The Essence Of Our Village Life Are Its Villagers.

Our visitors from South Africa caught a glimpse of it.

We were waiting for visitors on Sunday. As it was their first time in Burgenland and I knew they didn't speak German, I started to wonder whether they had gotten lost. It was already 7pm and there was no sign of them. Yet, knowing they had the address of their holiday cottage, I went to leave the key and a note.

I am almost too scared to say it, but we were again at a local Buschenschank ( it seems that this is where we hang out continuously ) with my parents and some friends when my Mum's phone rang. After a second, she handed it to me. It was Bruni, telling me that she had our guests with her, and that they were a little lost.

Bruni has a " Heuriger " - Restaurant - as you come into the village and her " Kümmelbraten Brot " is legendary

" Biggi, they just showed me a piece of paper with your first name on it, and I thought it must be you." How right she was. " Bruni, thanks so much. Please tell them to wait, I will be there in 5 minutes." That is the beauty of a small village. Everything is reachable in the proverbial 5 min.

When I got to her Restaurant, I could see my visitors. Their car was parked on the side of the road, and a man got out the car when he saw me stop. I was extremely relieved that they had found the place. As can only happen in a movie script, it turned out that I knew his wife from when we lived in South Africa. It is a small world indeed.

They are the most happy and friendly people and they also couldn't wait to tell me what they had seen while waiting for me.
" Birgit, can you believe it, we were sitting in the car when we saw an elderly man leave the Restaurant, walk down the steps and hop onto a lawn mower. A lawn mower that he used as his transport! " In between laughing fits, they described the scene to a tee.

He is a local ' legend ' who always motors about on his mobile lawn mower. That's an image they will never forget and I am pretty sure that this will be told to a few of their friends... But of course the thing that impressed them the most was how Bruni was so friendly and went out of her way to help them.

Well, they got a crash course of why our village is so special and I think they are converts already. As Arnie would say: " I'll Be Back..."

Biggi