Remember “The Good ‘ol Days”? I’m not quite sure when these “days” allegedly existed, but if you think the stories today’s media bombards us with about murder, theft and cruelty are some kind of fancy new 21st century abomination, you are a king’s fool! There have always been good people, and there have always been…
Author: dani
Life on the Farm
Our mini farm stay in the hills south of Salzburg has been magical. We are near the small ski village of Filzmoos, and the farm is way on top of a mountain, with just one rocky trail snaking up to it. Views go on forever, and in layers. Foreground, apple-green grass and of course our…
“The Hills are Alive…”
…with the sound of tourists being ripped off in droves! Including us. Ah Salzburg. A truly beautiful, charming, inspired city. Crowned by a fortress built in the early 1000’s, and decorated with stunning homes, it’s a gem. Most local tourists come here to walk the streets Mozart walked, but internationals like our good selves want…
Ice, Ice, Baby
Wherever we’ve been throughout Germany and Austria, people have been active. Bike-riding to work; riding surfboards on the man-made wave in Munich’s Englischer Gardens; hiking through parks and through the hills. People stride, with serious hiking shoes and poles instead of meandering along. Exercise doesn’t seem to be a chore, or a “geez, that was…
Munchen
I tell you what. I’m REALLY looking forward to the whole of Europe being back at school. I think there are currently more tourists in Munich than Munchners! While the Italians are busy gesticulating wildly and yelling at each other, there is a cool calm about the Bavarian folk. Whether they’re riding their bikes, downing…
Listen very carefully. I shall say this only once.
Everyone loves a mystery. A puzzle to solve; a riddle to answer; to awaken their inner Columbo. Our apartment in Munich served up such a puzzle. The guy that owns this apartment, and 3 others in the building, doesn’t actually live here, so the problem travellers face is, how to get the keys? Arranging a…
“Mad” King Ludwig!
Well he can’t have been all that mad, because his over-the-top fanciful castles have made Bavaria one of the richest regions in Germany! More on that in a sec. It’s amazing how much you jam into one day on holiday. The days seems to stretch out to fit everything in. Granted, we’ve been slashing plans…
Rothenburg Highlights
It’s going to be a big day of driving today. First to the “fairytale castle” of Neuschwanstein, then through Oberammergau and to our next stop, Munich. Thought I’d remind myself of some of the things we’ve enjoyed so far. * Our cute apartment. It doesn’t have the trendiest or the most “German” decor, but it’s…
Playmobil FunPark
Avalon and Milana love Playmobil. The obsession started when I bought a couple of figurines from a little French girl at a garage sale years ago. They’ve slowly built up their collection, and now have an enormous crate filled with fairies, mermaids, school-kids, and furniture. It’s pretty expensive, and not all that popular, back home,…
Supermarkets, Sausages und Schneeballen
One of my favourite things to do overseas is to go supermarket shopping. Deciphering the dish powder from the laundry powder; checking out the unusual fruit and veg; trying to suss out what is important to the locals depending on where and how much of it is in the store. Today’s Mission Impossible : working…
Germany Day 1
We decided to lease a car for our trip via a scheme put together by the French government to get their back-log of new cars on the road. On paper, we’ve actually bought the car, and after 7 weeks, they buy it back from us. It all looked very professional and well put together, but…
Squinchy Pillow? Check!
Airport? We’re here! Bags are hopefully making their way onto our plane. Kids are hopefully aware they’ll be stuck in one spot for 14 hours (and that’s just the first leg), and other passengers are hopefully aware that I’ve just had oral (and not botched plastic) surgery. I’m still semi-puffed and am sure everyone is…
When I said “al dente”…
I didn’t mean a root canal two days before we fly out. Right about now I’m supposed to be basking in the glow of excitement. Getting my leg tan on, doing a last-minute packing check and whipping the girls into a pre-travel frenzy. Instead, my face has ballooned out, Jocelyn Wildenstein-style, because of an infected…
Practical Packing
My Mother (or was it Dolly magazine?) warned me not to follow fashion too closely. To instead “wear what suits you”, “what makes you look and feel great” and “girls just wanna have fun in gnarly styles that suit”. (OK, It MUST have been Dolly!) As I stare into my wardrobe, and its numerous black…
Travellers vs. Tourists
At a kids’ birthday party recently, I met a man that kept my attention for two hours (a feat for someone as easily distracted as me!). He kept my husband’s attention too. It was the sparkle in his eye as he told a story. It was his mental flicking-through moments filed lovingly in his memory….
The Token Traveller 