Castle Gösting

Today we discovered we have been living only a few miles from an authentic 11th century castle. It is a short hike up to the castle where there is a sunny terrace where one can eat delicious home-cooked food, drink a beer, and relax while soaking in the view of Graz.


The view from the terrace. One can just make out the Schlossberg, the hill in the center of Graz, in the center of the photo.

Streets so narrow

Most of the streets in the old part of town are pedestrian only, when you see how small they are it makes a lot of sense!

Real Americans

How can you say you're American if you don't have a grill? Of course, this statement only applies if it's physically possible for you to own one where you live. Since we have a patio, we qualify. I went to BauMax, the Austrian equivalent of Home Depot, to get one today, and spent the afternoon putting it together. The instructions were in every language except for English or French (the two I could have best understood). I'd like to say I could fully understand the German ones, but I think the reality is I followed the pictures. Voila! Doesn't it look cute on our patio? We can't wait to use it! Maybe those of you who were on the fence about a visit will now be convinced.

Doors

There are so many unique and interesting doors around Graz. Here's a sampling of colors and shapes:

More snow, more winter

Winter just isn't ready to give up. We got about 5 inches of snow yesterday. Today the sun was out and I went to the Stadtpark to take some pictures before it melted...






If you look closely at this picture, you can see a yellow bird in the middle:

It looks like this tree was thinking about spring as well...

Faschingsdienstag

AKA: Fat Tuesday

There were no beads, but plenty of people, costumes, and partying. There was a parade and outdoor bars set up in all the little squares throughout the city center. They sure know how to party in Graz!



They played "YMCA" but somehow we were the only ones doing the dance.

We eventually had to go inside to warm up.

A great day, and we were home by 9pm (and in bed by 10- completely exhausted!)