A Day in the Life

Some of you may have been concerned that Dana and I took a break from blogging. Believe me, we had good reason! We were busy working on the farm in Austria. Check out what kept us so busy!

We would wake up at 7 and after being ready, we would head downstairs for breakfast. We would eat delicious homemade bread, butter, and jam. And tea, of course!

Next stop, the barn! When we first arrived to the farm, the cows stayed in the barn and we scraped behind them. As the weather warmed up, the cows went out to pasture during the day. This made cleaning easier as the cows seemed to always poop as soon as we put fresh saw dust down. We also pushed up the feed for the cows and heifers. Our time in the barn always brought back memories of cleaning the barn at home as we were growing up!

The cheese house was where we headed next! Dana spent a lot of time washing the dishes while I took cheese out of the cups I filled the day before, salted the cheese and added herbs. I would next take the fresh cheese from the cheese cloth that we prepared the day before to refill the cups. If needed, Dana stirred the cow milk cheese to keep the curds at the perfect size. We finished the tasks and cleaned up!

After we finished in the cheese house, we usually worked in the garden. We accomplished many things including weeding, tilling and transplanting Johannes berre (red currant) plants. It was nice to feel the soil on our hands!

If there wasn't work in the garden or if it was too wet, we might help with dinner. We helped make Austrian potato salad, buchteln, and other amazing Austrian dishes.

Around 12:30, we sat down to dinner. This is traditionally the big meal of the day. Typically we had soup or salad, a dish with meat, potatoes or noodles, followed by something sweet and coffee. We enjoyed Dana's favorite treat, topfen knudeln!

After filling our bellies Dana and I had a break from chores. We loved going on walks in the mountains, reading while playing with the baby goats, or yes, sometimes we took a nap. We also did a puzzle while we were on the farm!

Around 16:45, it was chore time. We put the little goats back in, scraped the barn if the cows were inside, and loaded up the wheel barrow with hay for the mama goats. This was always an adventure, especially if we had help and if we couldn't get the "hay hammock" (unofficial name) just so. After washing our hands, we went to milk the goats! Usually with our host mom, we milked 17 goats!

Once chores were finished we would often play fetch with Bella and Dana would attack Black Knight (the cat whom we named).

The evening ended with traditional Austrian supper - bread, butter, and cheese. It was awesome to eat some of the cheese that we helped make. We enjoyed talking with our host family and sharing stories around the table. After our day, Dana and I relaxed with a book and prepared for the next day!

Just like at home, days vary from one another a little and sometimes there are special events. On one of our last days, the closest city had a festival along with the weekly market. Our hosts sold their cheese at the market each week. We got the chance to attend the fest and take in music and visit with people from the community. We blended in well, one person not believing that we were from the U.S. Another day, our host mom rang the dinner bell before we thought it would be ready. We arrived downstairs just in time to see the most vibrant rainbow we had ever seen!

We loved our stay in the mountains and would like to thank our hosts for the wonderful experience! We hope to return one day as well as share with others the amazing hospitality outer family provided and the super cheese and coffee they have for sale! Danke schön! 

The Hills Are Alive And Beautiful!

Living on a small farm in the hills of the mountains, we had ample opportunity to go for walks and hikes through the woods or up into the mountains. Every walk was amazing with so much to see and so many different views!

We were also blessed to have our friendly companion, Bella, to join us on our explorations so that we would always find our way home!

Through the woods we would smell the damp soil and the strong sweet smell of spruce. We would hear the birds chirping and sometimes the crunch of leaves and twigs under a deer's hooves as he made his getaway.

We would make a point to get to an opening of the trees in order to take in the amazing mountain views or beautiful green hillsides. The farm land was just as beautiful to us as the snow capped peaks in the distance.

On one of our treks up towards the mountains, we walked alongside the roaring mountain water as it rushed down into the villages for people to have fresh drinking water. There were so many tiny streams that fed into the main waterway that meandered through the towns and villages.

We loved to see how far we could go in one direction and check out the tiny villages we came upon. We enjoyed finding the forks in the road and trying to take the paths less travelled.

We Are Not So Different

Across this world are 196 different countries with their own cultures, languages and traditions. Some countries differ more in comparison to others, but there is usually the general consensus that each and every corner of this world is a little different than home.

There is without a doubt many differences throughout this world. But what about all the similarities?

Julie and I have daily come upon multiple similarities between our host family here in central Austria to our own life and family back home in Wisconsin.

First and foremost, both of our families make a living as farmers. This itself has proved to have so many similar lifestyle similarities. These include the early mornings working and the always happening afternoon chores. The hurrying up with chores and quickly running through the shower to get to somewhere in the evening. In addition, Julie and I see the partnership and teamwork between our host family parents as well as our own parents back home. Not only do they live and love together but work and communicate and get things done together.

Both of our families share in meals together. And even at home, here the phone never takes a break during dinner or supper and our host 'mom' shows her faint annoyance at the ringing that always interrupts.  That, along with the daughters 'sharing' with their mom even when she doesn't offer always makes us chuckle and are reminded of home.

Other similarities include the pride an older sibling has for their younger sisters or brothers. That is something that a different culture doesn't change.

And there is so much more that we experienced that would have Julie and I looking to each other and smiling. There was teasing and talks of marriage between Julie and the neighbor farmer. We all shared in the love for chocolate cake. After supper we would sit and laugh and chat together, sometimes sitting for over an hour after the  food had been put away.

Even more similarities would arise throughout our time with this family. Constant running to take or pick up kids. Missing baby animals when sold to another farm. Staying out later to get more work done when it is nice. Taking a packed lunch along with sandwiches when there was so time to come in for lunch.

Each of our families come from very different countries with such different traditions and cultural values, and yet, Julie and I found so many principle similarities that made our time with this amazing family that much more wonderful. We were so comfortable with the tasks of the farm as well as with the routine and harmony of the family. They welcomed us with open arms and we thoroughly enjoyed sharing in their Austrian culture and realizing again how we as people are not so different.

We shared our family's "special birthday cake" with our host family. They enjoyed it so much, we made a second one before we left!

We started and finished chores early and rushed to get to a concert of our "host sister!"