We discovered the Alt Wien Kaffeerosterei in Schleifmuhlgasse on the weekend on the way to see James Bond so I went back there to buy some coffee. We are having all sorts of problems finding a coffee we really like so I have bought four different types to test them. I gave Cate some coffee the other day and she said 'this is perfect' - and I said 'this is the last of our favourite from Sydney'.
We also saw Bobby’s for the first time and admired their array of all things English (and they do have Vegemite). Strangely enough – we now eat almost no Vegemite as I usually have Kipferls or Croissants and jam for breakfast. Also strangely enough – the Austrians call Croissants by that name. They probably couldn't think of a 16 syllable word to describe them - or is is caught up in the 'Impossible German Words' section of the appropriate government department.
I called into the Feuerhaus in Gumpendorferstrasse to find out about our wood container – ordered some weeks ago. Well part of it is there and the other part is MIA. The man said he would call me when he found it – and he did – today – Holy Toledo!
This is important as we have ordered some wood which arrives tomorrow and I don’t want to have to pile it on the floor or the owls will start to nest in it. We have still to use the last of the compressed sawdust but I will dispose of this quickly by breaking it up and putting it in the cat food. What I can’t understand is why Austrians still have open fires which one assumes are not very environmentally friendly.
But then………..today I saw a man bring a gigantic hairy animal (I assume it was a dog but it may have been a small horse) out on to the footpath and he smoked while it deposited an enormous pile of dung onto the footpath. He then dropped his cigarette butt in the street – hopped on his animal and rode into the sunset. I guess they don’t really care that much.
We also saw Bobby’s for the first time and admired their array of all things English (and they do have Vegemite). Strangely enough – we now eat almost no Vegemite as I usually have Kipferls or Croissants and jam for breakfast. Also strangely enough – the Austrians call Croissants by that name. They probably couldn't think of a 16 syllable word to describe them - or is is caught up in the 'Impossible German Words' section of the appropriate government department.
I called into the Feuerhaus in Gumpendorferstrasse to find out about our wood container – ordered some weeks ago. Well part of it is there and the other part is MIA. The man said he would call me when he found it – and he did – today – Holy Toledo!
This is important as we have ordered some wood which arrives tomorrow and I don’t want to have to pile it on the floor or the owls will start to nest in it. We have still to use the last of the compressed sawdust but I will dispose of this quickly by breaking it up and putting it in the cat food. What I can’t understand is why Austrians still have open fires which one assumes are not very environmentally friendly.
But then………..today I saw a man bring a gigantic hairy animal (I assume it was a dog but it may have been a small horse) out on to the footpath and he smoked while it deposited an enormous pile of dung onto the footpath. He then dropped his cigarette butt in the street – hopped on his animal and rode into the sunset. I guess they don’t really care that much.
The modem and wireless key work fine when they can see each other and for the first time I have a stable Internet connection. However – we don’t really want wires running across the floor so I am inching them apart to see if they can cope. If they start to suffer from separation anxiety we will just have to put up with wires.
Silvia has put the stuff about Christmas and Advent on the Virtual Vienna Net today and for the first time I have been able to see what is required - it's a bit daunting. The Christmas tree doesn’t go up until Christmas Eve so there will be a bit of pressure – but Melissa will be here so I will have some help.
There is no Santa Claus here – we have St. Nikolas. On the face of it he appears to be much more attractive that the fat sweaty fellow in the red suit who infests shopping centres in Australia. He is older but appears to be much more urbane. He is probably a Democrat.
Silvia has put the stuff about Christmas and Advent on the Virtual Vienna Net today and for the first time I have been able to see what is required - it's a bit daunting. The Christmas tree doesn’t go up until Christmas Eve so there will be a bit of pressure – but Melissa will be here so I will have some help.
There is no Santa Claus here – we have St. Nikolas. On the face of it he appears to be much more attractive that the fat sweaty fellow in the red suit who infests shopping centres in Australia. He is older but appears to be much more urbane. He is probably a Democrat.
I am not sure yet but is seems that we may escape from the non stop playing of Christmas carols in shops and the whole ghastly retail driven crap fest frenzy that is Christmas in Australia.
Sarah Palin says she is putting her political future in God’s hands. Now I know God has a bit on at the moment with the Middle East, Afghanistan, Somalia and various other catastrophes throughout the world - not to mention getting President Obama to sort out the chaos in the White House - but I hope she/he has an eye on this one because it is very, very important.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI found you via Steph, the "Incuriable Insomniac". Welcome to Vienna! Great to know that I am not the new kid on the blog anymore. ;-)
I have been through coffee testing and tasting, and I have found a coffee I really love, "Naber", from a local coffee roaster. I usually buy the beans at their 50s style little coffee shop at Wiedner Hauptstrasse, here (yes, shamlessly linking to my blog!). The sweet shop, and the cup of melange they brew there, are worth the walk from Heumarkt, in my opinion.
Could it be possible that you were photographig in the Stadtpark one morning last week?