Poppy Fields Forever
Zwettl Abbey, Lower Austria
Like Weitra, Zwettl is an ancient walled town known for its beer. What I hadn’t known was that Zwettl boasts a fountain designed by the renowned artist, Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Now that’s what I call adding a splash of colour to the town centre!
Zwettl also boasts yet another magnificent abbey, the Cistercian Stift Zwettl. At this stage, I’ve lost count of all the abbeys we’ve visited on this trip! I was glad that the Oldies were happy enough to mainly potter around the lovely gardens and trundle through the woods surrounding the abbey. Indeed, I was delighted that the Oldies found the energy to go on a few hikes, as the countryside around here is magnificent. Those big skies are simply spectacular!
I don’t want to carp on about it, but the Waldviertel is a fish lover’s paradise. With its thousands of ponds and lakes, there is no end of fish farmers here. One, however, has found a unique use for his fish. The aptly named Herr Schuh is the only local producer of fish leather. Herr Schuh, whose company Yupitaze is located just outside Litschau, explained that the fish scales have to be removed in the production process. In the case of carp and salmon, but interestingly not trout, the pattern of the scales remains clearly visible on the skin even after the scales have been removed.
The finished pieces of leather are used to make a range of handbags, shoes and accessories. Apparently fish skin is even more hardwearing than normal leather. Of course, when you think about it, fish skins have to be watertight so they must be strong!
I’m not overly interested in adding a belt or a bag to my wardrobe, but there’s no doubt about it, these fish leather products look good enough to eat!
Closer to base, I noticed that the Wingless Wonders, on their shopping trips into Gmünd and when driving around Waldenstein, were constantly scanning the landscape. I had no idea what they were looking for. Until they started to see red.
And that’s when the penny dropped. Of course! All those poppy seeds that are generously packed into local buns, cakes and other goodies… they have to come from somewhere. Knowing that we were soon to be moving on from the area, the Oldies had been anxiously waiting to see if the poppy fields would flower before we left.
Well, they did.
