Short Trips – the Midlands – Four lane roundabouts and a wedding

Recently we were privileged to be invited to a wedding in the Midlands, England. In my mind this conjures up visions of vast expanses of land and rich estates – a kind of Pride and Prejudice meets Downton Abbey – small towns, cute country lanes, rolling hills, hearty food and wide varieties of dialects. My husband and I opted to add a few days of unplanned driving – the aim was to wander aimlessly, traverse the hills, take in whatever sights we happened across, and eat and drink till we burst. Goal achieved! As I mentioned from my last visit to England, my opinion of the country has changed somewhat from being a boring (normal food, English-speaking) destination, into a familiar one that reminds me nostalgically of home.

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Short Trips – Zagreb – a wedding, ćevapčići and more ćevapčići

Zagreb dad and me
So good to see my Dad!

I’ve visited Zagreb a couple of times before, but the most recent trip was to celebrate my cousin’s wedding. Not only was it great to have a few days away, it was a privilege to witness the cementing of another successful multi-country relationship! My cousin was born in New Zealand, but having a Swiss father meant he relocated there in his 20s, meeting his now-wife, and eventually moving to Croatia. It’s complicated but awesome that I have a relative that lives so close (only 2.5 hours away).

Another brilliant thing was that my Dad and two of my aunties also joined in the celebratory-travel-party from Australia. It made for a great time to catch up, speak English (and occasionally try to understand Swiss-German, courtesy of the Swiss side of the family) and relax.

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The wedding take 2 – Austrian-style

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Not on the beach this time… by the river

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!

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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.

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Like my hen’s night… which was awesome, and resulted in an almost-zero hangover… for me anyway

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Top 10 Tips for organising a wedding – from overseas

Organising a wedding, as many know, is never a simple process. Regardless of how simply you imagine it in your head, there’s always hiccups, last-minute dramas and unexpected outcomes. And then there’s organising a wedding from outside the country… where you have to rely on the internet and other people’s help to get anything done. So, following my experience, here’s my top 10 tips for organising an overseas wedding.

Wedding overseas
It’s awesome – but it’s an organisational nightmare

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My first Austrian wedding – these guys know how to party all night long

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Thomas and me at the wedding

My first Austrian wedding was in May. The weather was cool, but sunny, the bride looked beautiful and it was heaps of fun.

But there are lots of differences between Austrian weddings and what I’m used to. Read on to find out all about the crazy Austrian wedding traditions.

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