July 14 Expanding the Beach Head

Four days in, and our fearless Schattman explorers have conquered the bus system, a weekly farmer's market, the public library, a network of key playgrounds, the cheapest places to shop, the girls' soon-to-be school, and a great kids' museum.

Tomorrow we try church. There's a classic t-shirt for Austrian tourists that reads THERE ARE NO KANGAROOS IN AUSTRIA. Well, we've also just learned that THERE ARE NO MENNONITES IN SALZBURG. So we're looking around for the "next best thing".

In searching for churches, I feel like Tom Cruise in Rain Man, as he's trying to order in dinner over the phone for his autistic brother, who will only eat tapioca pudding for dessert on Wednesdays. "Oh, and uh, tapioca pudding. You got tapioca pudding?" "No, sir, we don't." "Well, then just bring the closest thing."

Behold, we find a church on the web that just might be the "next closest thing": a break-away Catholic church that seems marketed towards disgruntled ex-Catholics. It's gay-friendly. Communion is open to anyone. The pope is not always right. Divorcees and mixed families are welcome.  How bad can it be? Let's give it a try.