Winterurlaub am Grundlsee

Actually we had planned on a little bit of sun on Mallorca, but my mom could not mind the kiddos this time so we settled for a family vacation at the Grundlsee in Styria. The view from our room was spectacular.

During the day we made trips into the surrounding area, for example to Bad Ischl, where we visited the famous K.u.K. Kaffee-Konditorei Zauner.

The famous Zaunerstollen has been my favorite sweet/dessert since childhood. So of course one of them had to come along for later enjoyment.

We also went to St. Wolfgang where we had lunch at the fabulous "Weisses Rössl" - the opera, musical and film from the 60s with Peter Alexander are still a "must-know" when you are in the area.

In the late afternoons, when heavy snow started to fall outside, it was time for the pool- and recreation area...

... followed by some nice dinner later on.

And the kiddos had fun too. Food was only served for them, of course.

Wavies to the sunny beaches of Mallorca - we will return later this year!

Dessa´s 6th birthday

OMG, the kid is turning 6! Where did the time go? Indy always gets his birthday blog, but because Dessa´s birthday is the 31st of December it always seems to be swallowed by New Year´s! Not this year, no Sir,  I have been wading in photos of my sweet little girl since yesterday in preparation for her own very special blog - New Year´s Eve or not.

Birthday girl has been sharing our lives now for six long years, I cannot imagine how life was without her! She is beautiful, she is sweet, getting up in the morning being cute, continuing this all day long and going to bed still being cute. In fact she likes to sleep in and prefers to go to bed early. But in the field she actually pretends to be a real hunting dog!

Her six years have been really busy! After her first two years she realized that she actually got a bro (huge and white, but Mom says it´s a bro and he is looking up to her so it is all right) with whom she shares and watches her beloved garden.

But of course she is also busy with being pretty (here she is posing with a bling) - prettiness, next to cuteness, being the most important asset of a proper English Cocker. (I bet they learn it in puppy class when still at home with their dog moms. "And if you look like this you are so darn cute and pretty that you will get a goody from your Future human mom." Dessa must have been especially attentive, graduating with A++++.

But she also developed a taste for travelling. Browsing through her photos I realized how much we dragged her around the continent so far - and more to come!

Switzerland she always enjoys very much, she especially likes the Lauterbrunnen Valley with its plenty of opportunities to have a drink or a quick bath when it is getting hot. But she also likes to go to the beach in Italy watching how beautifully the sun sets over the waves...

Life is full of good food, fun places to go, lots of excitement and entertaining things to do!

But if she naps, she naps hard......

Have the bestest of birthdays, I know you do not care about age or numbers, but you will definately go bonkers about the goody shower that will come down on you on your big day tomorrow!

Sweet Putzi, we love you so very, very much! Happy 6th birthday and let´s hope for many, many more years to come together with your family who just could not do without you...

 

Merry Christmas and Happy 2013!

Dear friends and readers,

Another year has flashed by, and boy what a ride it was! So many ups and downs, so many things happening... I feel a bit tired now, cannot wait for some relaxing times and I am not sad to see the old year go. May the new year be a bit slower and a bit less action-packed. The weather has changed over here shortly before Christmas, last night we had icy rain, and all the trees were wrapped in ice, today everything is melting. Maybe a sign for a change of attitude in the New Year?

I wish you all a very warm, comfy, cozy and happy MERRY CHRISTMAS and for 2013 lots and lots of good health and good times! And now it is time for the kiddos to take over. They are in real party mood and cannot wait to wish you all the best for the festive season themselves!

A Styrian weekend in November

Oh dear, one more week to go until my final exam. So many long days ahead, but still so little time! To soothe one´s nerves of course nothing is better than to think back of good days, so I guess it is okay to spend a little time and blog about our last weekend in our home away from home.

We had a few errands to run so this is why we came - but also because Thursday was a bank holiday and it gave us a four day break. So off we went to relax and to live in this special holiday limbo for a while where you have nothing to do but think of the next meal, the next nap and the next walk with the kiddos. (I did some reading for my exam of course, but otherwise it was just heavenly holiday-limbo.)

The weather was quite okay, it was not too cold and not too wet, but with a little bit more sun the leaves would have shone even more brilliant. But still the colors were beautiful.

We did our favorite things, went to the Ödensee....

.... and played the "snack-game". (Sometimes I wonder if Dessa ever considers "walking" or if it is just "snacking" for her.) Go on, mom, gimme some! Now!

With the boy it is simple to detect. For him the great outdoors are superfun! And it is always too early to go back to the car.

What else did we do. Of course we ate well. On holiday we like a late breakfast/early brunch, a sample of which you can see here. And this time - on the side - you also find our "drugs bar" which we needed because Stefan had the grandfather of all colds, which he passed kindly on to me later.

And we slept well. Long in the morning, a nap after our little trips. And after serious reading. It´s amazing how sleepy you get right after you have opened your papers.

Alt Aussee in later Fall is especially nice, there are not so many people there and you can enjoy the lovely lake, the crisp air and the beautiful nature around much better. (Especially if you are a hermit like me.)

Fall can be so beautiful! And long weekends can be so cosy, fun-filled, entertaining and relaxing. Definately one of the things we should do more often.

And now back to my books. Have a good day, everyone! 

Indigo´s 4th birthday!

Dear Indy,

You have turned 4 past Sunday, and with a little bit delay your mom, dad and sis wish you a very, very, very Happy birthday! Incredible how time is flying, it seems as if it was only yesterday that we took the tiny, brave, cute pup into our home and into our hearts... ("Wehrhaft" it said in your papers, oh my, and frankly it gave me the creeps at the beginning. It took me quite a while to discover what a gentle, loving soul you truly are as for a long time I waited for your "Wehrhaftigkeit" to come out.)

Another year has raced by, and what a great year it was for you and your family! With your very special and very canine-like way to have fun in every weather and almost every situation you enjoyed the cold season with great snow to cool down in...

... but you also liked the hot season where you spent a lot of time in Styria and explored nature there.

And you never forgot to keep a close eye on your family, in case help was needed.

Being an experienced traveller you also did not mind to go 11 hrs to Switzerland by car - okay, maybe you do mind, but asking you if you preferred to stay home with Grandma you would definately say, "Are you kidding??" And besides: You always have a darn fine time in Spiez!

The Gurten is a great place to have fun too! This photo does not need any more interpretation, me thinks.

So your 4th Summer went by in a flash, and in a row of action-packed, fun-filled, gloriously sunny days. (Okay, stuff the sun, you prefer coolness much more, but alas, if you cannot dash about in the snow, so heat it is. Never mind, just let it rock!)

And there always were woods and water to chill afterwards.

Now Fall is here, earth has made another full circle around the sun, and you have really grown-up. But you are still my baby, cuddling with me, sleeping next to my bed, taking care of us. You are my friend and guardian, my conscience and my shadow - and I thank you for all of this. Our lives would never be complete without you...

 Have the bestest birthday ever and another great year with us!

Love and XXXXX,
Mom

Der Spechtensee

Today I want to show you one of the most beautiful places of High Summer in Styria, the Spechtensee, some (for my taste) absolutely stunning piece of nature. In this area we basically find lots of swampy places, and we also do at the left bank of the Spechtensee. If you walk on the grass you get this strange, marshy feeling as if the whole ground would be moving in little waves under your feet, and indeed there is not a lot of soil between you and the dark waters of the lake. The Spechtensee is not very deep, and there is also a little float for swimmers in the middle of it (which would not be necessary, the shouting of the occasional bathers with their kids is rather annoying), so it is not dangerous, but nature had its own way there (as it should!!) and left us with this gorgeous, peaceful (minus the occational kid throwing a tantrum) piece of land.

We love to come here especially in the Summer, where everything is in full bloom, crickets chirp and bees are humming in the flowers. You also see an occational White Shepherd, that is sighted in the area now and then.

Also strange black creatures are said to appear there, mostly on the hunt for a goody that was lost in the grass. As you can see, the little lake is beautiful, in this part I especially love the water lilies. Which I have never caught when they bloom!! I guess I have to go there more often and inspect.

Here the soil is extremely wobbly and insecure. I suggest you approach the lake as far as the little bench is positioned, I would not recommend to go any further. Dogs of course do, at least some. Little black ones check that it might not be safe, big white ones are so sure of themselves that they simply ignore it.

But it is definately hard to get out afterwards, even for the Big White! (Honestly, I don´t know if Dessa would have made it out there, but she is clever enough not to go near.) It did not stop Indy, of course, to jump right back in again afterwards. I am the king of the world! Yes, I can!

Dessa amused herself differently in the meantime, she found a branch from a tree and tested how much it would take to eat it or at least chew it into pieces.

Wow, if I did not know her I would be frightened! But she is so cute, I could smooch her all the time.

Here the chewing and swimming stopped all of a sudden, I must have done something extremely interesting. I would do it again, but I cannot remember what it was.

 

Here some more impressions of the stunning nature you find around the lake. On an warm Summers´s day full of sunshine there is nowhere better to go! Since the lake is a little remote up in the mountains there are not too many people around, but if you are hungry at the entry to the Spechtensee there is the "Spechtenseehütte" where you get nice little things to eat. So worry not, you cannot get lost, won´t be overwhelmed by too many tourists and you can also get food. It cannot get any better!

 

 

Behind you see the Spechtenseehütte, and up front you see one excited kiddo wanting to go in and grab some food. But Ma says no, boring Ma....

 

 

Instead some last glance around, where everything is like it should be: full of sun, full of flowers, full of Summer!

 

And after a gorgeous Summer´s day some relaxing rest under the endless velvet night sky with millions of stars, and only Mr Moon is travelling through the quiet Styrian night.....

 

 

 

A trip to Gmunden

Gmunden is less then an hour ride from Bad Mitterndorf, so this holiday we decided on a day trip into this very picturesque area. The little town of Gmunden and its surroundings are a well known holiday centre in the Austrian Salzkammergut, it is situated at the Traunsee, and years ago there was a series called "Schloßhotel Ort" (Schloß Ort also sitting here) which is probably one other reason - at least I googled this - why people love to come here and see. But already in K.u.K. Monarchy times it was famous holiday spot, many nobles had there villas here - which still can be seen today. (The villas, not the nobles.)

The kiddos and us of course came here for the beautiful scenery!

"Alle meine Entlein schwimmen auf dem See....", comes to my mind instantly. This is a famous children song here, and translated it goes about "all my ducklings that swim on the lake", and believe me, they swim a loooong time. I wonder if there is something like it in English? Oh well, it is a lovely picture anyway, and it shows a part of the Traunsee when you are slowly approaching Gmunden.

Other strange sightings happen here all the time! Is it Nessie? The Aquamaniac?? Call off the guards, it is just our Indy.

This is the church of Altmünster, a little town next to Gmunden. I would not say it is a tourist spot, you won´t find things like an esplanade or convenient tourist shops there, but it definately is a great place to live. It is very pretty, and I have visited a friend when I was still in school, so I wanted to come back and have a look on how things changed there. Things must have changed a lot, because I did not recognize anything anymore - but it still is lovely!

Behind Altmünster is the Gmundnerberg, where you find a Neurology therapy centre, a couple of inns and a gorgeous view. It reminded me a bit to the view you get in Sigrisville, Switzerland.

Actually we thought we could conveniently go down at the other end of the little mountain, but there is a dead end, and you have to turn and go back all the way you came. I guess it is because of the therapy centre, they probably do not want to encourage a lot of traffic. I do see their point.

But it definately was worth it. The view is so lovely, that even the kiddos wanted to get out! Out! Out!

Finally we arrived in Gmunden at lovely Traunsee. I will always remember it for its great hot dogs! We had a quick snack before we ventured out and the guy at the burger place said he would not do hot dogs, and then made one for me out of a huge bun with two sausages inside!! I confess it distracted me from the lovely view for a bit.

There is a small walkway when you are coming from the little esplanade, and this is the view you get from there. This is the little harbour where the tourist boats come and go, where you can buy icecream and souvenirs and watch the world go by.

The townhall of Gmunden, and the Choo-choo-train......

And of course Schloß Ort. Today you find a restaurant there, seminars are held, and it is also known as a wedding spot.

My two boys posing. No, it is not the Blüamlisalp behind having followed us to the Traunsee, we have our own steam boats operating on the lake!

It was a great day - except that on the way back I wanted to make a detour to Bad Ischl for some of the famous Zaunerstollen, but I was not allowed to. Okay, then some food and relaxing evening times on the balcony....