A Typical Friday Turns Into Another Great One.

When in Paradise, do like a Parisian...

What is more fun and enjoyable than driving to a town near you and sampling the food & wine. Of course having the opportunity to do this with family is even better. Cramming too much into a day of exploring can be tedious and clutter the senses. A spot of meandering around a village ( and in our case it was in Hungary...Köszeg ) and then choosing a delightful place to eat is more than enough.

That is what life is about and for years, the Parisians were the original ones to copy in regard to enjoyment of life in a simplistic way. Those elegant Parisians sitting in a side walk cafe, sipping red wine and eating proper food. Idealistic. Enviable. Clever.

As you know, we live withing spitting distance of Hungary and some of the most beautiful, historic and attractive towns are a mere 20 kilometers away. As an added bonus, prices in Hungary are so much less. Even in the tourist spots. Meandering through the various little shops, I discovered a material shop, that stocks wool at a quarter of the price one pays in Austria. In fact, in Austria the wool is so dear, that knitting a jersey is more pricey than buying one...Bob take care, because I am going to knit you a Jersey in outrageous colours!!!

We found a great place to eat and right next to the church and in this case also within the old castle grounds. They even offer a shot at archery, the weapons of yesteryear.

We got to our Restaurant early, and were at first almost the only patrons. Thankfully within the next half hour, the place filled up. We ordered from the menu but the locals all had the lunch time special, which we didn't know about. We caught on, when they all had the same food and rather quick as well.

What an inviting shop. The flowers were so lovely dangling that you couldn't help it but to go inside. Nice way to advertise.

Yes, the house is a little run down but the greengrocer made the best of it and put up the most magnetic display. The various reds of tomatoes, the yellows of paprika and the greens of lettuce just drew the eye to it and if we didn't still have a few hours in a hot car ahead of us, I would have shopped there. Brilliant marketing. By the way, this area was still part of the communist block in the late 1980's.

After lunch we slowly made our way home and even that was nice. What better way to enjoy the scenery than lazing in the back seat idly looking at the countryside flashing past, lost in thought. A nod of imminent sleep every now and then, was an excellent reminder of a good day.

We had the most brilliant end to the afternoon. We had been home for a while and I had even done a spot of cleaning ( part time occupation during the season ) and decided that the sun was low enough to have a glass of wine. Polly and I sat on our stoep, or rather the steps on our front door with a glass of chilled Burgenland wine in our hand. Shooting the breeze, watching the neighbourhood drive by in batches and waving a cheerful Hello to all. A good life.

Biggi

Living Around The Corner From Hungary.

Going for a drive takes on a whole new meaning.

Often I forget that we live so close to Hungary. Borders are a thing of the past, as Europe is now an open collection of countries. Fabulously easy to take your car and just drive where the whim takes you. As long as you have some formal identification, Europe is your oyster.

My mum phoned yesterday morning and asked if we wanted to have a pot of curry later on in the day. Do we ever...oh yes! She phoned back two minutes later and asked if we were keen to rather have lunch in a nice restaurant in Hungary. They had been to it once before and it left an impression. It didn't even take us two seconds to say ' yes '.

We did " Rock Paper Scissors " to decide the designated driver for the return trip and Bob lost! Going on a drive is nice especially when you can sample the local wines . A car gives me the feeling of being in an safe, warm, comfortable & cozy place while seeing the world go past. We had the lovely village of Kozseg on our radar. If you haven't been to it, it is so worth your while. Great ambiance, history, architecture, food and friendly people. Tourists are appreciated and handled in a friendly manner.

We were all hungry and made a beeline for the Restaurant. It is just off the wonderful town square so it was nice to imbibe all the ambiance on the way.

Bob and I on the way to lunch...

If you look at the wooden door, you can see the garden in the back. The hidden jewel!

The Restaurant has a medieval theme or it just used the surroundings. There are weapons on the wall that could cause a lot of pain. Amazing what they used back then. But the place was simply great.

My parents waiting for the food.

No one went hungry. The wine was good. The price was a tad bit misleading because it said a glass of wine was 150 Forint ( 50 cents ) but it is per deciliter. They give you a full glass of wine and that then costs 300 Forint ( 1 euro ) which is still an amazing deal.

Bob walking off the meal ( steak / fish baked in a bread crust / fried liver / venison ) amid the stunning houses and the church.

This cafe will be on our next visit: The Relax Cafe & Pub!!!

The village square: There are numerous cafe's to sit and absorb the beautiful surroundings and to have delectable ice creams. A scoop of it is 100 Forint ( about 30 cents ).

A war memorial plaque of fallen World War 1 soldiers. We forget how easy our lives are...

Biggi

Leisurely Sunday Drive To Hungary ( Part 1 )

Road trips are scenic, special and memorable.

Even I sometimes forget how close we live to Hungary. The border is about 2 km away from Eisenberg. Typical, that it takes a visit from family to make us explore our surroundings in more detail... Yesterday we decided to take a nice and leisurely drive to Sopron and have a spot of lunch there. Here is a collection of my impressions of the road trip:

Taken just outside of Sopron. This village is still in Austria, but how romantic and scenic...

Bob was the navigator and at one stage he lost his bearings. Not a problem, as my parents have embraced the world of technology and quickly whipped out an iPhone and used the compass app !

One of the enticing little side streets in Sopron. I love imagining the daily life with all its happenings that the people have experienced there through the ages.

Cobbled streets are so rare nowadays...

Bob stands in awe.

My Dad found a great place to have lunch again. A hotel with this magnificent atrium-dining room. While we were there an American, who was sitting at the next table, came over to talk to us. He told us that he had only wanted to stay a year but that had turned into 20...I don't blame him, it is nice in Sopron.

In the middle you can see the old city wall. Historical indeed.

Another beautiful square in Sopron. Bob took this one and you can see me leaning against the fence.

Tomorrow I will show you the other half of our road trip. We discovered a wonderful town in Hungary that is only about half an hour from Eisenberg...

Biggi

Our Road Trip To Graz.

A nice way to discover new places.

Graz was on the menu yesterday. That is yet another bonus of having family to stay. They are always keen to see the area we live in. Actually in the case of my parents, they have seen more than we have and could show us a scenic spot or two.

Driving in the enviable backseat, I was again amazed at the beauty of our country. You know, when you are installed in the backseat ( usually reserved for children ), there is no need to pay attention to directions. In fact, you can keep out of those pesky discussions about directions...

Any road trip would be remiss without a nice place to have lunch. My Dad is a genius at finding hidden treasures of the culinary sort. Yesterday he revealed a few of his secrets....always look for the streets close to the village church and of course look for how many cars are parked outside. Simple really, yet we do get it wrong !

The restaurant- GuentherS Hof- he found for us was in one word, superb ! The ambiance, food and location was great. While leisurely reading their menu, I discovered that they also are a member of the " Slow Food " club. Can you believe it, they have listed most of their ingredients and where they were sourced. Oh yes, a foodies paradise.

Driver and co-driver navigating and driving us around. I love this picture. It shows what a road trip is all about. Family and scenery.

Taking a picture while being driven around at great speed is not so easy. But I just love the gentle hills of our part of Austria.

Green colours as far as the eyes can see !

Can you see how close the Restaurant is to the village church ?

Delicious is all I can say !

Biggi

Return Trip to Burgenland

What a journey!

I thought that Europe, compared to South-Africa, is rather small in size. Boy was I wrong... we drove back from Denmark yesterday, and we just drove & drove & drove! Actually we crossed three different countries and it took us 17 hours.

But what made it all worthwhile ( apart from seeing our family ), was the stunning scenery. Just starting off in Denmark. My eyes were darting constantly from side to side trying to take it all in. Germany, which we saw from top to bottom, has beauty everywhere. And don't let me get started about my Austria!!!!

This move to Austria has had so many wonderful new experiences for us. We are now closer to Brett and family ( okay, it is a bit of a drive ) and we have already driven and seen two other countries and we have driven on European Highways.

Actually Bob has done the driving and yours truly the navigating. Might I say that I actually did it well, as we did not get lost and had no animated discussions about left or right turns. Yes, we are about the only ones on this planet who Do Not use a GPS direction system. What is the big deal? Reading a map for directions is easy, keeps you awake and gives you the greatest feeling of achievement. Of course only if you get to the right destination...

And a wife can take liberties about the language used, that a GPS would not dare...!

Biggi

Denmark after Sunrise.

Early morning walks, the world over!

This is my third morning here in Denmark, and even here, I wake up at 4.45am. It doesn't matter what time I go to bed. Brett and Family have this lovely nearly grown Puppy, called Sally. She is a gorgeous black Labrador and already waits outside our bedroom for our early morning excursions. As this is her neck of the woods, she more or less is in charge of directions!!! ( I sometimes wonder if breadcrumbs would be helpful to find my way back again ).

Denmark has got such magic countrysides, that it soothes the soul. Just walking alongside the wheat fields with the early morning fog rising from them is special. Sally often stopped to smell a message from the verge and at first it was annoying to always stop until I realized that I got a chance to take in the view...

In Denmark, when your dog does it's business while going for a constitutional walk, you have to pick up the offering and throw it away at home. Dear Sally did not disappoint me. She made sure that I would experience that little " treat "! Of course I was suitably equipped with small plastic bags. Luckily for me, she only did this halfway into our walk, as it is not so pleasant walking with a swinging " Poo " bag and its aromas...

I do miss my Burgenland, though!

Biggi

Play Vouchers Are Free & The Best Presents For Kids.

Who is having more Fun

We drove with Di and Harry across Europe to visit Bob's brother Brett and his family. The car trip was long but nice,and has given me so many good blog stories....

We knew that the first thing any kid wants when they have family visiting, is to see the presents ! This year, as you know, our finances are a bit stretched and thus we came up with an idea that was " priceless ". We designed gift vouchers ( 8 each ) that entitles the bearer to 30 min of one on one playtime. Anywhere, anytime and anyhow.

So, when we arrived there was a mountain of presents from the grand parents and family. At some stage Bob and I gave our Vouchers to the kids, knowing how tough it was to compete with Skylanders etc...and wondering if we would have any impact?

Well, about 20 min in while talking to my sister-in-Law, the first voucher was handed to me! So, I stopped talking mid-sentence to go and play with my niece. She tried to cram so many games into those 30 min and I tried valiantly to keep up and be " With it "

Apparently we have trumped the Skylanders - Yoohoo! -One day on, 6 of the vouchers have been used and I am just grateful that I have not been pulled from the Loo ( I make sure that I lock the bathroom door ...)

I have learned a valuable lesson about what is important. Just seeing the joy on the kids faces, knowing that they have our undivided attention, was so special.

Biggi