You know you’re in Austria not Australia when… you bang on the wall and almost break your hand

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curtains

I think for some it’s a natural reaction to bang on a wall when there’s a loud or annoying noise on the other side. Like if your neighbour in the flat next door is playing loud music, or a toddler is crashing around above.

Now, in Australia it’s very satisfying to do this. Because walls are hollow, made of plasterboard, when you knock or bang on them, you are rewarded with a hearty sound.

But what happens when you do it in Austria… on walls made of concrete?

Ouch.

Just the sound of your cry of pain as you remember that the walls are, in fact, made of concrete.

You know you’re in Austria and not Australia when… you have a parking clock

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Now here is a concept I had never seen before I came to Austria!

Austria clock parking

If you’re parking in any of the towns, especially smaller ones, carrying a parking clock is absolutely essential. Some places are marked with areas that are free for a certain amount of time – like 30 minutes or one hour. And to track how long your car has been there, you need to set your parking clock.

You set it for the time you arrived, so when the parking inspector moseys by, they will only issue a fine if it’s an hour (or whatever time is allowed) past the time your clock is marked at.

Once you get the hang of it, it’s great. Other times, you forget, and get a fine. Or you confuse 12 and 24 hour time, and get a fine. But so far I’ve only been unlucky once!

Our latest adventure – two bonding weeks

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India

Last year, I took four weeks off parenting to fly back to Australia alone. This year, guess what? I did it again. Now, that might seem like a lot for some people, but it’s also something that comes with the territory of moving to another country.

The distance, the cost, the jetlag… it all adds up. Two weeks would be tiring, but doable. Three is better. Four is… well absolutely fantastic with a trace of indulgence.

So, I’d been encouraging hubby to take a break of his own. Not because it was owed – because I have a right to go see my family – but because he can. And since we’re not keen on taking a small child to India, off he went on his own.

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Homeward bound – take 2

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Japan airlines

The flight from Australia to Europe, with its 35-40 hours of total travelling time, is not what I’d call an awesome time, even in business class. But it passes. So, when I was faced with what turned out to be almost 70 hours of transit time via Japan, I was not, what you might say, overjoyed. I was, however glad not to be going anywhere near the Middle East, especially in those early days when everything was very chaotic.

One of the reasons why the Emirates flight has been a long favourite of mine, is that the times are perfect for departure and arrival. The stopover is long enough, but not too long. And I can get to and from the airport via train without adding an overnight.

Sadly, this would not be the case this time. So… let’s compare the two.

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Homeward bound… oh no you’re not

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Australia family dinner

It’s funny, cause I remember thinking on the way to Australia, that the journey could not have gone better. I was healthy. Trains and flights were all on time. Transfers were easy. I was upstairs on the A380 with the bar in my favourite seat for both legs. There wasn’t even a wait for shower at the lounge in Dubai.

So, I was quite looking forward to the return trip.

And then I woke up on Sunday morning, the day before I was due to fly, to news of war in the Middle East. A few hours later came reports of Dubai airport being bombed, and I suddenly knew this wasn’t going to be the straightforward way home I’d imagined.

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Four weeks in Australia – time for the perfect trip

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Australia pool

After the sicknesses that plagued my last trips to Oz, it was time for the perfect one. I got on the plane… completely healthy. I arrived in Melbourne, completely healthy. And damn was it a good feeling.

I’d been a little more hesitant about going this year I was off by myself again, and the guilt and sadness at leaving my 3-year old behind was a little more intense. Last year he barely noticed my absence. This year, he was well aware. He didn’t mind me going, because he got to stay home with Papa. But at the same time he wanted to come with me, because he didn’t want to miss out on ice cream.

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My obsession with Aesop

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Aesop

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.

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Visiting an Austrian lake… in winter

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austrian lake in winter

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.

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