Monday, December 31, 2007

Wishing everyone "einen guten Rutsch!"

That's the Austrian way of saying, hope you slide safely into the New Year!

Got back to Irdning yesterday after spending Christmas in Lienz (Osttirol). My friend Annemarie's father was the warden of the prison there, and she grew up in the Rathaus, which is the focal point of the main square. It is also the focus of the Christmas Market, and features a giant Advent calendar, with the artworks for sale by auction. Pretty cool idea, eh?


Austrians celebrate Christmas on December 24. The shops are open until about noon, and there is a whirlwind of activity since everything will be closed for the next three days. Everyone in Lienz was doing last minute shopping, or hanging out on the main square drinking Punsch and Glühwein. We had coffee and cake, a light dinner, and gift exchange at Annemarie's parents house. The next day, December 25, we had a turkey dinner at Annemarie's brother's house (note the big bread dumpling and red cabbage on the plate in the background. This is NOT your typical turkey with all the fixins!).

After those bread dumplings, we had to go for a walk! So we bundled up and went to the National Park Hohe Tauern. From left to right, Andreas (friend of Erich and Antonia), Antonia (wife of Erich), Erich (Annemarie's brother), my friend Annemarie, my friend Kurt, me, Andreas (Annemarie's son):

The landscape was awesome! It even snowed!

On the 26th, I drove back to Vienna with Kurt and Annemarie. We did typical Vienna cultural things like go to the theater (Shakespeare's Measure for Measure at the Burgtheater!) and a musical revue (Rum and Coca Cola: The Story of the Andrews Sisters). Plus, I got to cook for my friends, and we played a lot of games (Würfelbingo is our current favorite... I can't understand why they haven't produced an English version!!)

Now I'm back in Irdning, and preparing to go out and watch fireworks tonight at midnight. Thanks everybody for your kind words about the blog... I'll try to keep up the good work!

Wishing you all

JOY, LOVE, and PEACE

for 2008!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Advent

Dear Friends and Family,

Advent greetings from upper Styria! I've been busy the past couple of weeks going to Christmas markets and getting used to cold and snow. Above is a picture of Pürgg, a very romantic town very close to my home in Irdning. I went to an Advent Market there a couple of weeks ago, where they had craft demonstrations and sales. They also had the obligatory "chestnuts roasting on an open fire."
Everywhere there is mulled wine and Punsch (any hot fruity alcoholic drink with fresh fruit) to wash the chestnuts down with. In Vienna last weekend, I drank lots of Punsch at a Christmas market with friends Kurt, John and Christina (not pictured). And I had Schilcher Glühwein which tasted just like Sturm and strawberries!Then I went to the Austrian Open Air Museum (Freilichtsmuseum) in Stübing. They had all sorts of crafts and also folk music and poetry readings in original 18th-19th century houses. Lots of mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, Krapfen, gingerbread to eat too! Here, a veteran lace maker shows a young girl how to make lace:
And here a club for the preservation of Austrian dialects reads Peter Rosegger! Check out the Herrgottswinkel (household shrine) in the right top corner!
P.S. Today is my name day, and the birthday of my friend Marilyn!