Celebrating Carnival in Graz, Austria Mardi Gras, Carnival, Fasching – whatever you want to call it – is a bit of a non-event on the Emerald Isle, Her Ladyship tells me. On Shrove Tuesday you simply eat a pile of thin, unsweetened pancakes sprinkled with caster sugar and lemon juice. That’s it. End of story. Well, that’s a bit disappointing for a country that loves to party. No costumes, no music, no dancing, no parades. I don’t know why the…
Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum, Thal bei Graz First I go to Hollywood. In Ireland. Next, I go to see a Hollywood star. In Austria. We’re in Thal bei Graz, birthplace of Arnold Schwarzenegger and home of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum. Opened in 2011, the museum has the full support of the famous man himself. He has donated a large number of personal items, including photos, furniture and other memorabilia which give great insight into his successful careers in bodybuilding, acting and…
I think it is finally time to get into the Christmas spirit. It is mid-December, the weather has got a little colder and the atmosphere has a decidedly Christmassy flavour to it. I’m starting to see why so many people love this time of year. So, first stop is to sort out the tree. While out walking with the Oldies, I’ve already been checking out the local plantations. There are some nice-looking specimens there alright but we are off to…
Visiting Graz Graz is a city full of culture. In fact, it was European Capital of Culture in 2003. It offers enough museums, galleries, theatres, and opera houses (ok, well, just one opera house) to make your head spin. So where do my owners go first thing this morning? To the Puntigamer brewery. Not that I am complaining, mind. The beer does taste better at the source and the food in the brewery restaurant is excellent. I think we are…
Great, we’ve finally got moving again. We hopped on a train this morning – another new mode of transport to add to my collection! Unfortunately, we didn’t get too far. We’d only been on the train about 15 minutes when we were told that we had to get off and take a bus because the tracks are being repaired. Using public transport in Austria isn’t always easy. It doesn’t help that the country’s littered with mountains. The road we took…