Whereabouts: Drautal

This is not the Sound-of-Music-land, which would be Salzburg.
Still, Carinthia - the province south of Salzburg - is perfect for us, perfect for our needs.

Our friends in Vienna usually raise their eyebrows, whenever we tell them how much we love Carinithia. Our eyes begin to sparkle. Our faces brighten up.
Carinthia is known for its right wing politics, machos and an erosion of the local intelligentsia, fleeing to other parts of the country. Enough with politics. Very thin ice. Especially on warm days like these.

I let the photos speak for themselves. They show why we have to come year after year. It's the combination of large valleys, high mountains and agriculture on a very small scale. And of course: the sunlight:

This is the reason why I became vegan: I don't have this cow grasing in front of my apartment. I would eat her butter without any guilt!

Watching the cow I was wondering: does she eat because she is hungry, or does she eat, because the gras tastes so yummy? Mr Paula thinks she was grasing because she knows next week the warm weather will be history and there will be no green grass for the next weeks.

This piggy did not have green grass in some time. Phew, now this was some mud! The wool was so rough, like a scotch brite in taupe!

A river turns into a lake when people decide to use the energy the river generates. Articifial lakes are akward and still a reservation for a variety of plants and animals.

Oh oh oh, now I WAS slowing down our path along these privet bushes. There is another! And another! I can tell you, I was quite high, surrounded by dewy privet along our way.

At the end of a perfect afternoon I found Japan around the corner. Mittagskogel in Carinthia, faking Mt Fuji.

BTW: yes, there are still tons of snow on the mountain tops. It is a quite diversified environment, this time of the year. What will tomorrow bring? Hiking in the snow on mountain tops or a sunny terrace in the valley, with a cup of coffee and some newspapers? You will be the first to know!

Good night!

xo Paula

A Good Day With Bad Weather

We have been hoping for bad weather, because there are a few projects waiting for us, that take time. Today was a nice day: the weather was really, really bad, so we needed no excuses to stay in the house all day long. When I say bad, you can be sure, it is bad. I would walk in the rain. But not in this rain. The kind of rain that gets hills moving downwards. The news reported several mudflows in Carinthia today.
I keep looking at the hill behind the house, a lot of trees are gone. The owner removed a lot of trees form the forest and I am keeping my fingers crossed, that the hill stays where it is.

Another hill. with plenty of trees to hold the hill.

drip drip drip

 

 

 

Last night I started going through all the printed and scribbled recipes. They've accumulated over time and I decided to transfer them to recipe-cards, just the way my mother used to keep recipes.

Not every recipe will make it on a card. Lemon-maplesyrup-juice to keep my hydrated.

Believe it or not, but going through old recipes IS fun. It tells you a lot about yourself, your preferences. I obviously prefer cinnamon, carrots. They can be found in many recipes.

 left: new pile, right: old pile

 When you are foolish enough to invent extra work, be sure to supply yourself with the best tools possible. Clairefontaine paper for example. 

French paper is a smooth fundament for any future recipe box. 

All I can say, the new system already works. Mr Paula is preparing a late lunch/early dinner with one of the new recipe cards. Success!

Enjoy your bad weather, in case it decided to pay you a visit today.

Paula

PS: In case you are wondering how our apartment transformed over night. This is not the Paula Residence, but our friend's old farmhouse in Carinthia!

Klagenfurt

Klagenfurt is the regional "metropolis" of Carinthia. Usually we stay in Villach, not this time.
I admit, getting there was kind of scary.

Café at the truck stop in Austria.

You won't make it to Carinthia without passing through some tunnels.

In Klagenfurt you will hear many people speaking Italian. Right in the centre you will find the Auer Pharmacy, a legend. The joint-balm gets passed down in my family. I called my mum and asked her, if she can need a new jar. Passing upwards this time, so to say.

Look at the shopwindow, and you will get the feeling of this legend:

Is there anything not to love in on display?

I check the guide book what it has to say about this. I have to let you down this time.

Ahhhh, Kiki!! Love! :-D

Kiki Kogelnik was born in Carinthia in the 1930's and a feminist artist. She worked with masks. This fountain is called "Chant" (Gesang)

All photos taken January 2nd 2014.