Medieval fantasy: Steyr

Last year when Christian and Sabine tried to take us on a little walking tour of their nearby city, Steyr, it poured with rain. Instead of sightseeing, we ate cookies and read books to their little girls and frittered away the afternoon in a gemuetlich (cozy) way. This year we did that too, but in …


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Blowing the Whistle

Sunday morning we went up the hill to have a little lunch and to hang out with some folks who own a restaurant up there. The husband has been friends with these folks, well, forever, the way you are friends with people in a small town where you all go to tiny schools together. It’s …


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What we’ve been eating and with whom

Christmas eve Cream of leek soup with toasted brown bread croutons Warm rolls right out of the oven Beet salad with horseradish dressing Green salad with pumpkin seed oil dressing Deviled eggs with anchovies Paper thin slices of ham with rosemary Smoked saibling (lake trout?) from the Grundlsee Tomato and garlic bruchetta spread Brie, blue …


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Conquering the Alm

Austria is a land of high mountains. No, it’s true. And at this time of year, those high mountains tend to be covered with snow. That is also totally true, I am not making it up. In the summer, ordinary people like you and me can drive our cars up to high parking lots and …


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Opening Day

Okay, really, yesterday was opening day, but that was on snowshoes. This is the first time since last March that I’ve been on skis, so today felt more like opening day. It was -8c in the sun when I headed back up to the Pyrnnpass. Yup, that’s a minus. The terrain up at Pyrnnpass is …


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Pam’s Sense of Snow

All righty boys and girls! The snow has fallen, you’re busting with enthusiasm, and it’s time to get out there on the snow. You’ve been down in the basement to dust off the gear and you’ve waxed your boots. You’ve replaced the poles you bent at the end of last season and you’ve got some …


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