Werner and Rosi Wanderlust

What does "Social Distancing" look like in Austria? Well, you're not supposed to go visiting, and all the touristy places are closed, but nature is always open, and there is no danger of catching Corona virus from trees and flowers. Went for a walk up the road, into the woods. Great view looking down at our neighborhood, and the lake. Amazing what difference a couple of months makes.  Now it's REALLY green! Went exploring through the neighborhood. This little path lead us behind the neighbor houses and over the hill towards the center of town. Had to sit on the edge of the lake and watch the sun go down. Decided to go for a drive, and explore St. Wolfgang. This place is normally crawling with tourists, but was like a ghost town today. Staying at home requires cooking rather than going out to eat, but that doesn't mean you can't have some great Austrian food. Time to plant flowers in all the balcony boxes. Our upstai...

It is said that April Showers brings May Flowers… but here at the Haidenthaller home the “shower” came in March and the stone in April.  We have completed a few details around the house getting it more weather proof and finished.  There still are a few things that will left for a future project but we feel very blessed that the weather co-operated and we have been able to get some things finished. Werner worked on the cement board siding finishing touches which include the battens (the trim pieces over the seams), and the white trim around the edges.  (We still have some touch up painting) The stone work on the front is done!  This was a lot of work, but I am very proud of Werner for his hard work.  Since our flight was delayed he did over half the stone work on the back too! (I did just a little “supervising” and stuff, not much.)   The shower in the full bath is finished.  Werner set the tile and grouted. ...

At first, Austrian driving appears to be not much different than in the US, but upon more careful inspection, subtle but extremely important differences appear. Austrians are astonished and appalled at the lack of driver training required of Americans. The following short diatribe serves as a condensed "training" to overcome this obstacle. 1) Measurements - It may seem redundant to point out, but important to note, that in Austria everything is metric.  Driving involves thinking in meters, kilometers, and Kmh (kilometers per hour (don't know why they insist on using "hour" rather than "stunde"). Speed limit signs are round, not rectangular. The limits at first seem extreme.  Wow, I was flying down the Seestrasse going 80! Then you whip out your calculator, do the math, and realize that 80 Kmh is only 48 mph.  Speed limit signs occur often, and at frequent intervals. Beware! You may see a series of 120, 100, 80, and 50 Kmh signs in quick succes...

Found a web site that listed castles in Austria by province, with descriptions, history, etc. Spent a couple of days going castle hopping.  Just pick a direction and go! This one perched on top of a hill overlooking the Donau, has been turned into a private residence. A little big for my tastes, but impressive. They turned this castle into a hotel and wedding reception center. Almost interrupted a wedding taking photos. You can stay overnight, and go horse back riding through the countryside. This little castle was not quite as well maintained. A bit of moss in the main courtyard, and overgrown with trees. Wow, it used to be several stories high inside. No floors remain, just exterior walls. Peek-a-boo Hohenwerfen's tours and falconry demonstrations start in April. This one was turned into a private school for girls. Some rich guy bought this for a private residence.  The lake and multi-acre gardens are well hidden be...