Archive for Fuschl

There is no such thing as bad weather…

December 28, 2011 / Backpacking Ninja / 3 comments
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Till recently, I never believed the person who said ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong jacket’. Having spent most of my life in a city where the weather band is 20 – 40 degrees, things like snow, sweaters, scarves and such is as alien to me as wearing a bikini is to an Eskimo. But, I’ve surprised myself. Having taken my baby steps on snow just a couple of weeks back and not turned into a frozen Indian snow woman was enough encouragement to keep me excited through the first few days of the much awaited winter in Europe. I’m living the seasons. I’m loving it.

So, here is my take on winter and things I love about it so far…

Natural black and white pictures… it feels like the entire scenery has turned black and white. Ofcourse, some people call this grey and depressing. I am still too excited about the landscape.

I used to think that footprints in the sand was the best thing ever. Till I stomped around Fuschl making bootprints on snow. Love the soft crunching sound everytime you step on the snow.

In normal circumstances, having a beer is an excuse to meet a friend. I guess with winter, meeting a friend is an excuse to have another cup of hot chocolate or mulled wine. Either way, warm things and friends go well together.

The fact that half the world things these ‘Ugg’ boots are a fashion statement. Or not. It cracks me up either way to think that surfers in Australia wore these boots to keep their feet warm and now, they are a winter rage all over the world. Everytime I see someone wearing this, I automatically have a mental image of a hot Aussie surfer with just these boots on. Anyway, I am not spending the money I saved for an air ticket to Cuba on a pair of shoes. Thank you, but no Thank you. Since we are in the topic of clothing and shoes, I have to say that I am huge fan of winter because everyone looks equally thin or fat and you can hide your face behind those furry hats and make funny expressions.

Snow makes you do foolish things. If you notice the copious amounts of snow on the board and the fake balancing act, you would have figured that I spent half the time with my ass on the snow. Blame it on first snowboarding lesson or just on the fact that I wasn’t born Austrian. If I can’t figure out this sport, atleast I’ll master the art of falling.  

Ok. If you haven’t figured it out yet, most of the above pictures were taken in Austria….. It’s a white fairytale land. When I find out things I like about the London winter, I’ll let you know. Don’t wait for the post!

Category: Austria, Europe, Fuschl, Weather / Tags: , , , , , ,

The guest who never leaves

August 9, 2011 / admin / One comment

Irrespective of whether you stay in five star hotels or budget hotels or really cheap hotels, a hotel is a hotel. That is what I believed in till recently. Somehow, I’ve never been a fan of hotels. I’ve always tried to stay with families or friends or even people I have met on the internet. No, they are not crazy internet stalkers waiting to kill Indian travelers.

Having spent the last few months in a hotel in Austria, I changed my mind. One can feel very much at home in a hotel and it depends on these few golden rules that I have come up with.

1. Known every nook and corner. If its your home, you would know where the kitchen is or the storage room is. It is no different in a hotel.

2. If you feel that its weird to have your bed made when you come back to the room, tell the housekeeping guys to skip making your bed. They get a day off and you get to feel at home.

3. Offer to walk the dog. If your hotel has a dog (in Austria, most of them do as they are family run hotels and its normal to have a pet), that is the sweet deal.

4. Do 10 minute reception duty every once in a while. Answer the phone and say, Good morning ‘you have reached ….’. It makes you feel like you own the place and that helps.

5. Ask for things which are not available in the menu. If they manage to whip that for you, its an amazing feeling. Don’t try to be a pain about it…. do it with a smile.

6. Fall asleep in common areas, like the terrace or the bar. When any one of the staff wake you up, they stop being strangers.

7. Finally, get to know everyone. Receptionist, Chef, Bartender, Housekeeping. Even the guy who rakes the leaves. Not just their names. Talk to them and genuinely care about them as people. They are people doing their daily jobs. Don’t make it more difficult for them.

Once you do that, you’ll realise you can never be a ‘guest’ in a hotel. You are someone who never leaves. Even if you leave the hotel to go back to your city, you will manage to stay there forever. A guest they will miss. A friend. Sometimes, even family. And that’s what you want to be.

Category: Austria, Europe, Fuschl / Tags: , , , ,

Give yourself a break everyday!

July 14, 2011 / admin / 4 comments

I was on the phone with a friend last night. It’s been ages since I have been able to take a few minutes out to have a general conversation, which did not include work or the pain of living between two cities. We just caught up on stuff like how much I miss Kingfisher beer, wearing flip flops and how much she wishes there were better Sushi restaurants in Mumbai. So on and so forth. That’s when I realised that I’ve been holed up in my bloody cabin, forgetting the simple joys of life and that I need to get out more.

So, I made a promise to promise to myself. It’s not about killing yourself working for months together and then running away to a beach for 3 weeks. It’s about enjoying everything daily. It is so unfortunate I am bang in the middle of every British tourist’s dream destination, a pretty little lake town in ‘Sound of Music’ Austria and I haven’t made the most of it.

So, here are my 7 resolutions for the rest of the time I spend in Austria. These are not earth shattering things. These are simple gift ideas, ones that I would give myself.  It’s all about giving myself a break everyday.

I’ll get myself a good meal everyday and try everything there is to try in Austria – From knoublauch soups to the wiener snitzels to the strudels of the world. More than anything, I’ll get out for lunch and get home in time for dinner and stop eating stupid vending machine stuff.

I will spend time outdoor. Need I say more?

Hell of high water, I’ll find a way to catch the bloody Post Bus and get to the city for Capoeira.Now, these are people I can call my family in Salzburg.

I will go swimming, even if I freeze my butt. If not, I’ll atleast capture the zillion shades of blue and green on my camera.

I will stomp on the grass, even better try to handstands or cartwheels when no one is looking. I don’t think the office allows people to walk on the grass. But, I shall be very non-conformist about this one, if you know what I mean.

I will buy myself a Deindl, this Austrian frock. Even if I look ridiculous, I need to own one. Shopping maybe therapeutic, if its for something as crazy as this.

I will find the time to write a song for Hotel Mohrenwirt, my home in Austria. I will put it to tune and play the Berimbau and sing it for the staff one day.

And, when I am done with this list, I’ll come up with a new list.

Category: Austria, Europe, Fuschl /

Ode to a Bloody Mary

June 29, 2011 / admin / 8 comments

Was in London for just a day Or two, I think….
Time to do my laundry and clean the kitchen sink.
Enough and more reason to write a stupid song,
One Bloody Mary please, nice and strong.

Spending another Sunday morning at Gatwick…
Too much baggage, Airport life ain’t a picnic!
Weekend’s over, that is so wrong,
One Bloody Mary please, nice and strong.

Some capoeira music and la la humming..
Mentally prepare myself for what’s coming.
Security is a drag and takes so long,
One Bloody Mary please, nice and strong.

Board that flight to Mozartland…
With  hills and music and lakes so grand.
Gonna miss that bloke, that bong..
One Bloody Mary please, nice and strong.

Category: Austria, England, Europe, Fuschl, London / Tags: , , ,

License to drive

June 17, 2011 / admin / 2 comments

Its funny how I miss my little red Zen. The one I took for granted all these years. They say you don’t know the value of something till its gone. So true. I have to admit I’ve never really been a car person. I guess that was because I lived in a city like Mumbai, where the last thing you needed was a car. Any Mumbai person knows that the frustration of trying to find a parking spot is lesser than the frustration of a bumpy auto ride to your destination. Either way, I still had the car in my garage, just incase I needed it. Having moved to Austria (Yes, I’ve started accepting that I moved to Austria and not the UK), I have managed to find myself in situations, where life without car seems very similar to prison life.

Situation 1 – Missed the bus to the city and got drenched walking from the bus station to my hotel, depressed over the fact that I couldn’t make it to Capoeira

Situation 2 – Missed the bus back to the village from the city, making me hitchhike till the motorway and walk 2 hours

Permanent Situation – Being stuck. No explanation required. The feeling of being stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Well, the issue here is not about the car. I guess I could get one or borrow one or rent one if I wanted. I don’t have a license to drive in Europe. I’ve been told that you can drive for the first 6 months with your Indian license, but honestly I don’t know if Austrians know that. I didn’t take an International license in India due to the bureaucracy. I haven’t applied for a driving license in the UK because I have to go back to driving school and write tests et all. I guess its the same story for Europe. Call me lazy or whatever, I just think I should be allowed to drive here.

What do you think I should do?

Should I try this story with a car rental and see if they will let me hit the road in Europe with my Indian license. After all, If I can drive in India amidst all the traffic and the occasional elephant, shouldn’t driving in Europe be a piece of cake?

Or, should I just accept the fact that from cars to bikes to scooters to bicycles, I’ve finally reached a situation where it will be me, my two legs and miles to go?

…… any other thoughts?

Category: Austria, England, Europe, Fuschl, India, London, Mumbai / Tags: , ,
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