Summer in Austrian is generally (when I say generally I mean, meant to be) mild: late 20s/early 30s. Last year was an exception (colder than normal) and this year also seems to be an exception (warmer than normal) but that’s beside the point for this post. Living amongst the mountains invariably equals summer storms – lots of them – and decent ones too. I love a good storm… I just don’t love being out in it. But when you’re safe inside and the storm isn’t wreaking havoc on you, or any surrounding villages, they’re super impressive and strikingly beautiful. So here’s a few of my random thoughts on Austrian summer storms. Continue reading
10 Things to do in Wolfsberg in Summer
Hanging in a small town of less than 26,000 people, 45 minutes away from a decent-sized city… boring, you might say. Who would come and stay here? Well, for those of you who don’t mind a bit of a rural retreat, I’ve put together a list of ten things you can do in Wolfsberg in summer, all of which could be done without access to a car (though a bike might come in handy for a couple of them. Seriously, this town is a gem! Continue reading
The wedding take 2 – Austrian-style
Following the excitement of our Australian nuptials, followed by our return to Austria and my parents’ visit, it was time for the long-awaited Austrian wedding party. Weddings in Austria are generally full of tradition and involve a huge party along with various random things you may not have heard of. Here’s the low-down on what we did for ours!
Ball Season – let’s put on our high heels and go out in the snow
Prom/ball season in Austria is big. It extends from November to February and on any given weekend could include a number of events in or around the surrounding towns. I feel as if I should explain a little bit here, because a prom or ball in Austria is not like one in Australia.
Short Trips – Hamburg – turns out the Germans aren’t so bad after all
I was never very excited about visiting Germany.
But then we went to Hamburg. Hamburg is definitely a city I could visit again. Seafood, salt air and the chance to see the Lion King… winning!
The only free walking tour in Wolfsberg
On my parents’ recent visit, I was very excited to take them on my ‘ Free Wolfsberg City Walking Tour’ (ice cream tips accepted). The town is small enough that you can get around it, but big enough to be interesting, with beautiful, scenic views. In fact I was so excited, that I think I went a bit overboard, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to show your folks all the good parts of where you live!
Short Trips – Paris – two strikes and you’re out
Paris – the romantic capital of the world, right?
Sorry, not for this chick!
It’s not like I had an especially bad time in Paris the first time I was there, it just wasn’t overly memorable compared to all the other amazing cities I’d seen.
When the opportunity came up to go there again, just for the weekend, I originally baulked at the idea. See, I guess I’ve become part-European. I thought to myself, it seems like a lot of hard work, driving 10 minutes to the airport to go to Paris just for two nights. Of course, I soon realised my mistake – any opportunity to do these things shouldn’t be passed up – who knows how long I’ll be here!
Longer Trips – Australia – I come from a land down under
My recent trip to Australia for our wedding almost felt more like a working holiday than an actual holiday, due to the large amounts of somewhat boring (though essential) tasks that had to be undertaken, interspersed with crazy, emotional drinking sessions.
Mostwandernweg – our annual cider walk – honestly, just walking and drinking cider
The annual St. Paul Mostwandernweg or ‘Cider Walk’ is held in the surrounding hills on May 1st, which is technically Austria’s Labour Day, and is therefore a public holiday. It is a pilgrimage of the alcoholic kind so it is definitely right up my alley (only in moderation, of course!).
The unique challenges of learning German – Same/same… but different
One of the most annoying things people say to me when I tell them I’m learning German is something along the lines of the following:
“Oh! Cool. Yeah, well German is pretty easy. I mean, half the words are the same. When I was in Germany/Austria, I could understand all the menus/signs.”
I want to hurt you a little bit now.
an aussie in austria 