Let Sleeping Bulbs Lie

I love this!! It literally says "Watch Out, here sleep the flower onions". Every year these signs pop up during the winter to warn people that bulbs are planted under the pine cuttings. The idea of sleeping flower onions really amuses me!

A Belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Well, we got through Christmas and are still working our way through the mountains of baking I did - we still have mince pies, gingerbread and caramelised pecans but the Christmas Cake and vanilla kipferls are long gone, as are the mini Christmas puddings which were a success after THREE attempts to get them right.

We had a family of 6 around for Christmas lunch and despite a few hiccups in getting everything cooked and ready at the same time I think we did pretty well and I think our friends appreciated our efforts.

Hot on the heels of Christmas comes New Year and the Austrians really like to 'party like it's 1999' - in Vienna they fill the city centre for free concerts, impromptu fireworks displays and eating and drinking. At midnight they ring the big 'Pummerin' bell in the Stephansdom - this moment is of great significance to the Viennese.

Our New Year was relatively quiet as usual - we all went to the Konzerthaus to hear Beethoven's Ninth played by the Wiener Symphonika - it was an incredible experience, particularly as there was a 100 member choir on stage to sing the 'Song of Joy' bit. The concert was early and we were home by 9:30pm. The kids went off to bed and Nick and I watched DVDs until midnight, said 'Happy New Year' to each other and went to bed - I'm not really a celebrate New Year type of girl so even sitting up until midnight was a big thing for me!

Just before New Year, after the Christmas stalls are packed away, the New Year's stalls come out for a few days. These stalls sell tiny little "Glueckwuensche" or good luck charms and the idea is that you get a few for yourself or to give to others to bring luck and good fortune for the next year. The standard good luck charms seem to be pigs, dice, ladybirds and four leaf clovers.

So there's my little update. I hope your Christmas celebrations were joyful and I wish you all the very best for 2009.