Yesterday afternoon, we took a walk to the beer garden at Nockherberg (a really healthy stroll from Josephplatz, by the way) for a book club meeting. Jen and Paul had planned to host a brunch at their place but it was so nice outside they decided to shift the venue. It was a good group – us, Jen and Paul, Lise and Richard, Stine and Christian and his twin sister, Joanna, Gary and Bev and Simon and Chrissy. The book group is really loose. I think everyone has given up on getting all of us to read the same thing at the same time, so basically we just sit around and talk about what each of us has on our bedside table at the moment. I talked a little about the two Alan Hollinghurst books I’d read recently and loved, The Line of Beauty and The Swimming Pool Library and Lise and I chatted about Colm Toibin's The Master, which we read simultaneously and thought brilliant, if a bit obtuse because of the Henry James style, which, though calculated to mimic the master, seemed heavy handed at times. It was a nice afternoon. Stine is always great to be around. Her zest and enthusiasm is infectious. I had never met her boyfriend, but he seemed like a really affable guy.

Meeting of the Minds, Nockherberg, April 3, 2004

We came home and had a nice meal and collapsed on the couch. Chris finally called his sisters and told them about our plans for the future – namely us getting married and moving to America. I have been urging him to do this, but he’s been putting it off. His family communication is almost nil while my family is constantly talking with utterly no holds barred. His sisters were both happy for us and not a bit surprised. Once they got over the initial shock of me moving here last year, I suppose there’s nothing else that’s going to rock the boat too much. I like them both and really look forward to forging a relationship with them.