Picturesque Hallstatt

If  I had to describe Hallstatt in one word, it would be 'picturesque'.

Cited as one of the most beautiful places in the world, it is definitely worth a visit if you're traveling to Austria. While the small lakeside village can easily be covered in a day on foot, I would recommend staying for at least one night to truly appreciate its beauty. It is prettiest early in the morning when the sun casts its gentle rays on the lake.

Traveling to Hallstatt from Vienna takes about 3 hours by train. The comfortable ride brings you on a journey through farms, pastures and small towns. As it approaches Hallstatt, you begin to see the enviable lifestyle of the locals living in the countryside.

 

Short walk down to the jetty.

When our train came to a stop at Hallstatt, the Stephanie Ferry was already waiting by the jetty to bring passengers to the village across the lake.

The village across the lake.

On board the ferry.

 The village is indeed a small place. Locating our hotel, Seehotel Grüner Baum, was easy as it is only steps away from the jetty. We made the right decision to stay in this hotel. The bed is really comfortable and the staff is polite and patient. The food here is good too.

Even though we left Vienna on an early morning train, it was close to 2pm when we arrived at the hotel. We were hungry and tired.

 The alfresco dining area overlooking the lake and snowcapped mountains looked so inviting, we sat down for lunch without any hesitation.

Seafood pasta.

Beef carpaccio.

Local fish.

Herb crusted pork loin.

There are many day trippers in Hallstatt, so it is not surprising to find the noisy groups of tourists gone when night falls. Most of the shops here close early with very few restaurants staying open at night.

What was surprising though, was the large number of Asian tourists we saw here. Some of my  friends living in Germany have never heard of the UNESCO protected Hallstatt, yet the city square was teeming with travellers from China and Korea during our visit. I found out later that China has replicated the village in Huihzou. You can read about it here.

 The biggest attraction here (I mean the real Hallstatt of course) is the salt mine which features a viewing platform that offers a panoramic view of Hallstatt village. 

Instead of visiting the mine, we explored the nooks and crannies of the small village including the cemetery and bone chapel. Enjoy the gorgeous sceneries captured in our photos.

Naschmarkt in Vienna

Visiting markets is always high on my agenda when I'm overseas. Flea market, farmers market, Sunday market, local food market, flower market... I love them all!

There are several markets in Viennna but we only had time for one. So we picked the largest one -  Naschmarkt, the urban market that is over half a kilometer long with over 100 permanent stalls. It has been in existence since the 16th century and is well regarded as a true Viennese landmark. I highly recommend it if a taste of Viennese street culture and casual dining are what you're after.

Gherkins.

Artichoke.

There are many stalls selling culinary herbs.

Today, you can find everything here, from Indian to Turkish food.

The garden shop is my favourite.

It was very crowded that Saturday. It's like a giant farmers market with cafes and restaurants serving delicious food and coffee, hence the place is packed with tourists and locals.

Nuts.

 At the end of Naschmarkt, right after crossing Kettenbrückengasse, is the Vienna fleamarket that is operational every Saturday morning.We had great fun browsing and picking through chinaware, handicraft, antique cameras, leather shoes and jackets. It's definitely a great way to spend the day.

Grades are not everything

This morning, a young girl hurried past me with a report card in her hand. Oh, the mid-year exam results are out! I'm so out of touch these days.

Looking at her frowny face brought back memories of my own school years. I was never the top student and neither were my kids. They've never brought back report cards with stellar results but did I fret? Not really. In fact, some people thought I was too sanguine about their grades.

Honestly I would have been pleased if they came back with good grades but I can't penalise them if they're not wired to solve difficult math problems or master the Chinese language. Math had always been my archilles heel in school, yet today, I can do mental sums faster than anyone else.

So what if they did not make it to the top ten percent in class? Right from the start, I had never piled them with enrichment courses, music lessons or tuition classes. Their childhood was spent enjoying, appreciating and discovering nature. I knew they were smart in their own ways. It was plain to see that their talents lie in areas outside of the classroom. They were intelligent, observant and sharp. To me, that's more important than scoring As in school.

Naturally, they need a good education like everyone else and I have never denied them of that. Instead of being cooped up in the room studying, they had the opportunity to develop their passions and hone their skills.

Today, they are pursuing their favourite subjects and hobbies. They are so self motivated, they excel in what they do, without anyone prodding them.

Many parents are fixated on their child's grades. They fail to recognise that every kid is unique. They should not use academic results to measure their kid's ability for it will only demoralise themselves and their children. Instead, they should identify and help them develop their talents and strengths.

If you look around and see for yourself, you will find the 'so called' slow learners in your class are now successful in their own ways. Good grades do not equate to a good future if the person is not resourceful or resilient. You need to have faith in yourself and your kids.

For me, it has been a lonely journey as a single parent. Having to make all the decisions for the children, sometimes I wonder if I had done the right thing. But seeing their achievements gives me affirmation that I must have done something right along the way.

I wish I had said something positive to the little girl this morning. It could very well be a life changing moment for her.

Things to do in Vienna - Zentralfriedhof

If you are not a history buff or if you're overdosed on culture and museums, there are plenty of other things to do in Vienna. But be prepared to walk a lot, get lost a little bit and take public transport.

Visiting Zentralfriedhof ("Central Cemetery"), one of the largest cemeteries in the world and certainly the most famous one in Vienna, can be quite an experience.

Spanning 2.4 square kilometres with 3.3 million interred here, you can spend all day enjoying the tranquility and spotting the tombs of famous people and musicians like Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart and Johann Strauss.

 If you are hungry after hours of roaming, there are a couple of restaurants just outside the main cemetery gate worth checking out. We had lunch at a simple cafe that serves authentic Austrian food like pork schnitzel and boiled beef with dumplings at wallet friendly prices.

Just a short distance away, we stumbled upon an interesting barn-like building with a large stone Jesus towering over an overgrown garden.





Intrigued by the building's strange freaky-morbid appearance and mysterious ambience, we pushed open the door and were surprised to find a restaurant buzzing with life inside. It is a favourite haunt of the locals!
 
The interior, featuring bare wooden floors, gargantuan mirrors and stained-glass roof, proved to be quite a spectacle too.

We heard the schnitzel here is fantastic but having just finished lunch, we opted for coffee and dessert which also turned out to be fabulous.

 If you're in need of some mood lifting scenery after visiting the cemetery, feel free to pop into the large nursery just across the road.

After our interesting excursion, we boarded a bus back to the city. For some reason, the bus stopped somewhere and everyone got off. We disembarked and found ourselves in an unfamiliar place. Again, we stumbled upon a gorgeous historical building which used to be a water treatment plant.

We would have hung around longer if it wasn't so chilly. We boarded the next bus back to the city. It was a nice day out.