Fasching is big in Europe. You may have also heard of it as ‘Carnival’ and every place seems to have a slightly different name and slightly different traditions going on. Are we chasing away winter, or binging before Easter? I can’t really get a straight answer but what’s clear is that it starts on the 11th of November (at 11 minutes past 11) and continues until midnight on Shrove Tuesday (or pancake Tuesday if you’re like me).
A surprise visit – a wintery weekend in Wolfsberg with my brother
The news that my brother would be suddenly and very surprisingly dropping in to visit for a weekend, quickly led to some distressing thoughts about what on earth we would do while he was with us. Because while an Austrian winter wonderland is a sight to behold, it actually wasn’t that cold, and there was no snow in the valley. The nearby lakes weren’t frozen and the mountains were merely specked with patches of dirty snow.
When skinny girls go on a diet – shame me, shame me now!
I just spent two weeks on a diet. That’s right, I said it out loud. I am a slim girl yet I was ‘watching what I eat’. Gasp in horror! Go on, you know you want to. Because it’s ludicrous for somone who is not overweight to go on a diet, right? It is unnecessary and it is rude! Rude to all the people out there who might actually need to diet!
Feel like watching a movie in English tonight? Good luck finding it!
During my travels some friends and I found ourselves in Croatia, and on this particular day, unmotivated, we visited the cinema to watch ‘The Very Bad Trip – Part II’ – that is – The Hangover Part II. It puzzled me then and it puzzles me still, who decides on the sometimes very special movie titles when they’re translated into different languages. I’ve come across many more in Austria, so here are some of my favourites – and I’ll translate them literally so you can enjoy them the same way I do.
Continue reading
A change in pace – working only four days a week – but why should I justify it?
Now tell me, would you do it if you had the opportunity? Would you really?
Would you happily trade less money for more time? And if you did, how would you feel? Would it make you feel lazy? How would you react when everyone else was groaning about the long, last day of the workweek? Would you feel like you weren’t contributing to society and being selfish?
10 reasons why I’ll never be a true European
On the opposing end of last week’s post about why I was always destined to live in Austria, there are also plenty of reasons why I should not be here at all! Here are the top 10 reasons why I can never be a true European.
10 things that prove I have always had a little bit of Austria in me
Even though I’m born and bred in Australia and actually never had any desire to live elsewhere, looking back now it seems that there are a number of signs that were always pointing me toward Austria…
Reiters… a luxury spa experience that leaves you completely relaxed… and fat
We started a tradition when I arrived in Austria of visiting Reiters Supreme spa resort at the end of each year. In winter, snow falls softly, all outside is quiet and the trees are tinged with frost… time to get some R&R!
Reiters Supreme is a 5-star plus resort located in Southern Burgenland in Austria with a spa area that makes you want to throw your clothes off in joy, a dining experience that destroys any plan of a pre-Christmas diet and beds that just make you want to… sleep.
Introducing Krampus, Austria’s Christmas devil, terrifying little kids into behaving
Austrians have some strange folklore, but perhaps the one which is the most disturbing, especially for kids, is the Krampus. Saint Nicholas is the good guy that rewards the well-behaved kids with gifts on December 6th. But instead of simply telling kids in Austria that he simply won’t come if they are naughty, what they get told is the following:
“If you are naughty the Krampus will find you, pack you in his sack, and take you back with him to hell.” Continue reading
Discovering there are worse things than driving in the snow – welcome to Austria… fog central
I honestly thought snow would be the worst thing I would encounter when driving in Austria over winter.
I was wrong.
While snow does provide its own unique challenges, I have to say, in my first year of driving it wasn’t nearly as bad as the fog (Nebel, in German) – the dreaded, nasty fog. Austria, as it turns out, with its scenic vista of mountains and lakes, is a veritable fog-magnet.
an aussie in austria 