Category Archives: Expat

The Ruster Loop – great day trip from Vienna

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The day trip round Neusiedlersee is one of my favourites from Vienna.  All visitors are taken there, and I often go, just like that to inspect the storks and geese and wine. Friends from another country, CarlosNotTheJackal and his wife, the KiwiKween were in town to inspect Vienna as a potential location for their next life phase.  IMG_1152

It was Sunday and we had no need of motorways, so we drove through sleepy little villages and got to Rust in time for a look around and an early lunch.  Rust is the “urban” highlight of the World Heritage Site and is particularly proud of its role as host for storks who arrive in Spring to raise their young.

stork count

13 pairs, 38 young and 1 single=65 storks in total. The one single is there all year round as he cannot fly.

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We managed to arrive just a little before the busloads of German tourists and enjoyed a walk around this beautiful village.  Storks are the main attraction, but meanwhile, some shops have appeared selling things that people with time on their hands like to buy: ceramics, decorative items, baskets, wine coolers, artisan groceries and of course, wine.

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More people passing through is not necessarily a bad thing:  Rust now offers a couple of upmarket restaurants, cafes and overnight accommodations.  When I first came here in the previous century, it was schnitzel and candlewick bedspreads.

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Next to Rust, is the border village of Mörbisch.  You can walk into Hungary.  Before Schengen, and Hungary’s accession in 2004 to the European Union, cyclists and pedestrians could have their passports stamped here.  Mörbish, although so close to Rust, looks totally different, the houses being all white and arranged in terraces perpendicular to the road.

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On one such alley, we found a charming little fixer upper with two staircases that might do CarlosNotTheJackal and the KiwiKween as a project.IMG_0549

But once we crossed into Hungary and stopped off on the Hungarian side at Fertod Castle, this dual staircase abode was preferred.IMG_0552

Fertod castle has been restored and is a venue for festivals and concerts.  Haydn spent the summers here with the Esterhazy family.  Opposite the castle there is pretty market selling leather goods, plant pots, sheepskin rugs, paprika, salami and jam.  And why not?

Wine festivals are held in most of the villages during the summer.  My trips this year took me to one in Mörbisch, where only the bar staff were in the mood for dancing.staff start off the dancing

In Rust, the local brass band was celebrating its 40th anniversary.  Look at the joy on the faces of the people.  Perhaps they were just concentrating on their grilled chicken or schnitzel. We found a very nice lunch at Buschenschank Schandl and on other trips, we have been well looked after at the Hofgassl restaurant.

cheerful facesOur journey round the lake continued, back into Austria at Apetlon and on through the villages on the other side of the lake.  They make Eiswein here.  Last stop before we leave the lakeside for the motorway back to Vienna is Podersdorf.  paddlers enjoying the water Podersdorf is much loved by the surfers and the atmosphere here is much more holiday.  One lakeside cafe offers live entertainment with someone singing songs from the 50s 60s,70s and 80s.  German and Austrian tourists dance a strange kind of quick step while others sing along.  Down near the lighthouse is the perfect bar for watching the sunset with a cocktail.  And then it’s time to get back to the motorway and back to the city.  A trip round Neusiedlersee, however short, always feels like a little holiday.IMG_0568

http://www.schandlwein.com/index.php?node_id=Buschenschank;3&lang_id=1

http://www.hofgassl.at/

http://www.eszterhaza.hu/de/startseite

http://www.rust.at/index.php/unesco-world-heritage.html

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/772/

A trip to Verona

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“How’s July treating you?” asked a friend in an e-mail.  Well, my July was rather mixed since we heard of the untimely death of a dear friend. News like that makes you focus on what is important.  So, in a seize the day mood, I arranged a trip to Verona to meet up with my friend Miss Maggie and her partner the NearlyFamousAuthor. A long weekend. A very long weekend. 5 days to be exact. Booking this late, the hotels were very expensive, so I took a chance and booked a lovely apartment in the centre of the old town via airbnb.com.  IMG_0693There are no flights to Verona from here, and it is more than 7 hours by car, so I opted for the 8 hour train journey with a 30 minute change in Innsbruck. In fact, there is probably no nicer way to travel to Verona. The scenery along the route is spectacular.

IMG_0606 IMG_1028 IMG_1026As soon as I arrived, it was straight to the Arena to hear Placido Domingo sing Verdi. Miss Maggie is almost Veronese, she has been there so many times, so I was glad that she and the NearlyFamousAuthor had bought my ticket and brought along cushions and wine and umbrellas. Placido sang. During the break we felt a storm brewing, so we slipped out to grab the best people watching seats at Caffe al Teatro. Caffe al Teatro is the kind of place that becomes your local.

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Next day, I had the performance of Carmen to look forward to. My friends could not face another evening of sitting on the stone steps, so I bought a ticket for a seat. The seats were even less comfortable than the steps, but a lot more expensive. The Carmen production is a colourful and over the top display by Zefferelli. I loved it.

IMG_0627IMG_0679IMG_0645IMG_0670IMG_0680As if seeing Carmen was not enough of a treat, Aida was playing on the Sunday evening. So, back to the stone steps with my hired cushion, plastic poncho and a little plane sized bottle of wine complete with plastic cups courtesy of Miss Maggie. The NearlyFamousAuthor had seen the previous Zefferelli production of Aida at the Arena and did not want the wonderful memory of that “spoiled” by this futuristic display. Anyway, my first time in Verona, I was not going to miss the Aida, no matter what the production. As it was, this display was bonkers with elements of Dr Who, War Horse, Cirque du Soleil, the London Olympics opening ceremony, Lion King and a whole lot more.  It was a hugely entertaining spectacle and the children present loved it.  I must confess I was glad of the spectacle because I am not a huge fan of the Aida music.IMG_0904IMG_0910IMG_0956IMG_0943IMG_0930IMG_0951IMG_0942IMG_0940IMG_0916The sets for the productions are stored outside the arena and lifted in by crane in the daytime.

IMG_0852IMG_0848IMG_0851IMG_0846What with the late nights at the opera, and the heat, I decided not to cross water and to focus on seeing as much of the old town as possible. And so I have unfinished business in Verona and shall have to return to look down on the city from this hill. IMG_0717Verona is such a charming city.  Leave the main streets and see what you can find in the little alleys and courtyards.

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At the Opera Museum, this giant rose is taken from a production of Rigoletto.

 

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At Juliet’s house, visitors are invited to leave their messages of eternal devotion on the wall. Not sure I like the sticking plaster idea. I hope they are not used.

 

Roses in the Volksgarten for Life Ball 2014

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Excitement in Vienna as everyone prepares for the biggest event of the summer. Three times a year, the world’s media notices a party in Vienna. There’s the Neujahrskonzert at the Musikverein; the Opernball in the Opera House, and the Life Ball in the Rathaus.  The first two are long-standing traditions that confirm that  traditional values sexism, racism, homophobia and snobbery are still held dear here.  The Life Ball tells another story and gives us hope.

Now, Austria is hardly the model of liberal tolerance, but since Conchita Wurst’s victory at the Eurovision song contest, maybe change is afoot.  Conchita is a guest of honour at tonight’s ball.

I went into town to take a look before the crowds gathered. I could not resist walking through the Volksgarten to see the wonderful roses. The theme of this year’s Life Ball is “Garden of Earthly Delights.” So, here some photos of roses in the Volksgarten. You’ll have to imagine the earthly delights.

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http://www.lifeball.org/

Two broads in Norfolk

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I was invited to a wedding in Norfolk.  I had never been to Norfolk.  In fact, even though I have visited many foreign countries, I don’t know my homeland nearly well enough. The wedding was held in a lovely country hotel and so we thought we might as well get to know the area a bit.

The journey

Heathrow Airport, Friday afternoon. 

My friend, Miss Maggie of maggiesmagicpantry.blogspot.com took the bus from her home to Heathrow and arrived at around the same time as my plane.  We had a short wait for the shuttle bus to the Sheraton Skyline where we were to pick up the rental car.  After signing away all my rights to everything ever and agreeing that I would take full responsibility for Armageddon and the like and would compensate the car rental company for any associated losses, we took possession of a silver Ford Focus Automatic.  Not the M25, please not the M25.  But the M25 it was.  Needless to say we missed our exit to or from the M25 and we had to take a detour back round the freight terminal of LHR.  Once on the M25, you know that you are there forever.  And so it was.  And it rained.  And rained. And there was no need for the automatic transmission because we did not go fast enough to get out of first gear.  For about 3 hours.  Once we were off the motorway, the journey was much more fun and we passed through some pretty English villages, but thoughts of dinner waiting stopped us from taking photos.  About 5 hours after leaving Heathrow, we arrived at the hotel.

Saturday morning tour of the village 

The beautician at the Heacham Manor Spa managed to deal with the eyebrow emergency and I considered myself fit to appear at the wedding. After a delicious Heacham Manor breakfast, we went off to inspect the village.  First priority when at the coast is always to get that glimpse of the horizon that frees my mind.  A wifie in a high visibility jacket approached as we neared the car park to ask if we were there for the beach clean up.  She clearly had not noticed the new hair cut, the little diamond earrings and the beautifully sculpted eyebrows.
 
 
This was my first view of the Norfolk coast which I had only ever studied on OS maps in geography lessons.  The huts at Heacham are not quite as twee as the ones I saw on my South coast trip last year, but they surely give a lot of pleasure to their owners.
 

Get me to the Church on time 

We arrived back at the hotel just in time to get into our finery and make our way to the Church.  It had been raining a bit, so we decided to take the car.  There was no chance of anyone getting lost between the hotel and the church thanks to the great signposting.  We arrived at the church at the same time as the vicar pulled up in his muddy Land Rover.  He looked rather scruffy, and I hoped that he had a nice vestment to wear.  As it was, and unlike in the Roman Catholic church, he had decided not to outdo the bride and therefore wore a simple white surplice over a black cassock.  The wedding reception was wonderful in every way and we enjoyed meeting interesting people in great surroundings sustained by enormous amounts of great food and drink and cake.  Wonderful Norfolk hospitality.  
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Inspecting the AONB Norfolk Coast 

Our Norfolk based table friends had given us lots of tips for places to visit on Sunday.  Our plan was to drive to Cromer stopping off here and there along the way.

A crab sandwich and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc  

It was only 10.30 and half an hour since breakfast, but it still took all the willpower we could muster not to have a little snack at this crab shack.  The final convincing argument was that the crab shack does not offer SB and we were sure we’d find that essential combination a little bit further along the coast.  Sure enough, a little later, in Wells, we found just the place.

Getting the spiders out of your brain  

Norfolk has huge skies.  It is flat, so when the wind blows, it goes right through your ears and whizzes around inside your head blowing out dust and spiders that have been there forever.
 
We pootled along the coast stopping wherever it took our fancy and enjoying the prettiness of it all.  You could have a great week’s holiday spending a day in each of the little towns villages and beaches we stopped at.
 

Turnaround at Cromer to go back 

The crab and wine box ticked, we made our way to Cromer.  A cup of coffee was in order.  After all, we had been on the road all day.  I felt strangely drawn to a sky blue hut.   Miss Maggie was sceptical and insisted on going inside to check the coffee machine before she would let me out of the car.  There must have been a large chrome steamy monster of a machine, because Miss Maggie soon returned and we raced to see which one of us could feed the pay and display first.  As we waited for our coffee, Miss Maggie muttered something about cake.  Lemon cake.  Now, normally I would have lemon cake with tea, but the coffee was ordered.  We agreed to share a piece of lemon cake.  It was buttery and lemony and tangy and delicious.  The other guests were priceless caricatures of English seaside residents and day trippers.  Two old crones sat side by side, facing outwards and commenting life the universe and everything.   One of them was wearing a checked woollen headscarf.  No photos: neither of us could quite manage to take photographs of random people.  And I don’t take selfies when I am wearing a headscarf.
 
 
We still had a bit of time, and so we could return to Heacham via the coast road and see how it all looked in the evening light and from the other side.  How lucky we were to happen upon this bluebell wood.

Final sunset in Heacham 

We arrived back at Heacham Manor just in time for a last Norfolk sunset and spent the evening in the hotel lounge.  It was eerily quiet after all the activity of the previous days.  If you have not been to Norfolk, go. It really is a special place.

shepherd’s pie approved for cabin baggage

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Last weekend, I took a short trip to icecreammecca to catch up with friends and family.  Wur crew (our pet name for the classy team that are Ryanair cabin personnel) were late for once and it was after midnight when I arrived at my house.  Saturday there was lunch with aunties and cousins and sisters at Mrs. Formans.  I remembered a red flock wallpapered pub where my grandad would take a glass or so with his cronies.  How it has changed.

On Sunday, I hoped to surprise my friend wifiewhogoesforlunch for her birthday.  She had decided to go for a jaunt, but her sneaky brother, arbiteroftaste picked me up in his cool car and chased through the Scottish countryside to catch up with them.  We had a nice walk at Bracklinn Falls and then we went back to their house. Her husband, blokewhogoesfishing cooked us a lovely Sunday dinner.  That’s where the shepherd’s pie comes in.  I had bought one of Tesco’s finest to have for dinner on Sunday.  What to do with the shepherd’s pie?

Sunday evening was spent studying the various sites and advice about what one may take in cabin baggage.  Yoghurt, 100 mls only in your clear plastic bag with your toothpaste and haemorrhoid cream.  Jam, same.  Salsa, no. Peanut butter, no.  Salad dressing, no.  But not a word about shepherd’s pie.  Gravy is expressly forbidden.  I wondered how much gravy is in finest shepherd’s pie. I decided to risk it.  

On Monday, I had Lunch with horseysis, highheelsis and legallyniece in Bar Sygn and then it was off to the airport. I prepared myself for the shepherd’s pie security screening.  After an airport coffee with wifiewhogoesforlunch, I made my way airside.  I travel without belts and jewellery and all the other stuff that slows things down at security, so I am normally through fairly fast.  I was looking forward to providing some entertainment for the other travellers with my shepherd’s pie.  I imagined their puzzled faces at the sight of a shepherd’s pie in the confiscated items bin.  I saw their pitying smiles as I explained the lack of internet guidance on mince and mashed potato dishes.  I visualised them at their destinations telling how somewifie tried to take shepherd’s pie on a plane.

It was my turn.  I unzipped my shiny new purple suitcase and took out my laptop.  The shepherd’s pie was safe in the other compartment with the bacon and cheese.  I stepped through the archway.  No beep.  We had almost made it, my shepherd’s pie and me.  Then my bright purple case was moved from the conveyor belt to the table where they put items for hand searching.  I was all set to lose my shepherd’s pie.  I waited as non English speakers were divested of their shaving foam and shampoo.  

The lady with the latex gloves turned to her colleague.  “What’s in this one?” she asked, indicating the lovely shiny purple case.  He shrugged.  “Is this yours?” she asked in an almost threatening tone.  I nodded.  My mind was scanning the empty fridge in porkandcabbageland looking for an alternative dinner.  “I am just going to test the outside” she said.  She took a cotton wool swab and wiped over the shiny purple polycarbonate.  She put the cotton wool swab in a device which confirmed the non-explosive nature of the polycarbonate.  My shepherd’s pie had passed the test.


spa visit in porkandcabbageland

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Just finished the Indian washing, when 6 ladies came to stay for the weekend.  We planned a spa visit for Sunday.  There is a thermal bath in waltzcity at Oberlaa with an exceedingly good cake shop.  But we decided to see a bit of the countryside and headed for the town of Baden.  Beethoven used to escape to Baden for the summer and walk in the hills and drink the local plonk.  


Off we went on the public transport.  We took the underground which does not actually go underground very much.  And then we took a tram that calls itself a train.  The tram thing took us through the middle of all the ugly industrial estates at the south of the city.  Not quite what I wanted to show the ladies.  It took us about an hour to get to Baden. On the journey my guests were eager to know all about life in porkandcabbageland, how long we have been recycling our rubbish, how long people wait for operations (not at all), how the ordinary people live (well) and so on.  There were shocked gasps when I told that there are no curtains round hospital beds.  The ladies were all nurses.


Once there we made our way straight to the thermal bath and off we went.  We stepped into the first warm pool inside and followed the schedule of bubbles and jets in different parts of the pool every 5 minutes.  Next we headed outside to loll in warm water at 32 degrees with our heads in the freezing cold. Another schedule of jets and bubbles was to be followed.  As the bubbles appeared, one of the ladies regretted wearing a two piece swimsuit.  The bubbles inflated her top making her look like a fat lady from a saucy postcard.  We laughed.  The elegant Austrian ladies with their pencilled eyebrows and red lipstick and startled look from the hair pulled too far back laughed too.  


The final pleasure was the sulphur pool.  At 36 degrees it was as warm as a bath.  Warnings were posted not to spend more than 20 minutes in there.  Disastrous consequences for the circulation were promised to those who did not comply.  And so we dashed round that pool rather quickly. We looked forward to the benefits for our joints and organs.  Soon we had to dash out or risk paying an extra 1.70 for overstaying our time. 


Smelling of rotten eggs, we made our way to see the town. The house where Beethoven composed his 9th symphony, the elegant Kurpark, the flashy casino and – inexplicably – 3 open shops were viewed with appreciation.  


The map then guided us to the edge of the town to a typical heuriger.  I explained that there would be a buffet of food for self service consisting of pork and cabbage in many many forms and only local wine or soft drinks. The ladies chose their pork dishes.  Some of them opted for blunz’n (that’s pork with blood and spices – a bit like black pudding) with cabbage. They liked it. 


As we were there a group of ladies arrived.  From their clothes and make up, I could tell they were Russian.  I looked to see if Ludmilla and  Svetlana from my yoga class were amongst them.  They were celebrating a birthday.  Platters were brought.  Of pork. We left before they started singing.


The ladies were thrilled to discover that our train back to waltzcity had an upstairs, they had been on all modes of transport on their various trips, but never a train with upstairs.  Our skin was soft.  Our hair was crazy.  We had had a lovely day.  Must do that more often.

Burns Night 2011 in porkandcabbageland

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Dr. Who always seems to have strange experiences in familiar places.  Burns Night 2011 was a bit like that.  Here in porkandcabbageland there are some fans who organise a Burns Night.  There is even someone who has gone to the trouble of translating Burns into the local dialect.  So, off I went, dragging along my  friend for what promised to be an interesting experience if nothing else.   


There they were, almost 300 porkandcabbagelanders with a smattering of suitably kilted Scottish Ladies with their leader the redoubtable 86 year old Ruth. She had the frilliest blouse as befits her status as chieftain of the waltzcityscottishladies.  We had not ordered haggis in advance and so we had to order from the standard bill of fare.  We had pork.  And lettuce.  The evening started with Burns songs as set by Beethoven, Haydn, Schumann, Mendelssohn and others.  Then the haggis was ceremoniously piped in by the first waltzcity pipe and drum.  Oh yes, they have their very own pipe band.  A father and son. Not Scottish.  


Our neighbours had ordered haggis and we watched them shrink as if the haggis was going to jump off the plate and wrap itself round their head and press their brains out through their ears.  The haggis looked like its normal furry cute self.  However, it was served with mashed potatoes done the porkandcabbageland way – that is to say sloppy, very sloppy, like school dinner semolina.  Turnip is not a recognised vegetable in porkandcabbageland.  There are few recognised vegetables.  So, our haggis and potato flavoured semolina dish was completed with a spoonful of sliced carrots.  Once the first forkfuls of the puddin’ race chieftain were tasted, the fear dissipated and they gobbled it up, as well they should.  


The next part of the evening was mainly Burns songs given the blues treatment and translated into waltzcity dialect. My highlight was one song done in German German, Swiss German, Waltzcitydialect and Lallans.  They have promised us a translation of Tam o Shanter for next year.  My friend went home and ordered Eddie Reader’s Burns album.