Hohensalzburg Fortress

Tuesday was another beautiful, sunny and HOT day. We decided to visit the Hohensalzburg Festung, so “the bitch” – no, it’s not me. That’s what we call OX’s navigation system. – took us up a winding road up the Mönchsberg overlooking Salzburg. The road got smaller and smaller, and we ecountered quite a few hikers, some giving us dirty looks. Hmmm. We did see a few parking spots along that road, but how far could we go until we got into trouble. We had gotten used to walking the day before, so we turned around and parked the car in front of a big, classy hotel.

We followed the signs through the woods until we reached the Museum der Moderne, where we made a short halt. However, seeing the fortress just about 1 kilometre away, we decided to continue. We were both enjoying the walk through the cool woods.





It’s amazing how many residences and old, but restored houses you’ll see on the way.
It was also interesting to see the different walls surrounding the fortress and we weren’t even there, yet!











Finally, we reached the bottom of the fortress. Woah! That’s still very high up!

If you thought we had a steep climb up the Kapuzinerberg, let me tell you that the walk from the gate (where you pay the entrance fee) to the (Fortress Hohensalzburg) itself is much more work! We couldn’t believe that some people were going up there (and coming down) in their flip-flops. Now, THAT my friends, was a funny sight! Seeing them slipping and sliding out of their shoes and trying to reach the chicken ladder on the other side, or then holding on to the railing along the fortress wall. The road leading up there is not only very steep – OX suspected over 20% climb - , but it’s like a sandy, crushed stone. And let me remind you that it was again about 32° C (90°F)!

Once we made it to the top (the actual fortress), we looked at different buildings: the small chapel, the salt storage (salt was worth more than gold at that time), the blacksmith’s and stalls, the grain storage, etc. We walked across the main market place and then decided we needed some food. What a blessing! We found a lovely spot in one of the outdoor restaurants and ordered a light lunch, and an ice cold beer to wash it down.




Once we were done, we decided to take the guided tour where one is handed a phone and can listen to the explanations in different languages. In front of the entrance, there was a bull made out of steel, I think, and it caught O-X’s attention. After this photo, I had to remind him that the expression was to “take the bull by the horns” and not “by the ears”. Oh well, that looks pretty easy. Anyway, the tour was very interesting and we learned a lot about the many developments the fortress had undergone since it’s been built in 1077. Quite an achievement, I tell you.

Our favourite part of the tour was the walk all the way up to a big platform which offered a breathtaking view of Salzburg and the surrounding area in all of its glory. Absolutely stunning!

The Kapuzinerberg (where we were the day before)

The Mirabell Palace

The cathedral

The salt storage


After the tour, we decided to walk back to the car and drive back to our hotel in Mondsee. Later, we were to meet with Peter and Sonja for a relaxing dinner by the lake, followed by a visit to very nice local bar.

Many laughs and a lot of fun. Can you tell?

I am soooo pissed off!

I came home today after work, and because I was home early, I decided to take my car - which has been in the garage UNUSED since 3 weeks!!! – to get a few heavier things at the grocery store, since Orange-X was on his way back from the south of Switzerland and didn’t know if he’s make it before closing time.

So, I dropped a few things off at home and walked straight to the garage and hopped in the car, drove to the store, picked up what we needed, and walked by the passenger side of the car to get to the trunk to unload the heavy burden. As I passed the rear passenger door, I noticed small dents, scratches and white paint marks ranging from just before the door handle to the mid rear wheel. And not just 1, but about 7-8 of these scratches/dents!!! It is obvious that it was the rear door of a car that was opened and banged against my door. Damn! And it didn’t happen in the grocery store parking because I was parked beside the carts so there was no car beside me.

I immediately understood where it came from. For the past few months, O-X and I have noticed a white Volvo parking randomly in free spaces (I'm sure many others have, too), sometimes in the visitors’ parking, sometimes on free, but rented parking spots (like ours). Remember that I said “white paint marks”? That Volvo is the only white car in the lot and it’s often parked on the right of my car. What is it with people nowadays?!! Don’t they have any respect for other’s property or any sense of decency?? No note, no sorry, no nothin’! I’m fuming!!! I mean, you have insurance coverage for these type of things. I don’t know who the owner of that white Volvo is, but I’ll sure find out.

Look. My car is 13 years old (turning 14 next year) and I lived in the center of Basel for 3 years with nothing but public parkings on the street (we’re talking parallel parking here), close to bars and the red light district, so my car did suffer from a few scratches on front and rear bumpers from unknown, probably a bit drunk drivers, but come on! This is - I thought - a civilized neighbourhood and it’s a housing scheme where you'd expect people to be honest! It’s obvious that he’s/she’s from here, otherwise you don’t even get a key to the parking garage. So a) he’s damaged my (okay, old) car and b) he’s eventually not paying rent for his parking. I'll check on that.

OX and I will go back to the garage later this evening to see if the car is there again. Then, we’ll just leave a note asking to either call us or then come by. Tomorrow, we’ll call the agents to find out whether the license plate owners have a contract for a specific parking space or not. I’ll let Orange do the talking, because it’s safer that way. I just hope that the owner of that Volvo isn't a rude type of person. I don't want this to turn into a messy situation.

I’ll keep you in the loop. Next entry: the Salzburg Fortress (this weekend).

Update: OX found the Volvo parked next to my car again this morning. He checked his rear door and found red paint. We also found out who the owner of the Volvo is and will go by either this evening or tomorrow morning. BTW, the guy is paying rent for the parking, so that's one problem less.

Climbing Salzburg - Part 1

What? You thought Salzburg was flat?? Well, part of it is, but to see some of the sights, you can go the easy way, or not. And with all the calories we had eaten up since we got there, we though it wise to, well, you know, burn a few of those extra calories.





Here's a picture of a beautifully manicured alley leading to a restaurant (I think it's the Kongresshaus, but I'm not sure) in Bad Ischl, a small town where we made a stop before continuing our route towards Salzburg on the Monday morning. I just love this picture. Well done, OX!

On our firstvisit to Salzburg, we decided to just walk through the old town. The fun thing was that we were there during the Salzburger Festspiele (Salzburger Festival). No, we are NOT the kind to run after prominent people, but prefer to leave them their peace and quiet. Let me tell you, though, there were plenty of camera teams and paparazzi everywhere, so they had their share of attention.

Anyhow, once there, we bought a city map and made our way to the most famous and probably oldest streets in Salzburg, namely the Getreidegasse. It’s great for all you (and us) shoppers out there. Every shop has its own emblem made of cast iron and, as you walk along, you’ll find that the side streets, or what often looks like an arcade, will lead you to lovely courtyards with cafés and restaurants.

We picked a side street that led us straight to a cute restaurant where we enjoyed a nice, light lunch while sitting outdoors. At some point, I was telling Orange-X that this was the street where we could find Mozart’s birth house. He looked at me, smiled and said: “Uhm. Yes, I know, sweetheart. We’re sitting right opposite it.” Huh?? Since I had my back to the house, I had missed it completely! Duh! There it is! How could I have mised that?

As we were almost done with lunch and contemplating on visiting this small museum, about 3-4 tourist busses arrived hauling not only your day to day tourist, such as French, British, American, etc., but also a bus full of apprentice Chinese monks. At least, I think they were Chinese. Tibetan, maybe?? Anyway, they all had shaven heads and were wearing orange robes, and everyone – including the other nationalities - was headed straight for Mozart’s birth house. The line was stacking back far into the courtyard where we were sitting, so we decided to skip the museum. We fought our way to get through the “Mozart” fans and finally made it to a bit less crowded areas of the city.

At some point, we got to the Linzergasse and saw a sign directing to a Franciscan monastery up on the Kapuzinerberg, which apparently offered a magnificent view of Salzburg AND, most importantly, had a restaurant where we could enjoy a nice, cold beer! The weather was gorgeous (and very HOT! - about 32°C, or low 90°F), so we started our steep climb up the road and many stairs, then into the woods. There were two routes to choose from. One was 2.2km (road) and the other 1.6km (walking path). We opted for the shorter version, because we were getting thirsty and... Did I mention it was HOT?? We soon discovered that the so called walking path was mostly stairs… Very old stairs that are not fit for legs of a 6’2” O-X! I was fine, but poor Orange really suffered during the first 500 meters climb. How steep was it, you ask? Just have a look... And this was the easy part!

After 45 minutes of zigzagging the steep hills and stairs through the woods (I swear that had to be much more than 1.6km!!), we finally made it to our goal and were totally dehydrated! My first thought was: “It looks so… uhm...empty up here”. I turned around to find an O-X looking at a sign in total disbelief. It read: “Wirtschaft Montag und Dienstag geschlossen” (Restaurant closed Mondays and Tuesdays). You have two guesses… Right! That day was a Monday - those who though Tuesday, were wrong. LOL! So, we were the only idiots (Austrians hardly ever do a climb like that without a liquid rewrd awaiting them!) up there? Almost. The only other humans in sight were a) an art student sitting on a foldable seat - and obviously laughing at us stupid tourists -, drawing the small monastery and b) what we think was the caretaker of the monastery coming back from a walk with his dogs, opening the door to the monastery and closing it right behind him. Frustrated (and still very thirsty), we walked back down again, taking the longer, but much easier road back to the Linzengasse. By that time, our throats felt like sawdust and we went straight for a street café where we first gulped down half a litre of water, then an ice cold “radler” beer (also known as a shandy).

We were getting hungry, so we walked back through small streets and alleys to the old town and started to look out for a nice restaurant. We sat down at the Café Mozart, at the Residenzenplatz, with a direct vew of the fountain. Now this reminds me of one of Ginnie’s posts (sorry, I couldn't find it). Why? Well, she mentioned something about having desert before dinner, and during our stay in Austria, Orange-X totally fell for the classic Eis Kaffee (Ice coffee). No, it’s not a coffee flavoured ice cream, but a strong, hot coffee with 2-3 good scoops of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream to top it off. Well, she mentioned something about having desert before dinner and O-X had not one, but two of these delicious ice coffees before dinner. So what’s wrong with that?! Want a spoonfull??

We had a very nice dinner there, and made our way back through the beautiful old town to our car, then to the hotel.

Do you think that’s it? No way! We had much more climbing to do. Wait until you hear about the climb up the Salzburger fortress, Hohensalzburg!

BTW, if you look at OX's photo as "captain of the ship" closely (click to enlarge) you'll see part of me in his sunglasses. Next weekend, we're in Holland! :D

PS: I'll be adding a link with all the picts of this trip (except the X-rated ones, of course;)) in my last entry.

The moment you've been waiting for... Mondsee, Austria

A promise is a promise – And I thought it would be a simple task to keep up with the blogging after our return from Austria… Well, at least keeping up with my blogroll, and not even that went as I had expected. Anyway, I’ll catch up, but you know how it is. Not even 24 hours after coming home from Austria, Orange –X picked up his parents from the Basel airport and spent a great deal of time talking the evenings away, enjoyed watching DVDs together, and a whole lot of delicious cooking… More about that in a later post.

So now, I have the pleasure of going back 4 weeks in time to tell you about our holiday in Austria. Let me rewind the clock and let's go back to August 8th, shall we?

We drove off around 9:30 on the Saturday morning when the skies were covered with grey clouds and a soft rain was coming down, and made our way towards Mondsee (Moon Lake), a small idyllic town about 25 km outside Salzburg.

We finally arrived at our lovely Gasthof short before 5pm and found out that there was the “Seefest” (festival of the Lake) that weekend. The weather was so beautiful that we decided to have a drink on the “main strip” of the village (200 feet long), relax from the drive and do some people watching before going down to the lake where the festivities would take place that evening and the next day. The village buildings are so colourful and well kept that you’d think you’re in a movie. By the way, the church from Mondsee was the setting for the wedding scene in "The Sound of Music". Who'd have thunk?!

Anyway, on our way through the parking arranged for the festivities at the lake, we walked by this car. Was that the band that was to play that evening? I have no clue. So we went our way, watching the small stands with all sorts of goodies being prepared, people testing the lights and making sound-checks for the live bands that would appear on stage that evening, etc. They had also put up a 120 meter (almost 400 feet) crane for bungee jumping and were testing the ropes with different weights. We were both quite impressed by the all organisation efforts of such a small community (approx. 3’000 inhabitants), but we were told later on that in July and August, there was some kind of event almost every weekend and most were very well frequented both by tourists and locals. After our first quick sightseeing tour, we met with Peter and Sonja (business partners of OX) for a quick drink before dinner and they gave us a fantastic restaurant tip for the next evening where we could watch the fireworks from a beautiful terrace overlooking the lake.



We walked back to the village to have dinner and decided to go back to the party afterwards. We got to the lake just in time for the band to start playing. I must say they were quite good and played a good range of styles. There were stands with food and drinks everywhere, the weather was getting a bit cool, but totally acceptable and the atmosphere was fantastic. The age group ranged from small kids, to teens to 85 plus, which we found was an excellent sign. You know what? So many of them were wearing the traditional clothing and not only the older generations, but also the younger were proud to show off their “Lederhosen” and “Dirndls”. At some point, the humidity of the cold grass was getting to my back and we walked back to our little Gasthof for a good night of rest.

The next day at breakfast, we discussed whether we should go for a boat tour on the lake, or then maybe just lazily lie on the beach and suck up some sun, or have a look at the range of events offered at the lake fair. Decisions, decisions! Once at the lake, we saw that the beach was already pretty crowded, but they also had a choice of boat tours – along with gazillions of other passengers - and small electric boats to rent. We opted for the latter. A perfect combination of romantic, peace and being on the water! Helga - that was the name of our boat – took us for a one and a half hour tour of the lake. Captains were Orange-X and yours truly. The surroundings are really beautiful and are worth seeing from another perspective (the lake), even more so considering the gorgeous, hot weather we had. But, hot sun makes one thirsty, so as soon as we docked back on shore, we headed straight to the festivities for a nice, cold beer. Aaah! Burp.... Ooops…. S’cuse us! :-)

Of course, nothing would be really Austrian without an Austrian band, right? Well, we had us some of that, too.

Later that evening, we had a taxi pick us up from the hotel to take us here. The food was excellent, the service very friendly and the view over the lake was breathtaking. Believe it or not, after entrees and main course, OX decided to have the cheese plate as desert. Does he look happy, or what? After the fireworks, we had a digestif and went to our hotel to get some rest.





Have you had enough? Just asking, because we still have 2 days of Salzburg, 2 days at Pinky's (incl. Chris alias "Kevin" live at Backstage) and another day in Bavaria with Andreas and Suze.

We'll be back... Maybe I can get OX to do the next post. We'll see.

Tick....Tick... Tick

Time goes by so fast. I'm trying to work on a new blog entry. Last night, I finally uploaded the pictures we took. Not as many as usual, but a few good ones.

Ma and Pa arrived last Monday evening - just after we returned from our Austria/Bavaria trip on Sunday evening - so we haven't had much time to blog.But I will... promise. It's great to have them here and we're really enjoying prime time (not to mention Ma's cooking!!) with them.

Today, we spent most of the afternoon cleaning up the garden, cutting (the overgrown!!) hedges, mowing the lawn. Soon, we'll be relaxing in front of Ox's Pita with shwarma marinated lamb meat and lots of freshly cut veggies AND his unbeatable garlic sauce!

So, stay tuned. Maybe tomorow evening (there's still the house to clean up), you'll find a new entry... I hope. ;)

Take care, y'all!!

Feels like time travel... without the real time

I’m about to rename my blog to CS and O-X’s travels! It seems that we’re not sitting still much lately.

Two weeks ago, we left early on a rainy and cool Saturday morning and drove a-a-a-a-a-a-all the way up past Hanover to a little town called Varrelbusch where our good friends, Nicole, Heiko - and napping little Jennifer – (and gorgeous weather!), were expecting us. The drive went pretty well, except for a few Staus (traffic jams) and I thought the last 20km Autobahn would never end! But we finally made it in six and a half hours.

After a lot of basic chatting, Heiko realized that he’d better hurry to the Metzgerei (butcher shop) before it closed. After all, we had two BIG meat eaters there and we were all expecting a barbecue. About 20 minutes later, Nicole’s mobile phone rang and Heiko was in consternation. His favourite butcher shop was already closed! In a slight panicky voice, he asked where else he could go “hunting”. Nicole remained calm and reassured him that there must be some meat left somewhere and named two other shops. Ask Mausi. This part of Germany will never go out of meat, take what it takes!

After she hung up, she decided to go wake up the little sleeping beauty and bring her down to greet the guests. At the first sight of us, she hid behind mommy Nicole. When she did take a peek, she frowned as if asking: “Who are these intruders?” Jennifer was distant for the first hour or so, but as soon as Daddy came home (with about 5 kg of raw meat to grill!!), I think she didn’t feel as outnumbered by new faces anymore. Balance had been re-established.

While Nicole and I were getting into some serious girls’ talk, our men started building the newly acquired grill. You’ll notice that little Jennifer is going to be one heck of a handywoman when she grows up! Men (and 16 month old) at work! Ok, she did bring screws to Daddy Heiko, but more often wanted to get the whatever he was holding right then out of his hands.

Then, little Jennifer then was fed and put to bed, and it was time for the big people (we’re not grown up, yet) to have a feast! The grill master made his way to the glowing charcoal, the let’s just say: “The heat (& meat) is on!” Yeah!! Is that a cook, or what? You can tell he loves meat! I somehow get the feeling that Heiko would jet along just great with some of the grill-masters we know! (You know who you are!

After an excellent broccoli salad accompanying an immense portion of grilled chicken, sausages and pork (I was told that there was still almost as much still in the fridge!) and many laughs, we just enjoyed a relaxing time sitting around, chatting and taking in the warm summer evening.

We then retired into our own little guest house. What? I never mentioned that? Yes! It’s like a small apartment with coffee machine, bedroom, bathroom with shower, and a cosy little living with TV. The bed was freshly made and a few chocolates were strewn over the pillow as a welcome gift. Oh. And one should NOT forget the guestbook. All guests have to write at least a little something in it before one leaves. You’ll be reminded ;) Isn't it the cutest house ever? After an excellent night of sleep, we went to the house where a huge breakfast was already waiting for us. Jennifer was running after the cats, Amanda and Antonia, but then joined us for (more) breakfast.

After cleaning up a bit (ok, I'll admit, the pict was taken the evening before, but it does fit in, doens't it?), we sat outside knowing that we would have to leave soon again. I hate those moments, don’t you? Time goes by much to fast! Can you believe that two years had already passed since we had been there last?? Anyway, we promised to be back as soon as possible. We had a really fun time with them and are looking forward to our next meet in Switzerland for Jennifer’s Christening.

Here's one of the last pists we took (kindly taken by Heiko).

Tomorrow, we’re heading for Austria again. The first 4 days will be spent in a small, romantic (I hope) Inn in Mondsee (about 20km from Salzburg) just the two of us, then 2 days at Pinki and Andreas’ and to see Christoph (alias our adoptive son, Kevin) play live at the Backstage bar, then the last two days with Andreas and Suse a bit south of Munich.

Holidays? Really?? Well the first few days for sure, but the last?? I’ll let you know ;) Just don't expect any posts until the weekend after that. We return on Sunday late afternoon and on Monday, Ma & Pa will be spending 3 weeks with us! But don't worry. You'll hear from us.

Have a great week!

101 things... Do you really want to know?

After a weekend in Germany with our friends Nicole and Heiko (I’m working on that blog entry), I thought I’d take a break and put up a meme that has been on a few blogs I visit regularly.

I’m not tagging anyone, but feel free to use it.

1. How many keys are on your keychain?
Four.

2. What curse word do you use the most?
Probably the "F" word, but it always depends on the mood I’m in and where I am. I change languages.

3. Do you own an iPod?
Yes, but sometime I just find it too heavy to carry around.4. What time is your alarm clock set for? 6:30 a.m.

5. How many suitcases do you own?
OMG! I think between the two of us, we must have like 6 or 7.

6. Do you wear flip–flops even when it’s cold outside?
No. The thingy between the toes drives me nuts.

7. Where do you buy your groceries from?
Generally, from one of our two local supermarkets (Coop and Migros), or then a specialty grocery store.

8. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?
Both. It doesn’t really matter to me.

9. What was the last movie you watched?
Hmmm. I think it was Basic Instincts II

10. Do any of your friends have children?
I’d say it’s about 50/50.

11. If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would buy?
Two plane tickets back home and a house.

12. Has anyone ever called you lazy?
Except for myself, I don’t think so.

13. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster?
Nope. I don’t like pills in general. I’ve seen what addiction can do to a close friend of the family. It terrifies me.

14. What CD is currently in your CD player?
None.

15. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?
Chocolate milk and only one kind: Chocomel! To my knowledge, you can only get it in Holland (and Belgium, maybe), so we always stock up when we’re there. It’s the creamiest, most delicious chocolate milk I know.

16. Has anyone told you a secret this week?
Nope.

17. When was the last time someone hit on you?
Oye!!! Does O-X count?? If so, then this week ;)

18. What did you have for dinner?
Let’s see… We had Paolo and Markus over for dinner. We had bread with an olive pesto, we grilled a filet of pork, 2 lamb racks and shrimps, and then a nice desert (layers of berries and vodka-mascarpone cream)

19. Do you wear hoodies often?
Sometimes.

20. Can you whistle?
Yes, and I do it very regularly. I often catch myself whistling a tune in the tram or during work. Believe it or not, I can even whistle and smile at the same time.

21. Have you ever participated in a protest?
Not to my knowledge.

22. Who was the last person to call you?
My Mom.

23. What is your favorite ride at an amusement park?
Rollaaaaa-coastaaaaaa! And the wilder, the better. But believe it or not, a carrousel will make me throw-up.

24. Do you think people talk about you behind your back?
Of course.

25. What area code are you in right now?
4153

26. Did you watch cartoons as a child?
You bet. I was up at 6am (!!) every Saturday to watch the cartoons. Funny. Today, I’m more of a night person.

27. How big is your local mall?
Mall? You gotta be kiddin’. This is Switzerland, remember?

28. How many siblings do you have?
An older brother.

29. Are you shy around the opposite sex?
Nope. Actually, I generally feel more at ease with men.

30. What is your biggest regret?
I don’t think I have many regrets, if at all. Everything happens for a reason, right?

31. When was the last time you laughed so hard your sides hurt?
Last weekend while visiting friends in Germany.

32. What movie do you know every line to?
Don’t laugh. Disney’s “The Jungle Book”.

33. Do you own any band t–shirts?
No.

34. When was your last plane ride?
June 22, 2007 to Amsterdam.

35. How many chairs are at your dining room table?
Six.

36. Do you read for fun?
Not as much as I’d like to.

37. Can you speak any languages other than English?
German and French, and a little bit of Italian.

38. Do you do your own dishes?
Mostly pots and pans, and large plates that don’t fit in the dishwasher.

39. What color is your bedroom painted?
White.

40. Have you ever cried in public?
Not very often.

41. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop?
Both. The laptops are what we both use most, though.

42. Which do you make: wishes or plans?
Both wishes and plans. You need one to make the other, right?

43. Are you always trying to learn new things?
Every chance I get.

44. Do you shower on a daily basis?
Not always, sometimes I take a bath instead ;)

45. Are you currently wanting any piercing or tattoos?
I’ve been thinking of a belly button piercing, but I AM getting older.

46. Do you believe that the guy should pay on the first date?
Not necessarily. It depends who invites.

47. Can you skip rocks?
You bet I can.

48. Have you ever been to Jamaica?
No.

49. What to snack on at the movie theaters?
Popcorn, of course, and a coke.

50. Who was your favorite teacher?
My French teacher in high-school, Mr LaPalme

51. Have you ever dated someone out of your race?
If OX counts having Indonesian roots, I guess so. And if not, I would never have a problem with it.

52. What is the weather like?
Cloudy, with sunny breaks.

53. Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos?
No, thank you.

54. Do you have an online journal?
You're on it!

55. What was your favorite class in high school?
Languages (French and English) and Gym.

56. Do you enjoy traveling via airplanes?
Yes.

57. What personality trait is a must–have in your preferred gender?
Respect and compassion.

58. Have you ever been attracted to someone physically unattractive?
Sure. Love is blind, they say.

59. When was the last time you slept on the floor?
December 30th, 2006 in a cottage in Canada

60. What is your favorite alcoholic drink?
Champagne/bubbly and red wine.

61. Does your closest Starbucks have a drive–thru?
We have Starbucks, but no drive-thru… unless you want to get into trouble.

62. Do you like your living arrangement?
Yes, but I’d like a stand-alone house.

63. What is your mother’s hometown?
She was born in Thurso, Quebec, but was raised in Montebello, Que.

64. How many hours of sleep do you need to function?
I can function on very little, but I do way better with 8.

65. Do you eat breakfast daily?
Never. I need about 2-3 hours before I can “really” eat. But isn’t coffee breakfast?

66. What was the last thing to scare you?
I can’t think of anything right now.

67. Are your days full and fast–paced?
No, but our weekends usually are.

68. Did you ever get in trouble for talking in class?
Not often.

69. What is your favorite fruit?
Berries of all kinds and cherries.

70. Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages?
Never.

71. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
42

72. Are you picky about spelling and grammar?
Yes, although I tend to make typos.

73. Do you believe in life on other planets?
Sure, why should we be the only ones?

74. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
No, but I’d like to.

75. Who was the last person to piss you off?
Paolo in a discussion we had yesterday. But it’s okay now.

76. Do you believe that God has a gender?
I’ll skip this one if you don’t mind.

77. What was the last thing you ate?
Toast

78. Do you get along better with the same or opposite sex?
Generally, I get along better with men.

79. What did you dress up as for your first Halloween?
I think I was dressed as a rabbit.

80. How did your parents pick your name?
I know that they chose names (both for my brother and me) that would be easy to pronounce in different languages. Plus, I just learned that my middle name was picked after the Canadian alpine skier, Nancy Greene.

81. Do you like mustard?
Sure, but only to certain things.

82. What do you tell yourself when times get hard?
You can’t escape it. If you try, it will most likely backfire on you. Go through it.

83. Would you ever sky dive?
I'm not sure, but if I had to choose between bungee jumping and sky diving, I’d go for the latter.

84. Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back?
Mostly on my side.

85. What character from a movie most reminds you of yourself?
I wouldn’t know. Any suggestions??

86. Have you ever bid for something on ebay?
No.

87. Do you enjoy giving hugs?
Very much.

88. Would you consider yourself to be fashionable?
Yes, but only if it fits my style and personality.

89. Do you own a digital camera?
Two.

90. If someone you had no interest in dating expressed interest in dating you, how would you feel?
Very awkward.

91. What celebrities have you been compared to?
I don’t think I ever have been compared to any celebrities.

92. Who is your favorite Star Wars character?
R2D2.

93. Does it annoy you when someone says they’ll call but never do?
Yes, but it's no big deal.

94. What books, if any, have made you cry?
Can't think of one specific one right now.

95. Do you think you’re attractive?
Sometimes, yes.

96. What are you allergic to?
I only know of nickel.

97. Are you a jealous person?
Not really.

98. What’s your opinion on sex without emotional commitment?
If both parties agree and can really carry it out that way, why not?

99. Do you ever feel guilty after eating meat?
Never. And now, I'm hungry for Canadian beef.

100. If you were born the opposite sex, what would your name have been?
According to my Mom, she was so sure that I'd be a girl, that she never even gave a boy's name a though.

101. Is it lunch time yet?
Past lunch and going towards dinner time.

Has it been that long? or Writer's block?

I sure haven't been a very active blogger lately, huh? I know, and I’m sorry. It’s not that we don’t have anything to report, but things have generally just not been that rosy lately and I just didn't know where to start (writer's block??).

Anyway, since I have not divulged where I work, I can say that I am absolutely B.O.R.E.D. at my present position. The team itself is great, but my work is just NOT fulfilling. Plus, my boss is on travel right now, so I’ve been leaving the office between 3.00-3.30pm because I had nothing left to do. Furthermore, our move to Canada is stagnating (insert the “F” word repetitively right here).

Brenda and Harry were here and although Bren is still on crutches after a knee operation, she managed pretty well walking through Basel. There was somewhat of a tickle fight...

And later "The boys" prepared us dinner while we chatted away. Aren't we two lucky gals?

I’m also happy to report that Selina (O-X’s daughter) has graduated from high school and has been appointed as “exceptional graduate” (her Mum being ill with cancer). She missed out on many hours of lessons because she wanted to be there when her Mom had treatments. No extra help! She will start her RN (Registered Nurse) school in September and wants to specialize in paediatric nursing. Daddy OX is mighty proud of his little girl. Can you blame him? Just look at them; the first official photo of Daddy and Daughter after their reunion:

Selina signing her diploma:

Signed, sealed, delivered. Is that a happy girl, or what?

Then we finally celebrated Pa’s birthday - since he wasn’t feeling well back in March – and I saw Selina for the first time. In case you want to know, she avoided me, but I can’t expect anything else on a first time meet, can I? Still, we had many laughs. Here's OX trying to "feed" (or was it sharing??) one of the ribs I was having with Pa.

Next weekend, we’ll be visiting Heiko and Nicole close to Hannover. That ought to be fun. The weekend after that, we have invited Paolo and Markus (who have just gotten married, by the way) for a BBQ. Let’s hope the weather is good! Then it’s off to Austria for two days with OX alone, then a few days at Pinki and Andreas’, followed by a weekend at Andreas and Suze’s. Did I ever mention that being a social butterfly is VERY tiring??

Nevertheless, we love it. It’s just that our friends and families are all over Europe, so that we’ll need a few weekends after that to just relax and recover. On August 13th, Ma and Pa are coming over for 3 weeks. Yay!

After that, O-X and I are planning a week just the two of us in the first or second week of September. But where?? Turkey, Spain, Portugal?? We’ll see, but we know we both need to spend time away with each other alone.

Right line of work, wrong Major

This morning, while reading through some blogs, I saw this quiz on Mausi's blog. Out of curiousity I decided to follow the link and go through the quiz. I must say it's pretty accurate as I have given up the line of work I majored in and found the right job through experience.

You scored as Accounting/Finance/Marketing, You should strongly consider majoring (or minoring) in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Marketing, or related majors (e.g., Computer/ Management Information Systems (CIS or MIS), Entrepreneurship, International Business, Operations Management, Public Administration, Real Estate, Risk Management, Sports Management). It is possible that the best major for you is your 1st, 3rd, or even 5th listed category, so be sure to consider ALL majors in your OTHER high scoring categories (below). You may score high in a category you didnt think you would--it is possible that a great major for you is something you once dismissed as not for you. The right major for you will be something 1) you love and enjoy and 2) are really great at it. Accounting/Finance/Marketing 100% Mathematics/Statistics 94% French/Spanish/OtherLanguage 88% Education/Counseling 88% HR/BusinessManagement 81% Nursing/AthleticTraining/Health 69% English/Journalism/Comm 56% PoliticalScience/Philosophy 56% Psychology/Sociology 50% Visual&PerformingArts 50% Physics/Engineering/Computer 44% History/Anthropology/LiberalArts 38% Biology/Chemistry/Geology 38% Religion/Theology 6% WHAT MAJOR IS RIGHT FOR YOU? created with QuizFarm.com

It also clearly confirms my least interest by far. It's quite amazing!

The Zzzzzzz... meme

Two memes in one day?? Gosh. I'm giving up all my private secrets ;) Scroll down to see the first meme.

My good friend Shelli tagged me with a meme that I’ve never heard of before, basically, because she got the idea. I think it's fun and decided to do it.

6 Weird things I do while getting ready to sleep or while sleeping:

1. I always fall asleep on my left side. ALWAYS! I may change my position after that, but to fall asleep, it’s only the left side.
2. Orange-X and I each have our own duvet (eiderdown). I like to wrap myself in it, so I would keep stealing the covers if we had only one. The other reason why, is that O-X emits incredible body heat so that sharing one duvet would not be bearable.
3. I sleep in undies and usually a T-Shirt or then a sleeveless top in summer. Because I usually sleep on my side, I can’t stand it when my thighs are skin on skin. During the warm season, I always swing one leg over my duvet and in winter, I kind of wrap my legs in the down blanket, so that they don’t touch directly. My lower back also has to be covered at all times; otherwise, I get up with backaches.
4. Our bedroom window is always tipped open; winter or summer. We both CANNOT sleep with closed windows.
5. I always have to leave enough space to the left of my head for Dale to come join me in bed. If I don’t, he will let me know by either lying on my face, or licking my arm or nose until I make space for him. He stays until I fall asleep.
6. If I go to bed before O-X – let’s say he wants to finish watching a movie – he will find me in the middle of the bed and spread eagle. He somehow manages to move me over without me waking up.

I’ll add a few more for your entertainment:

• I can snore like you wouldn’t believe, especially after a few drinks or after very garlicky meals. Me loves garlic, but I get this pasty feel on my tongue.
• I turn and fluff my pillow often during the night; I hate warm pillows and duvets.
• I love to hear rain and thunderstorms during the night. It relaxes me.
• If I get up during the night to go to the bathroom, I open just one eye (a mere slit) and will not turn on the light, nor will I ever look at the alarm clock. I don’t want to know that I still have X minutes/hours left.

How much wierder can you get? Well, you tell me.

I don’t usually tag people, but because this is a new meme and because I am spreading the meme love, I will tag Mrs. TBF (just do it when you find the time. I know you travel a lot), Colon Blow (I’m curious to see if something runs in the family), Sal (make sure to do your draft in Word ;)), Christina, Michael, ExpaTraveler, Jay and Tina.

Just let me know when it’s up, okay?

Tagged - Eight Things About Me

I was tagged twice this past week. Greenhaddock was the first to tag me, so I’ll start with this meme.

Here it goes:

Rules: Each person posts the rules before their list, then they list 8 things about themselves. At the end of the post, that person tags and links to 8 other people; then visits those people’s sites and comments, letting them know that they have been tagged, and to come read the post, so they know what they have to do.

1. Men always envied my legs. Not what you think. When I was 13 years old, I could push more weight with my legs than my 16-17 year old male gymnast teammates.
2. Because of no. 1, it was almost impossible for me to find boots where my calves would fit in. I still have trouble with that.
3. I can watch almost any operation on TV, but when the eye is involved, I have to turn away. As a matter of fact, I was thinking at some point of getting my eyesight corrected with a laser operation. My Dad gave me a website where he had a cataract removed, so I went there. Just reading about it (no picts) made my stomach churn and feel faint.
4. I often trip over things or slip (yes, I’m clumsy) because I don’t always watch where I’m going and then I can stumble for meters on end (think comedy), but I’ll hardly ever fall. It must be quite a show to watch, I tell you.
5. I’ve had my share of torn ligaments and muscles through sports, bruises, scorches and stitches as a kid (a true tomboy, I was), but I never broke a bone in my body.
6. I can’t kill big spiders. It grosses me out. Instead, I catch them with a tupperware and throw them out.
7. I’ve been married twice.
8. It drives me crazy when I decide to sit down and relax, and O-X starts cleaning up the place in frenzy.

There.

I know many of you have done this one already, so I won’t tag anyone in particular. If you haven’t done it, yet, or just feel like doing it, then consider yourself tagged.

Game, Set, Match... or I'll feel it tomorrow

Yes. Orange-X and I went to play some tennis today. Not together though. I mean, we didn't play on the same court.

Last week, our lovely neighbour Di was playing a game of ping-pong (right outside our backyard) with her daughter, Alie, and we started chatting. She was hoping to find someone who played tennis, but was not competitive and would not count points. I'm not really into tennins, but I love running after a ball, whether it's out or not. Just for the fun of it, you know? I like to be competitive with myself, but when I do a sport for fun, I hate it when others expect me to be perfect.

We decided to book a few courts last weekend, but because it had rained so hard, the indoor court were booked-out, so we moved it to this Sunday, 3pm. Today was THE day. After taking Harry and Brenda back to the airport (more about our weekend later this week), we met Andy, Di, Rammy and John for a game of tennis. Andy, Rammy, John and O-X played a double and Di and I made our way to a court far away and isolated from all others. The Kids, Oliver, Alie and Sam, had a court of their own court to play on.

We had a great time. Di and I just had plain fun not counting points and I sweat so much, but it felt so good. O-X enjoyed playing a more "spicy" game with Andy winning the first set 6:4 against John and Rammy, and loosing the second 6:3.

Guess what? We're going back next weekend for another game and I have now acquired my first tennis racket! I'm proud of myself and I'm so happy to have found a tennis partner with whom I can just play for the fun of it. I still have to work on my controll over the ball and the strength I use (I love to really whack it and then it's gone, never to be found again), but all in all, I might even have a hidden talent. Who knows?

I can tell you one thing though. I'll be suffering for the next few days, but that's ok. Maybe next time, OX can take pictures, showing me off as the clown of the courts (not in a negative way - I just like to fool around).

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Watch out... Dead End!

When I got to work this morning, I saw this:

It was taken with my phone camera, so the resolution isn't the best, but good enough. It was a walking and cycling path that is now (temporarily?) closed down and during my lunch time, I still often notice cyclists coming up at full speed until they notice it's a dead end.