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What I Did This Summer – Part 2

Friday, October 26th, 2012

This is the second part of my attempt to quickly catch up on what we did in the last 2 months.  Just across the border in Italy there is a region called Süd Tirol (South Tyrol).  It used to be part of Austria and they still speak a lot of German there.  However, the big attraction is the mountains,  an extension of the Alps called the Dolomites.

The rock formations are very unique and, for me, rival Yosemite or the Torres del Pine.  It’s become one of our new favorite spots, especially because it’s so accessible, just a 2 hour drive from home.

Last year we visited the area for a couple of quick hikes and couldn’t wait to get back there this year to explore the region more.  On my last trip to London I managed to find an English version of a book called “Short Walks in the Dolomites”.  Equipped with this, a map, and our backpacks we took off into the mountains.  There might be something missing in the translation because 9 hours and 1300m of elevation later we finally made it back to the start.  I would hate to see one of the “long” walks.

The hike may have taken all day, but I can’t think of a better way to spend the time.  If the beautiful views weren’t enough, the hardy food at the huts along the way might alone be worth it.

Here’s the first of the 3 huts we stopped at:

And another view along the way:

Posted in Austria, Italy, Living Abroad, Travel | No Comments »

What I Did This Summer – Part 1

Sunday, October 21st, 2012

I can believe it’s the middle of October already!  After Kirchtag we had a realization that summer was going to be over soon. We quickly made plans to fill up just about every weekend for the last 2 months with things that we thought we would have done earlier.  Of course that also means that I haven’t had much time to blog about any of it, so I’ll try to catch up with the highlights over the next few posts.

One of our favorite things from last summer was an overnight bike trip on the Danube cycling trail (Donauradweg).  The trail follows the entire length of the river from it’s start in Germany all the way to Black Sea, but some of the most popular stretches are right here in Austria.  We decided to try a new section of this year.

The area from Passau, Germany to Linz, Austria is especially nice, well equipped with cafes and guesthouses just for cyclists.  We rode it over 2 days staying overnight  in Schloegen, a place where the river makes two 180 degree turns to form a giant S curve.

The trail switches occasionally from one side of the river to the other (and sometimes there is a trail on both sides).  There are very few bridges, but there are ferries along the way.  Some take both cars and bikes, but others are small and only for bikes.  It’s a fun way to see the river and the countryside, as well as cross the border from Germany to Austria (there are no customs anymore, by the way).

Here’s a view of me and Danube.  More soon about the rest of our late summer adventures.

Posted in Austria, Germany, Living Abroad, Travel | 1 Comment »

Kalifornien

Monday, August 27th, 2012

We recently had some visitors from California to our little corner of the world.  Two different groups of friends from So Cal happened to be visiting the same week, so we took off and did a little sightseeing with them both.  It was great to get together and catch up on what’s been happening in all of our busy lives! We spent a little time in Austria on the Grossglocker road, visited an ice cave (so cool – literally and figuratively!) and ended up in Innsbruck.  One of the best things about the mountains here is that they all have “huts” which serve up great food with a view.  Here’s a typical dish called Gröstl with a backdrop of the city.

From there we struck out on our own for few days in the Zillertal to do some hiking.  The weather only cooperated for one day, but I made the best of it and got some relaxation in too.

Finally we got Zurich and met up with our other friends.  Switzerland never disappoints with the sights, and our side trip to Luzern reminded me how beautiful that city is.  Thanks to our friends for visiting and letting us share their holiday with them!

Posted in Austria, Living Abroad, Switzerland | No Comments »

Der Chef is not a cook.

Monday, May 7th, 2012

Der Chef is actually “the boss.”  Der Koch is “the cook.”  Thus ends the language lesson for today.

If you asked my new friends in Austria how well I speak German, they will probably say it’s getting much better.  If you ask me, it’s still pretty awful.  I constantly forget words mid-sentence, and my grammar degrades the longer I talk.  I have to ask people to repeat things all the time. It can be frustrating, but the only way to get better is to practice every single day.  Anyway, what could ever keep me from talking?

I’m taking a more structured class offered at Eric’s workplace, as well as using Rosetta Stone.  I’ve also been taking a really interesting “Culinary German Class.” It’s basically a conversation class, but most adults aren’t particularly comfortable just sitting around trying to speak in a language they don’t quite understand. Instead, we learn to cook a local dish and the conversation just flows around the preparation and eating afterward.  It’s a fun way to practice German and I’m picking up quite a few cooking tips too.

On of the unique foods in Carinthia (Kärnten in German, it’s the “state” that we live in) is Reindling.  It’s a bread that is made with cinnamon, raisins, and a lot of butter.  It’s served mostly at Easter as a cake, but also in the summer with Kirchtag soup.  The combination of sweet bread with the salty, heavily seasoned soup is surprisingly good.  It’s actually not that complicated to make, but I think most people here have their own little tricks, including adding rum to it!  We made one in class and I decided to try my own at home.  Just like with speaking, I need more practice.  It tasted a little better than it looked, but here are the results.

Posted in Austria, Living Abroad | No Comments »

Fahrrad? Far out!

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

As I mentioned in my last blog, Spring is now upon us.   There has been plenty of rain and just enough sun to make the flowers start blooming.  Since ski season is over, we’ve turned out attention to other activities.

Over the Winter we had a tragic loss… Eric’s bike was stolen.  Nearly every building here has a Keller (cellar) for bike storage.  We kept ours there along with everyone else, but neglected to put a lock on it.  Apparently bike theft is a huge problem here (and even more so in Vienna). It’s really just a matter of time before a bike with no lock goes missing.  No one is very sympathetic.

The only way to cheer up someone who has lost a bike is, of course, to go pick out a new one.  Bike shopping might even be more fun than riding one.  Going to sport shops and looking at all the shiny new models, test riding them, and imaging all the places you’ll ride is exciting, and so I just had to get a new bike too. (Yes, that brings my total to 3 – I’m winning!)

We’ve started to trick them out with headlights, bells, bottle carriers, bike computers, and all that other stuff which is equally fun to shop for.  And this time we also got a big thick lock and are actually using it. Lesson learned.

His:

Hers:

Posted in Austria, Living Abroad | 1 Comment »

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