Currently – November 2016

November had me finishing up my time in Croatia. Ticking off one of my life goals. Cutting the top of my pinky finger nearly right off and moving on to Vienna Austria. It was a big month.

Life Goal Ticked Off:  Fruit Picking.

Olive Harvest in Croatia starts around the end of October / early November and I was thrilled to be able to be part of it. We scrambled up mountains and climbed trees and decades old rock walls to nab every olive possible. That it was a family owned organically run crop made me even happier [caveat: they do use commercial fertiliser Unfortunately it had not been a good year for a couple of reasons one of which included not enough rain earlier in the season.  So we were done in 3 days and the yield was the smallest one the owner remembers the family ever having. [60 litres] I didn’t get the tally on how many kilo’s of fruit that came from but a lot. The previous years had been 350 litres of oil and that was not overly large. It all gets carried down to a community processor which for us was in a little town called Brusje [not far from the fields and the place of the original family home] where they also process the oil from the Lavender crop. We handed over your fruit and hour later they handed over your oil. We got to see the process at work and it’s brilliant. Also showing the abilities within communities without out sourcing. Keeping it local which I loved.

Hiccups along the way:

With Olive harvest done. One of my life goals ticked off with gratitude and thanks for the opportunity. I was off to explore a little more of Croatia AND promptly forgot my pin number to my banking and sat in place for a week sorting that out with the bank. List that under travel adventures right! Luckily I was still with my olive family when that happened. Sorted. Time to go and then deciding to have a delicious breakfast of eggs and hard cheese… I cut the top of my finger off nearly all the way through. New knife. Hard Cheese. It slipped. A trip to the hospital and my first ever set of stitches. It didn’t go well, surgery was on the cards. I’ll spare you the photos. It was not a fun time. A week later I had to go and so it was good bye to Croatia and I headed straight to Vienna finger strapped follow up instructions in hand hoping one of the things I got to do there wasn’t going to be trying out their hospital system . Alas I didn’t get to see some of the lovely places I still wanted in Croatia. Good reason to go back though right. Vienna though ..Oh.

Back on the Road:

Vienna has been my favourite city so far. I am here in the Winter so everything is bare and cold and looks dead and still I have been completely delighted and enchanted by this beautiful city. The buildings and gardens, palaces, churches, monuments and parks. Look up – the buildings are gorgeous works of art themselves. Their train system is marvellous, simple and efficient and I used it constantly and easily which is really saying something. If I can use this system easily… anyone can. The United Nations has one of its homes here and they run tours which are worth the visit. Schonnbrunn Palace, Hofburg, Belvedere .. go and see them all if you get a chance. You won’t be sorry. Trip right into the city visit the shops, see the Museum Quarter which is fabulous. Try the pastries and the warm punch and wine. Prater Park is where you want to head if you like carnivals, rides and fun parks.  My experience of the people of Vienna is that they are friendly and helpful. Oh, Vienna how I love thee. I would definitely have snuggled in and spent Christmas here if other plans were not already in place. Luckily I got to see this gorgeous lady all decked out for Christmas AND between mid-November and Christmas Vienna has “Christkindlmarkt” The Christmas markets. Ice Skating … and the ring is enormous. Food. Gifts. Music. Souvenirs an Amazing Christmas Tree. If you’re here at that time you should check it out.

November drew to an end and it was time to start preparing for Christmas and new adventures.

E x

PS: You can follow along on Instagram if you’d like to see what I’m up to, what I’m seeing, thinking and doing more regularly.