthday on Sunday, and thought that he might see us if we stopped by - me being the type that needs only one suggestion (can you believe that? :) we tried it! The Cardinal wasn't in, but his staff was really welcoming to us. They brought us upstairs to join them in their noon prayer of the Angelus (because "if the Cardinal is around, he will probably come and join us and then you can see him"). They also gave us a few of his books (Loving the Church and My Jesus, the new one from Ignatius Press). They went out of their way for us surprise visitors, and it was very nice of them. While it's too bad we didn't see the Cardinal, that's ok, he has some great chancery staff, which is very encouraging! (You can read the Cardinal's prior comments about the Pope's new encyclical here!)

Even more fun - on our way out of the Archdiocesan offices we ran into a couple of the Little Brothers of the Lamb, who are also friends of Fr. Carola's -- joyful greetings all around, we went with them for a ways as they were going off on mission to beg for food (they are a completely Providential order, depending solely on generous donations for all their needs and ministries).

It was a wonderful final day for us in Austria - I'm pretty sure I will be back again before I leave Europe... I'm thinking May would be a nice time to go. Ok, I really need to get off the computer now, go call my parents (love you!), and then go to bed...

More news for you tomorrow, particularly about the new United States Ambassador to the Holy See, who came to visit our house for Mass and dinner yesterday!! Sweet!