Year: 2017

Getting Old – one day it actually just happens

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Being young
Being young… good times

I have always been told I look young. Ok, it wasn’t so fun getting my ID checked at age 23 but still, I thought to myself, at some point this has to blow the other way. At some point, I’ll be happy that people think I’m younger than I look. And surely, I surmised, the inside matches the out – I eat (relatively) healthy, keep fit and am mentally just your average kind of person – everyone’s got issues, right? So I figured that even though I was heading for my mid-late 30s, everything was going to hold up at least for another little while.

And then things started going downhill. Continue reading →

Fudln – Uno with a twist

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We’re all familiar with Uno – Uno is a worldwide phenomenon. But when I came to Austria I discovered a new and exciting variation – Fudln.

Uno Pfoodle

Ok, let’s be honest, I have a feeling that Fudln is confined to my small Austrian family. And quite possibly there are plenty of other families all over the world that play it and give it a different name. But our name is Fudln , and this is how it goes.

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Short Trips – Helsinki

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With the longest day of the year just around the corner, what better place to spend a long weekend, we thought, than right up north in Helsinki!

We flew into surprisingly warm weather, and it stayed that way almost the entire time, save for a small sun shower one afternoon – 25 degrees in Helsinki is almost unheard of in June! I was very happy to note upon arrival that our hotel (Hotel Cumulus) had decent curtains that blocked out a fair amount of the night-daylight. Though if you tend to be light-sensitive, I would recommend taking an eye mask anyway. The hotel was perfectly located, only a 5-10 minute walk to Market Square, right near a big supermarket and across the road from a daily market. The subway station was also right there, along with the bus stop to the airport.

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A Huge Pain in the Back!

debbiekaye19808 Comments

southern india foodIn early March, I was happily touring around southern India with my hubby when I noticed my lower back was sore. Nothing out of the ordinary, I thought – the bumpy roads, the beds – it makes sense. That evening I headed for a massage, hoping to find relief. But when I, grimacing, crawled onto the massage bed, my masseur promptly advised me to see a doctor.

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The Menstrual Cup – an adventure just for you and your period

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Menstral cupWhen I first moved to Austria I had a lot of time on my hands, and this led to a lot of googling, which led me to the glorious discovery of the menstrual cup.

I can hear some of you saying “ewwwww” right now and clicking firmly off my blog. That’s ok. Society as a whole generally seems to view periods as disgusting things that should be hidden. And while I don’t think that it’s something that should be thrown in people’s faces – talking about your period and buying sanitary products should be normal, not icky.

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Extended Travelling vs Short Holidays – 10 things that have to be done

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Backpack travellingWhen you take a holiday, things are pretty simple – you pack what you need for the time you’re going, ask someone to check your mail, try to stuff your pillow in at the end, and head off. I never really appreciated how easy a weekend, or even few weeks away were, until I went travelling for multiple months.

So here’s 10 things you don’t think of that might pop up at some point during a long travel trip, that you don’t have to worry about for a quick getaway.

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Austrian Sweets

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 sweets

Now we all know that Austria is famous for apple strudel. And being one of my favourite desserts I don’t often stray far from it. Still, there are heaps of other awesome sweets that can be found at most bakeries around the country. So here’s 10 other things to try if you’re in the area (I figure strudel doesn’t really need an explanation):

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The Travelling Adventures of a Baby and a Cripple

debbiekaye19808 Comments

My brother, his wife and their 9-month-old recently visited me in Austria, and kudos to them for undertaking such an adventure with a young baby! After spending a week at home (which, let’s be honest, is more than enough for my small town), we all headed off on a road trip through Slovenia and Italy.

Brother niece visit

Travelling with a baby presents its own challenges, so now add to that the fact that we also had a cripple on board (that’s me and my bulging discs), which made life even more interesting.

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10 surprising things that might happen to you on a group tour

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group travel romania

Group tours – love em or hate em – they definitely have their positive and negative attributes. I personally love group tours for exploring countries less travelled or conquering a lot of distance in a short time period. But I understand they’re not for everyone. Still, regardless of what side of the fence you sit on, some surprising things can happen when you’re actually in the moment – so if you’re thinking about embarking on group travel, take care to beware the following things: Continue reading →