Katie and Ulli go on holiday

Poor Ulli, a concert in Algeria fell through, Michael promised to take her to New York, but then he had to work. I couldn't condem her to spending her 40th birthday alone with the kids now, could I? Instead we played hookie to our family duties and spent an indulgent weekend in Paris. 

Advent Angels

I'm getting very behind with my blogging, but think I've just about caught up! The living advent calendar is a little girl's dream come true - a chance to dress up in beautiful costumes, walk through town ringing bells and eating handing out chocolate.

Autumn in Albeins

In these parts November is not known for being the loveliest of months. It's the month to hunker down, knowing that the terrible weather means the ski season will come all the sooner. But this year glorious October decided to stick around an extra few weeks...

Rabimmel Rabammel Rabum

Martinstag - St Martin's Day
November 11th is a special day in the U.K, the U.S., Canada, and German-speaking Europe, but when the British and North Americans are observing Veterans Day/Remembrance Day, most Austrians and German Catholics are celebrating a different kind of holiday. The Feast of Saint Martin, the Germanic Martinstag celebration, is more like Halloween and Thanksgiving rolled into one. Martinstag or Martini commemorates Sankt Martin (c. 317-397), Bishop of Tours, one of the most revered European saints. The best-known legend connected with Saint Martin is the dividing of the cloak (die Mantelteilung), when Martin, then a soldier in the Roman army, tore his cloak in two to share it with a freezing beggar at Amiens.

In the past, Martinstag was celebrated as the end of the harvest season (thanksgiving). For workers and the poor it was a time when they had a chance to enjoy some of the bounty and get a few crumbs from the nobles' table (“einige Krümel vom reichgedeckten Tisch”). Today in many parts of Europe the feast is still celebrated by processions of children with candle-lit lanterns (Martinslaternen - see the German children's song "Ich geh mit meiner Laterne") and a banquet of roast goose (die Martinsgans). In former times, Martini was the “official” start of winter and the 40-day Christmas fast. 

Taken from http://german.about.com/library/blbraeuche_martin.htm

Hunter's Moon Rising

Taken from the kitchen window, 9th November

 

Vienna

November is not a pleasant month here in Sterzing. It's the month of nothing. To cold to go for walks, not cold enough to ski. What better time to go visiting? Particularly as we hadn't seen the Domengels since last January and the girls were missing one another. 

It was a wonderful, relaxing and easy time for us adults. The kids played and played, turning up every now and then for food, or the magical parental boo-boo healing. Face painting and dress up was taken to new standards, the 2 littler ones painting each other's faces - alas not caught on camera. They both resembled Violet Beauregard, complete with blue earrings.

 

We managed to chase them out of the house every now and then, down to the Danube:

 

To the Lilarum puppet theatre to see the little bird Tikidu who I'm amused to find can become your Facebook friend (should you wish to here she is) Norah was fascinated, sitting on the edge of her seat, mouth agape; and to the natural history museum. Surprisingly this was more successful than previous trips to the zoo. Although the animals were stuffed, they could get much closer to them.

Michi's a wonderful story teller

The Venus of Willendorf

the Kunsthistorisches Museum from the window

more stories

my husband's long lost twin

scary dinosaurs

more scary dinosaurs

Never one to miss up on a dancing opportunity

We had them all sleeping in an alpine hut style matratzenlager resulting in a lot of giggles and painfully early breakfasts in bed being produced for our obliging hosts.

story time

some sleeping was done in the end

Thank you all, and see you very soon!