The wonderful world of visa applications – the third and (hopefully) final instalment

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Ready to apply for the family visa!
Ready to apply for the family visa!

My Austrian experience started with a student visa, progressed onto a red-white-red skilled worker’s visa and was now ready to move on to the big one – the family visa. In comparison, this visa is fairly easy to obtain (assuming of course, you are family) and requires only proof of marriage and passing of the A1 German test.

Pretty easy, we thought. Well I guess it was. But being a visa, it was still fraught with fun complexities and extra challenges that we hadn’t originally anticipated. Read on for the journey into my (hopefully) last visa in Austria.

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Oktoberfest – Our Annual Family Event

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In September/October, Austria and Germany go beer and sausage crazy. I realised it was that time of the year again when I opened a piece of junk mail from a local supermarket and found it absolutely plastered with different kinds of sausage and beer.

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Getting my Oktoberfest on!

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Short Trips – Cittadella – visiting the ‘other’ Thomas

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The walls of Cittadella

Doing things like spending the weekend in Italy seems almost effortless when you live in Austria. With the weather cooling down we decided to visit a friend who currently lives in the small Italian town of Cittadella. I had never heard of it before (and neither had anyone else from what I could tell), but Cittadella is a charming, walled Italian town, in the vicinity of other charming little-known Italian towns, and only a stone’s throw from Venice.

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Hammam – an experience in full…frontal

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Foreward

In 2011, I officially caught the travel bug. My first solo adventure started in Egypt and took me through the Middle East and into Europe for four months. During that trip, I was lucky enough to be able to travel through one of the most amazing countries I have visited so far – Syria. Fast forward to a couple of months ago, I wrote a travel story for a competition, and my entry was included in their recently published book. I thought it might be an interesting read for some – so here it is!

(you can visit http://www.stringybarkstories.net for more info on this competition)

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Hiking – it’s a very Austrian thing to do

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I love wandering around in the mountains. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to do it when the weather is suboptimal – if it’s excessively freezing, windy or raining – but otherwise, it really is the ultimate way to get some fresh air, exercise, and of course some traditional Austrian food!

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A well deserved rest at the top

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Short Trips – Lignano – sun, sand… and german-speaking tourists

debbiekaye19807 Comments

Being landlocked in Austria can sometimes give me a hint of cabin-fever, however it’s reassuring to know that if I really need to get to the coast for some salty, sea air, it’s only a couple of hours away… and as an added bonus… it’s in Italy.

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The beautiful, but crowded, Lignano beach

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Wild Swimming – get those slimy fish away from me!

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I am an avid swimmer. It is my favourite form of exercise, probably even my favourite form of forward motion. I can basically swim better than I can walk. Our local pool is only open from May to September, but at least we have one, so I spent my first summer smashing out laps there. Although the idea of lake swimming (or wild swimming, as it’s commonly referred) appealed, travelling to a lake just wasn’t as convenient at the time.

Ocean-ready... but yet not lake-ready
Ocean-ready… but yet not lake-ready

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Austrian Lakes – into the clear, deep blue

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The beautiful Worthersee

The lakes of Austria are renowned worldwide for their beauty… and so they should be with their spectacular blue-green expanses, fresh, clean water and warm summer temperatures! Whether you’re sightseeing, swimming or just relaxing nearby, they’re a must-do for every Austrian summer. And it’s not all about swimming and sunbaking either – many of the lakes are set up like mini-recreation-parks, so even though you generally have to pay an entrance fee, you are paying for something. Continue reading →