my (long) weekend

so, friday was epiphany meaning it was a public holiday here in austria. bonus! the extra day was kinda handy as i was still feeling a little under the weather and kev had caught the dreaded lurgy from me.

the weekend was spent mostly at home resting, but i did manage to get out to the cinema to see jane eyre (totally brilliant adaptation). i cried (lots!) which was rather embarrassing at the end when they switched the lights back on. i also ventured out on sunday for afternoon tea at a friends place. delicious home baked cakes and earl grey tea helped to revive me!

i received two new cookery books for christmas and this weekend we tried piri piri chicken from jamie's 30 minute meals and beef tagine from jamie does.... i loved both. really great recipes.

oh, and i bought some new sparkly shoes in the sales!

hello 2012

i've been ill at home in bed for the past few days. really not the greatest way to start off the new year, but it has given me the opportunity to look back through my blog at what has happened over the past year. it reminded me of what wonderful times we've had in vienna, amazing meals, great times with friends, visiting new places. i hope that we can do lots more of that in 2012. there are so many more restaurants to visit! and cafes, museums, art exhibitions, shops..... i really want to keep exploring this city.

when back in england over the holidays i started to get a little homesick. it surprises me sometimes how much i crave and miss familiarity. but i need to keep focused on the new and what the future holds rather than looking back.

i considered the goals i made last year at the start of 2011 and they haven't really changed. i still want to lose a few pounds, read lots of books, take lots of photographs, cook new recipes and learn german. but i think my main goal for this year is to get into shape! (its going to be tough!) that, and start thinking more about the things i do have here rather than the things i don't. also to stop giving myself such a hard time that my level of german is still completely basic (and really rather rubbish). i need to get over my lack of confidence with it. i'm really not sure how to do that.

new year celebrations

we spent new years eve with our friends at their place drinking red wine and lots of champagne, eating raclette (which was super fun!) and watching fireworks down by the canal with sparklers. it was a wonderful evening.

before midnight we saw a little of dinner for one. i was amazed that i had never heard of the short comedy sketch before yet it appears to have obtained cult status in some countries, including austria, and is shown on tv every new years eve!

we also discovered another new years eve tradition of melting lead shapes over a flame. once the lead has melted you pour it into a bowl of water and the new shape predicts the coming year. mine made a very odd shape which we couldn't seem to decipher!

the last day of 2011

despite me feeling full of cold on new years eve we ventured into the city in the afternoon for an hour or two. it was super busy but good to see what was going on. there were lots of stalls selling pigs again, lots of people enjoying a glass of beer or sekt (including us!), and people were also waltzing in the afternoon!

new year came with a bang!

there are so many fireworks in vienna at new year! i love the abstract shapes they make.

a little late, but happy new year!

christmas is over for another year

well, since my last post i've been to england and back for christmas. its been a whirlwind of last minute shopping, catching up with friends, hanging out with family, and eating and drinking far too much!

the first two photos are at home in vienna. we didn't have a tree this year which made me very sad.... but the tree would have been home all alone over christmas so it seemed a bit silly to buy one (i refuse to have a fake tree).

the rest of the photos were taken at my grandparents house on christmas day. we had a lovely day together with glasses of sherry, a HUGE christmas roast (there was so much on my plate i kept discovering new things underneath!), lots of red wine, trifle, party poppers (we have a long running tradition in our family of aiming them at the chandelier to see who can hit it the most!), christmas crackers, music, a board game and snooker in the evening.

there is such a build up to christmas in december and then it always seems over in a flash. but i'm really happy i got to go home and spend it with family and friends. even if i am now completely exhausted and dreading work tomorrow!

play loud

i love the sticker on the new album by the black keys. it is good advice. you really should take a listen.

fairy cakes

i've been terrible at blogging lately. i just don't know where the time has gone to. i haven't been taking many photographs either. just no time, and daily life getting in the way.

we had a little pre-birthday celebration for our friend on sunday and i baked little fairy cakes with buttercream icing! they were rather rustic looking but i kinda preferred them that way.

lately

an out of focus christmas tree at schwarzenbergplatz.
mugs of glühwein at the karlskirche christmas market.
one litre of beer at salm bräu.
my delicious tafelspitz starter at stomach.
a frozen margarita at first floor.
a walk to the belvedere.
yummy lunch at wrenkh.
a glimpse of stephansdom in the sunshine.

christmas seems to be creeping up on me this year. the weeks are going by so fast. we've been doing lots of fun things, including having friends from england visiting us last weekend. it was a weekend of great food, cocktails, glühwein and christmas markets!

this weekend has also been busy with an awesome dinner party with friends on friday, and a birthday party last night for this lovely lady. lots of fun!