Aesop, for those of you who don’t know it, is a luxury skincare brand, born in Australia in the late 80s. And although it’s now been bought out by L’Oréal it’s still got that Aussie feeling to me.
I remember coming across it in my 20s… sure it smelt great, but it wasn’t cheap. And as someone who slaps on a bit of moisturiser (maybe) in the morning, definitely not for me.
But every now and again I’d come across a sample and think, well that is nice.
Continue reading
In summer, the Austrian lakes are lovely for cooling off in, even if they do leave you smelling like a fish tank instead of a salt lick. In winter, if it gets cold enough, you can ice skate on them, which I’ve been lucky enough to do a couple of times since I’ve been living here.
The most well-known lake close to me is Weissensee – because it’s a bit higher in altitude it generally freezes first. But it’s a bit of a drive and not something we’re up for with a small child who is not quite ready to ice skate.
Continue reading
Since I’ve been in Austria now over ten years, I consider myself to be fairly adept at driving in the snow. I’ve done it plenty, right? Last week, hubby was predicting a lot of snow throughout the day, so when it started, I figured I’d head out for the weekly shop before it got worse.
I thought it could be fun.
I was WRONG.
Continue reading
At this point our little guy is only wearing nappies overnight. Another milestone achieved! So, we said goodbye to the nappy bin and in the mornings all we do is throw the overnight nappy in the outside bin and we’re done for the day.
Should be easy, right?
Except, on these freezing winter mornings, I’ve discovered that quite often the outside bin can be frozen shut. And that’s how a pee-filled, swollen overnight nappy often sits on our bin until a bit later in the day.
I think this would not happen very often in Australia!
Christmas markets are something Austria is definitely not lacking in, but when we heard that our regular summer beach spot, Lignano, was holding a Christmas market over December, we thought… why not? Something different. And definitely warmer than cold ol’ Austria. So, we packed ourselves and the in-laws up, and off we went to see what it was about.
Continue readingLiving in a German world means I spend a lot of time translating text. Sometimes I can do it as I read along, other times I put that text into Google translate to give me a quick hint. And these days a lot of stuff is automatically translated, especially online. Sometimes the translations make sense. Other times… you get results like the ones below.
Continue reading
We had some strange weather this year. Steady and predictable to begin with, then a delightful blistering heatwave, followed by some days in July that I can only describe as… cold. Cold as in the outdoor pool dropped back to below 22 degrees and I didn’t bother swimming for a week. The season finished well though, with late warmth going right into October.
All things considered, the garden did pretty well. And there was even a lovely sunflower as an accidental centrepiece.
Continue reading
Was I crazy for considering a weekend away, just me and my toddler? Some would for sure say yes, others would say go for it!
The idea began forming after I came home from Australia earlier this year… as a way that I could re-connect with Sammy after such a long absence. But the months went by and I baulked when it came to actually booking. I have to admit, I was afraid. How would it work? Would I survive? Holidays with kids are not holidays, it’s just parenting in another location without the comforts of home.
Continue reading
I love summer. With good weather, long nights, the swimming pool open and the garden to nurture, there’s plenty to do. So, since Sam’s not yet in school, we generally plan holidays in shoulder season when it’s quieter, and cheaper. But all of a sudden, summer was about to end, and I hadn’t organised anything.
That’s how it came to be that I was due to head away every weekend in September.
And guess what? It was too much.
Continue readingAs I’ve said before, I’m not a huge fan of sharing my fiction. Still, every now and again I let one out of the cage. So, here’s a story that was chosen for inclusion in one of Stringybark Stories’ books a few years back. Enjoy!
(You can visit http://www.stringybarkstories.net for more info on Stringybark Stories).
Continue reading
an aussie in austria 