The Unexpected Treasures Of Our Eisenberg.

A holiday haven we call home...

Imagine my surprise when I turned to walk this way. A welcoming committee or rather a new sheriff in town? A flock of sheep has absconded...who might the ringleader be?

These moments are what make our area so special. Where else can one go for a walk and stumble across a flock of sheep on the run? Priceless.

A perfect place to unwind from stress and city living.

A local Kellerstock to rent seen from the other side of the path. An oasis of tranquility amid a splendid vineyard. Books, wine and chocolates...not much else needed.

A walk accompanied by the base sounds of Mr Woodpecker pecking away.

A pair of geese shooting the breeze.

Biggi

A Few Flowers On A Friday.

Seen out and about the neighbourhood.

It was an overcast day on Tuesday and I was happy to stumble across these colourful irises.

A garden with still some magic in it. There is a little square fenced off from the vegetable garden and it is inundated with flowers.

Same garden, different beauty. Don't you just want to pick a bunch?

A natural bunch...

A red vine leaf made luminous by the glorious morning sunshine.

A local Kellerstock that never ceases to surprise me. I can almost picture a string of generations toiling, sitting and chilling in front of it throughout the last few centuries.

Biggi

A Friday Morning At Work...

The view from work...

Taking a breather but only for a second to take this photo, made me realize how fortunate I am. Being part of the executive cleaning team of the Adixl is rather fun...

Strong, bold and portending a good vintage...

On the left of the Adixl, far left, are a few apple trees and somehow apples are a piece of continuity to life...we've eaten them as kids, as teenagers and are still eating them. Things around might change, but the apple is the same every harvest.

The straw is being baled early it seems, or the time between seasons just passes too quickly.

The vines a mere meter from the front door of the cottage are just the beginning of a great view. Hungary in the background and fields that ignite dreams in between.

A lone weed providing a comforting and awesome contrast to the row of vines. Made in Südburgenland...

Biggi

Kellerstoeckl, All Different Yet All Romantic.

If these walls could talk...

The Eisenberg Weinberg is becoming popular. I can tell by the amount of renovation and building that is going on. Scaffolding galore. Only last Sunday this one had scaffolding all around.

Scandinavia meets Burgenland? Still trying to figure out each Sunday ( yes, my Sunday route ) if this wooden cladding is temporary or the final coat? Nice view though.

A typical Kellerstock, romantic and idyllic to spend many a summer's eve with a glass of local wine in hand.

Stress, what stress? Honestly, there's not that much needed to have a good life...enough space for books and wine!

Even the empty and slightly derelict ones possess a certain amount of charm.

A touch of Greece...the clean white offset by the strong greens make this one of my favourite colour combinations.

Biggi

Spring Cleaning Into An Abundant Kellerstoeckl Season.

The joys of spring do involve a bucket, water and organic cleaning material.

Somehow it has established itself as the season for visitors to imbibe in the manna of our bit of Burgenland. Sunshine, nature, wine and peace coupled with quiet. April to October is almost set in stone, yet for me, Winter has many aspects of a beautiful holiday wrapped in it.

As cute and small as the Kellerstöckls are, a spring clean is still a spring clean and takes time and energy. At first it always seems a bit daunting, knowing that each and ever corner of it will be brushed, washed and polished but after a few minutes, memory returns and it is almost fun and the best part is being with my mum. The two of us have established a nice cleaning routine and apply it throughout the season.

Imagine spending a few days in this charming, cute, romantic and affordable holiday cottage in the middle of a vineyard...

Easter is not far off and it has been whispered that the thermometer might reach into the 20's. How fabulous! Vienna only being a hop skip and a jump away, I think that there might be a few clever Viennese coming to spend a long weekend with us in Burgenland.

" Dear Viennese, just imagine stocking up on the divine Burgenland sunshine & wine straight from the source. "

Now that spring is officially stamped on everyone's calendar, the hills are alive with the music of wires being pulled, people chatting while tending the vines and the clicking sound of the Nordic walking sticks.

Today, is another nice working day coupled with wine making...filling the bottles of wine. This will be Bob and my fifth year of helping with the wine making process and it is another nice tradition to have.

Memories have already been imprinted and as always I will think of my uncle who passed away two years ago. He always had a sense of humour second to none and it was great fun filing the bottles of wine alongside him. He, no doubt will be watching us from a comfortable chair up above, while sipping the wine from there... ( gosh, I do hope they serve wine up there... ).

Biggi

Eisenberg Has Just Been Chosen As One Of The 30 Most Beautiful Places In Austria.

The secrets is finally out that we live in paradise...

Personally, I can't get enough of our little village and its surrounds and even after four years of living here, I still give a silent ( sometimes audible ) thanks to the man above for letting me live here. I can't help it, it is just so wonderful.

When we announced that we were to move to a tiny village in Burgenland and let me tell you, that no one I know had an inkling where or what it was, eyebrows were raised and private comments were uttered. Granted, in Eisenberg we don't have car showrooms, supermarkets, bank(s), shops or fancy restaurants. Good golly me, we don't even have traffic lights and come to think of it the nearest one is about 25 km away!

But as it turns out, we don't need all of these things right under our noses. Should we have the urge to see one or all of the big city sights, we can hop into our car ( or even a bus for that matter, which drives as far as Vienna a few times per day ) and have a few hours of it or until our vat of lights, noise and stress is full. You know, the nicest bit about going to a big town or city once a week, is knowing that we can escape home to Eisenberg and its tranquility.

As the writer for the Kurier found out herself, we live in surroundings that are just too breathtaking. A wine area of such beauty and luckily bounty too, that not much else is desired. Yet our area has cycling routes to even tire out a seasoned cyclist, walking paths to delight any ambler, walker or nordic walking addict not to mention a newly added canoe route.

Walking in and among nature is not only good for the soul but interesting and exciting because often a buck or hare will appear out of the woods. Being able to walk alone ( in Pietermaritzburg it was a bit too dangerous ) and at any time of the day is a treat and I take full advantage of it.

Eisenberg is beautiful in each and every season. Walking most days, I get to witness the changing plumage of trees en route even when they are bare in winter they have a eloquence despite it.

We are a hop and a skip away from Hungary, where nature just carries on being divine. Driving on the other side of our Eisenberg into Hungary is a continuation of picture perfect blue skies and green fields adjacent to the golden rolls of straw that this time of the year brings. The hills framing these spectacular sight are filled to bursting with vines... the Old Masters would have delighted in putting up their easels.

Our village is a wine producing one and going out to the various Buschenschanks is such fun and of course delightful to be able to sample the wine of vintners who are winning awards and are causing the wine glitterati to sit up in a pleasant surprise.

Eisenberg welcomes tourists and there are many nice places to stay, even cozy & romantic Kellerstöckls ( cottages ) in the vineyards. Just this week, there is the added bonus of hiring a fully stocked picnic basket and sitting under a shady tree to do justice to it...

Could life get any better? Eisenberg, one of the 30 most beautiful places in Austria!!!!

Here is a link to our Gemeinde / District / Paradise...

Biggi

Red Roses And Wine Make Life Just Fine.

A morning spent bottling wine and shooting photos.

It almost seems as if this red blooming rose is the keeper of the vines...When you see how tiny the bunches of grapes are, it is hard to imagine that they will make our delectable wine!

It was overcast and a tad bit rainy yesterday yet, the roses put their best bloom forward. For me at least. These red roses guard a wine cellar and what one calls a Kellerstöckl...( a place where the wine was made and still is, and a place to hang out in ).

I never thought I would be able to casually drop into conversation that I had bottled wine earlier on...drinking is easy, but bottling is another thing entirely!

A perfectly formed rosebud. Beautiful, vibrant in colour with its petals organized like sychronized swimmers.

A raindrop careering down a rose and vine leaf. Despite the dull day, this rose provides a bright spot.

A few of the vineyards of Eisenberg are in the background. The next four or five months will provide endless beauty and of course a hive of activity. No vintage is the same as it obviously depends on the weather and that what makes it so exciting when you get to taste the first sip of wine.

Here is link for a typical Kellerstöckl to rent in our area.

Biggi

Bob Mows The Lawns And Has The Most Amazing Fun.

Living in the country always guarantees lovely surprises.

I knew I should have gone with Bob yesterday, when he set off to mow a few lawns. That inner voice told me that excitement was ahead ( not only Bob in shorts ) but alas I refused to listen and rather heeded the siren call of a housewife and cleaned the bathroom! Never again, I tell you...

Bob came home after lunch and told me what I had missed. He had been mowing the grass along one of the Kellerstöckl and when he looked up to wipe his brow, he thought he was hallucinating. There, cool as cucumbers were two sheep meandering down the tarred road. Side by side and almost like normal tourists.

As luck would have it, my Mum was in the vineyards and Bob got her attention to show her these delightful newcomers. My Mum, quick as anything put two and two together and phoned a neighbouring sheep farmer. It turned out that these sheep had been sold to one of our villagers and of course Mum knew him too.

After a few comical minutes phoning about, the new owner showed up to lead home the stray sheep. Imagine the excitement of cars careering down our roads, in search of a few errant sheep. Oh darn, I wish I could have been part and helped lead one of the sheep back.

But these new shepherds still have a bit to learn about the ingenuity of sheep! Bob, had gone to a different Kellerstöckl to mow that lawn, and was privy to the next installment of this sheep saga. Oh yes, one sheep had done a runner and had energized almost everyone to scramble all over the forest, looking for it.

Once all the hide & seekers have been found, a new paddock will see them grazing and looking mighty pretty. These sheep, as far as I can gather are the new producers of goat cheese for one of the local eateries.

Quizzy as I am, I will make sure my walk this morning leads me passed the sheep-paddock! When I did the to-be-expected cooing yesterday:

" Oh how cute, I want sheep for our yard too! "

the master of the house informed me that our fences would be a walk in the park for ingenious sheep.

Farm animals must be the coolest thing ever and in our future I see a few horses, cows, sheep and perhaps a pig or two. Oh yes Bob, our hitherto tranquil mornings will then be taken up by mucking out stables and feeding the crew.

Life in our village is tops!

Biggi

Birds, Vineyards & Kellerstoeckels.

With such great sunshine I can't help it but to take more photos.

Don't be afraid, this isn't the intro to Hitchcock's The Birds but a picture of the bird-lounge at Eisenberg central. A well deserved rest before the trip, I expect...

These two chose the telephone line...and I am fairly certain that one said to the other:

" Stop chirping me already. I don't want to speak or look at you. "

Practicing landing and take off is part of the big trip South!

I have to say, that this image has many interpretations to it. But truthfully, I just liked nature's frame leading up to this shot. That it frames Eisenberg's church again, is one of those things...

Nature does provide the perfect photo material. Even though the corn looks rather dried out, the majestic oak tree and its green foliage, provides shade for the hunter's lookout.

An oasis of tranquility amid the vineyards of Eisenberg. This little place in paradise is available to hire. Hofzimmer...take a look and book your time out!

Biggi

A Picturesque Sunday In Burgenland.

Breathtaking, warm and oh so moreish...

If this view is not enough to tempt even the most
" let's rather stay in bed lot " to venture forth, then I don't know. These morning impressions are the best and maybe in the next few days I will see more villagers out & about.

Yet again one can see that all roads lead, if not to Rome, then at least to a church...

When you look at this photo, the urge to keep poultry is rather strong. A few chickens or a few geese in our yard wouldn't be so bad! Mind you, the geese would out - quack the neighbour's dog!

The lane to inner happiness perhaps?

The autumn colour spectrum is too dazzling for words. Soothing too, especially the red morphing into orange.

A vineyard by the sea it seems. Amazing how the fog has changed our perception. I could imagine a little sailboat hurtling along.

Oh, that could almost be a flash back to times past. Times when the ocean / lake was predominant. Wow, it does feel like a fisherman's cottage by the sea. Fish & wine, what more could one want?

This was taken a mere 200 meters down the hill. Still in the Deutsch Schützen vineyards. These type of Kellerstöckl are usually for rent. Wouldn't that make a nice holiday spot? Beats the beach hands down!

Lastly, but not least here is the usual weekend occupation of a typical angler enthusiast. This pond is in front of our house ( no, the one mirrored in the water is not ours ) and this image is seen often by us...

Biggi

A Harvesting The Grapes Day With Lots Of Colourful Extras.

A day in the country has many facets.

As you know, I am almost addicted to the brilliant colours of Burgenland. Especially the azure blue sky which peeped through this weekend.

A typical scene from a day of harvesting. Carrying the spoils to the trailer, in cowboy style! If you look closely, you can spot Bob and my Mum in the background, picking grapes.

Albert's stetson has many functions: it keeps the sun out and makes him look rather cool, don't you think? I might have to get one too!

Bob's in his element. There he is walking around in shorts a mere two and a bit months before Christmas...a Northern Hemisphere one!!!

Driving the grapes around ( from source to the cellar ) we came past this gem of a Kellerstöckl. Often when I walk there, it makes me stop and stare. Aren't the colours amazing. From the almost ochre shrub in front, via the brown of the cladding to the emerald green lawns & vineyards behind it. A showcase indeed.

Bob and I were invited to a birthday party last night. Of course it was in the vineyards of Eisenberg. Bob had a training exercise ( fire department ) so I walked there. This Kellerstöckl is on the way there and I couldn't resist taking the photo. The sun had already set but still you can get a feel of the red window-boxes in front. I love it.

A close up of the flowers. Absolutely stunning, with not a perished bud in sight. There is an art form to keeping geraniums looking so perfect.

Biggi