In the UK, there is a strict social categorisation of supermarkets. You can tell a lot about people from where they shop. Admitting to shopping at Waitrose could be social suicide in certain circles. Here, I have not found the same social segregation but maybe that’s because I just can’t notice these things yet. There’s… Continue reading Supermarkets in Austria
When you are bored of singing and dancing, chocolate and marzipan, apples pastries and dumplings, it might be of interest to see some of the other things that Salzburg has to offer. Some of these come from a longing to find things like home, some of them come from locals’ tip-offs, some of them are… Continue reading Beyond the Sound of Music
The swimming pool is a blue world of calmness, a place where order should reign and sleek bodies should pass effortlessly through the waters. For me coming from swimming in the UK, the British delight for rules is elevated in this environment. My city pool had signs dictating how to get into the pool, what… Continue reading How to Swim in Austria
I’ve been thinking a lot about this topic and talking to several people about it. I feel that there is probably quite a lot of research into the subject… but you’ll just have to put up with my thoughts for now. I didn’t know that it was an odd thing to play sports but now… Continue reading How to Play Sport in Austria
From around 5 December every year, people in Austria dress up in animal skins and wooden masks with massive horns, parade down the streets, and whip bystanders in a wonderful event called Krampuslauf. This wasn’t quite what I was expecting in postcard-perfect, snow-dusted, glowing Salzburg. This tradition is widespread across Central Europe and beyond: its… Continue reading Krampus in Austria
I like my baking. I’m missing Great British Bake Off but have recently discovered Der Grosse Backen to improve my cake-based German vocab. Austrian supermarkets are confusing and ruined my first attempts to bake here. It turns out flour differs significantly between America, the UK and continental Europe- who knew?! So here is all you… Continue reading How to buy flour in Austria
Learning how to ski is one of my first goals while living here. I had skiied once before moving to Austria and had run into a tree. Now, being less an hour’s drive from our nearest lifts and with the potential to ski little but often, there is really no excuse. But how to get… Continue reading How to Buy Ski Gear in Austria
I was in charge of the very important task of driving our English car back to where it belonged. I planned a relaxed trip home via the kinds of AirBnbs I love- all libraries and tea and cute churches in tiny villages. I hopped in the car and had a singalong all the way to… Continue reading How to get home without a passport
The first surprise is how late this chapter is. It was supposed to be written in Toronto, then in Reykjavik, then in the airport, then on the train… and now I’m in my house and it’s still not written. I think I was avoiding any kind of introspection but instead enjoying the last few weeks… Continue reading Chapter Eight: Surprises
This is the sentence I found myself saying a lot when the inevitable “where have you been so far” conversation happened, my tone varying from arrogance to nostalgia to almost resignation. Africa feels a very long way away. Already, in five days, I feel a long way from South America. Looking back, it feels like that… Continue reading Chapter Seven: Well, I Started in Africa…
