A TRIP ACROSS AUSTRIA

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Well, Vienna was not my only destination, as I might have already mentioned before … it basically took me from the north of our beautiful country (Vienna) to the south (Carinthia), stopping in the middle (Styria). (Which doesn’t mean that in the course of my trip from Germany and back I didn’t also drive through some other Austrian states like Upper Austria, Lower Austria and Salzburg. Missing out on merely three Austrian states: Burgenland, Tyrol and Vorarlberg.) 

After three days in our capital city I left for Styria and my university town to once again meet relatives and friends, do some serious grocery shopping – and to continue my culinary trip by managing to feast on Cordon bleu for four consecutive days, followed by a roll with Wiener Schnitzel just like in my student days, the obligatory fried chicken breast with French fries and garlic dip plus their special salad at my favourite restaurant in Carinthia and trying to squeeze in the one or other cake speciality like Esterhazy cake, Punschkrapfen and Cremeschnitte. (Yeah, I know, you would have expected Apfelstrudel … but frankly, I’m not such a big apple fan and rather prefer Topfenstrudel (cheese cake strudel). So, I skipped that one just like the legendary Sacher Torte. A “fake” Sacher version with two layers of apricot jam is way more delicious and less dry!) I really didn’t care about calories one bit. I took whatever I could get, knowing I had to enjoy everything as much as possible before returning to Germany and THEIR food. Which, of course, also resulted in a stuffed car up to the brim with Austrian delicacies I will be able to enjoy for months to come.(I was a bit concerned, whether my freezer would manage all the sausages, smoked meat, bacon, cheese, bread and pastries I couldn’t resist buying in double and triple numbers!)

Seeing the few remains of my family again, visiting the graves of my ancestors and my parents, meeting up with my friends and feeling just … loved and home … made me realize, how much I missed them.Very happy days, very happy days indeed. Days of talking and laughing and hugging. (We’re all vaccinated, of course!) Especially the hugging. Which is normal for us and anything but a very strange concept, as it seems to be in Germany – and I’m talking from experience. Anyway, it felt so good spending time with them, wishing I had the time and money to go back home at least once a year. Just like I would love to go to London once a year. But, selfish as I am, there are other places I want to go and see as well on my vacations and unfortunately, I can’t doand afford all. But I’ll be back to Austria as soon as possible. And if it just might be a skiing vacation …

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VIENNA, MY LOVE

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  Demel

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  Café Central

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  Breakfast at Café Central

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  Sisi Museum Hofburg

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  Island Boat on Old Danube

Home. After two years, I’m finally home. Home in Austria. And it’s been many more years since the last time I’ve graced Vienna with my presence. Can you believe I actually started crying when I crossed the border to Austria? I was so emotional I could hardly stop. Home, finally, I would be home. Starting my visit in my beloved Vienna, home of my favourite Emperors Franz Joseph and Elisabeth. (And some of my relatives, who I’m looking forward to seeing again as well, of course!)

My hotel – since my cousin’s apartment is in the middle of a renovation after a burst water pipe – is anything but luxurious. But it’s modern and clean and I prefer spending my money on other luxuriesanyway. As in coffee and cake at the world famous “Demel” – nearly as famous as the “Sacher”. Both actually fought a legal war in court who would be allowed to claim the Sacher Torte as his invention.

Anyway, since as a student I was not really able to afford the “Demel” I just had to go there now. And I enjoyed it very much. Just like having breakfast at one of the old and traditional Viennese cafés, the Café Central, which was graced by literary greats like Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Stefan Zweig, Alfred Polgar, Egon Friedell, Peter Altenberg, Sigmund Freud and many more. And I can feel the juices flowing, as I’m sitting here, in this wonderful coffeehouse atmosphere, imagining ages past, before the war, as they were all still here, working, writing, discussing, reading newspapers and having coffee … being served by mean waiters who knew everyone and every whim of their guests.

Being incredibly homesick the past months, I devoured Austrian historic crime novels and I wish I could travel back in time to meet those greats, experience the monarchy and the old Vienna. But at least I got to enjoy early morning Vienna without the tourists. Walking nearly empty streets, taking a few quick pictures (it just wouldn’t do to be recognized as a tourist, since I’m not really a tourist, having been in Vienna many, many times) and looking forward to the day ahead. Visiting the graves of the Habsburgs, maybe even have time for the “Sisi Museum”. And doing some shopping – of course. I wish I had time to revisit Schönbrunn, the art historical museum, the Albertina, look up Katharina Schratt’s house … but time is scarce and I do want to spend time with my family as well.

Oh, and have I mentioned, how happy I am that I am served whatever I wish for? Like … buying a Kaiser roll with the choice of ham/deli plus cheese plus pickles at the deli station of the supermarket? Or my favourite beverage: 1/8 litre of apple juice with tap water and ice cubes? Not to mention that even the Schnitzels at the cheapest Schnitzel joint are still better than anywhere in Germany? Oh, how I miss my culinary Austrian delights. (Which is nothing new to you, since I mention it occasionally, very occasionally …)

Vienna, of course, is not just the inner city with its glorious buildings, museums – and tourists. It’s also the Old Danube, THE recreation area for Vienna. With the world-famous “Gänsehäufel” (a public beach), lots of restaurants by the water and views of the Uno City and Kahlenberg it’s a lovely place to unwind and perfect for a day out with my family. Puttering around on the Danube with an “island boat”, enjoying the sun and each other.

Even though Vienna is just like any other metropolis, with its many problems regarding the typical issues … I still love it and miss it already! And can’t wait to go back … on the trails of Austria’s past.

COUNTING THE DAYS

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Three more days. Three more working days until my vacation. Three more days until Rangey and I will take our trip home. Home to Austria. (Well, at least my home, Rangey’s home will have to wait for another time!) Nervously following the news regarding the Corona virus situation, fearing I would have to cancel everything again. But now, three days before getting into my car and driving the roughly 1000 km to my first stop, Vienna, I actually can breathe more easily and believe that it’s actually going to happen. I’m fully vaccinated, after all, so I do have an advantage to the unvaccinated stupids. (And rightly so!)

After two years, it will be my first time back and I’m so looking forward to meeting everyone, to stock up on my most essential groceries, to enjoy good food … and to just be home.

Of course, I have been planning my trip for weeks … alright, I admit it, it’s more like months. Since I had to book the cat hotel for my cat’s vacation stay at the beginning of the year. Followed by calculating and budgeting my expected costs and starting my endless lists. Time table, grocery shopping list, wardrobe list, packing list, cat feeding schedule, To Do lists for the last two weeks … and the closer the date comes, the busier I got. So much to do, so much to think of. But to me that’s all part of the fun. And I enjoy the preparations at least as much as the actual journey.

I got the little gifts to bring back to my family and friends, Rangey has received his usual pre-vacation check-up, is shining like new and filled to the brink with fresh Diesel. My balcony plants have either been thrown out or are getting an automatic watering system installed. In the hope that this actually works and they will survive this one Austria week. Well,lucky me that I could harvest my pot potatoes (twoless plants to take care of) and my tomatoes are on their last toes as well. Ready to be picked and the plants discarded in the next couple of days. Sadly,my green beans won’t survive the ant invasion anyway. So, my balcony garden: done! The last laundry: done! Apartment cleaning: done! Fridge and freezer are more or less empty, ready for my return and all those wonderful groceries I will bring back from Austria. Starting with meat, cheese, bacon … ending with pastries, pumpkin oil, Austrian apples and my favourite lettuce “Grazer Krauthäuptel”. (Which I still hope will keep growing in my balcony raised bed for me to enjoy in a few weeks!)

All that’s basically left now is packing! (Usually a thing of 10 minutes, since I just have to follow my list and know what to take! Ohhh … I’m so bloody organized and efficient!) And ME! Getting hair and nails done is the perfect start of my holidays! 

I do dread the upcoming dropping-off of my darling cat, though! After all, we spent the past one and a half years, since I’ve had him, together day in day out. My consolation? At a whopping 15,50€ per day at a nice “Suite” with winter garden, I hope he will enjoy his vacation as well. Experiencing new surroundings and views. And of course, I will pack his cuddly cat bed, blankets, his favourite pillow he currently likes to lie on when I’m working and his favourite mouse toys to be surrounded by familiar things.

Well, that’s it for now! In just a few days I will start up my MacBook in Austria … doing, what I love to do above all. (Apart from shopping …) Sitting in a typical Viennese café, writing. I can’t wait!

GENDERTALK

OR: A new way how to make a total ass of yourself!

It hasn’t been that long when I vented my thoughts on the new politically correctness – or what ridiculous people think is not acceptable anymore. (Yeah, because the world doesn’t have any other problems!)

Coming across an article in the German low level newspaper “BILD” (more like the New York Post than the New York Times), which found the new “language guidelines for clever gendering” on the Homepage of the German city Bonn, I once again was totally flabbergasted. This feels just like those insecure feminists who needed to have the female version of everything – no matter how stupid. Don’t get me wrong, being a woman myself I’m all for equality in life and business, wages and job opportunities. But I always considered myself just an “engineer” or “student” without having to pronounce that I’m a female engineer or a female student. To me “engineer” includes men and women and I don’t care that it’s a male expression.

So, reading this article I got pissed off once again. (Like so often in the recent past when I have to suffer from the dumbness of the people who seem to surround me!) Let me give you a few examples what one is not supposed to say anymore:

1. Spy: uuh, what a bad word! “The spy who loved me” will now have to be renamed to “The scouting out person who loved me”. Really? Does really anyone give a shit that spy and female spy are “discriminating” to those who don’t know what they are?
2. Residents: all who live in this street. Yeah, brilliant!
3. Policeman /-woman: police force (well, this is actually a common English word already used, but let me tell you, it sounds totally stupid in German in terms of “Polizeikraft”)
4. Lawyers: members of legal profession. 
5. Board of seniors: board for the third stage of life. Well, let me tell you, if I were part of something that is called like that, I’d be royally pissed off. “Third stage of life”? Who comes up with crap like that?
6. Employer: a person who provides jobs. Yep. I will certainly call my boss that. “Hey, person who provides my job, could you please sign this?”
7. King of marksmen (“Schützenkönig”): the person with the highest accuracy. Eye roll, eye roll, eye roll.
8. Angler / fisherman: fish catching person, angler person. Yep. Exactly.

Seriously? Or to quote the great Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers “REALLY?” Another titbit the article mentions: in the Lübecker guidelines women are instructed how to talk about themselves. Because if “a woman talks of herself in the male form” then they are not “embracing their femininity”. Excuse me? Are you out of your fucking minds? Only insecure women would even give a shit! Or feminists who have nothing better to do than hate, hate, hate men …

How would you react if then someone asked you if you had training needs because you didn’t use those new guidelines and dared using a general expression instead of the female one? Frankly, I wouldn’t know how to react. I would be so disgusted and would probably jumped into this person’s face. Embracing not my femininity? I don’t need this crap to know that I am a woman! I’m a bloody engineer – and one of a few in my field -, being surrounded by mostly male colleagues. Every day I take part in meetings where I am the only woman – and you know what? Working with them is much more pleasant than with a bunch of bitching women … so, get lost with all this crap – which, by the way, is another way to senselessly throw out our tax money – and of all things, don’t ever dare to call me “a person who lives in this or that street”, “a person in her second stage of life” or “a person not embracing her femininity”. I’d probably kick your butt from here to the “planet which we call the moon”.