Frustrated

As I looked out of the window this morning, the rain turned into snow, great flakes of snow. It didn’t last & has now all but gone.

As we’ve now all but organised our French holiday in spring – just one night on the return journey yet to organise - I’m turning my attention to the idea of Austria & Vienna in the summer.

I never realise what a difficult job it would be. We started with a trip to our local travel agency for a few brochures – hardly any. There were a couple for weekend breaks in Vienna but for Austria generally there was only one. So while we were in Lancaster earlier in the week we tried to more agencies – same result – a few weekend Vienna breaks but only one for Austria generally. I’m utterly amazed there are so few. Still, yesterday we ventured down to Morecambe library – not a single book on Austria or Vienna, just books on Western Europe. In some books Austria was covered in just 4 sides. And yet there was a vast selection of books on France, Poland, Italy Spain, Hungary etc. etc.

I find myself wondering why there should be such a paucity of information. Which way is it? Do people not want to go to Austria because they can’t find brochures to inspire them? Or is it brochures aren’t produced in this country because so few people are interested in going to Austria? Maybe Austria would have featured more in brochures if I’d been looking for a skiing holiday but we want to go August/September time. As a wheelchair user I’m not intending to try skiing.

I’m really amazed. Vienna was the centre of the Hapsburg Empire, one of the strongest forces in Europe, for hundreds of years. It therefore was the cultural centre with palaces, art, great musicians (not just Strauss but Brahms & Mozart for example), rich food. As for scenery, you just have to look at the film, “The Sound of Music”, to be stunned by the mountains & lakes. I feel it has so much potential, yet it doesn’t seem to be promoted well. Or maybe the Austrians realise what a gem of a country they have & which to keep it unspoilt for themselves.

I’ll keep looking. If nothing else I can be persistent.

An entrepreneurial challenge

I’m feeling a little disorientated. For once I’ve nothing to do towards dinner. We’re having a risotto so there’s no preparation that can be done beforehand. The Fox has even decided he’ll cook tonight.

Down at the village pub yesterday we ended up having a discussion about non-alcoholic drinks. All round the table had had at some point a discussion of the evils of alcohol from our doctors. None of us are heavy drinkers.

 We all feel a glass of wine with a meal transforms an everyday fuel injection process into a special occasion. We all find suddenly a meal takes an hour to eat as you gently sip the wine & chat. All of which I’m convinced is good for you, certainly mentally & emotionally, & even physically as I’m convinced such gentle digestion of food is good for you.

The problem with these words of medical wisdom is the lack of good soft drinks designed for adults, drinks that aren’t very sweet.  There is only so much cola or other pop, even fruit juice, you can  drink at a time. Attempts at non-alcoholic, even low-alcohol wines are pretty dire.

Last week, on “Food and Drink” (BBC” at 8.30pm on Friday), they discussed exciting non-alcoholic drinks for adults. I watched intently hoping to discover some new drinks to try. The only problem was it was a case of make your own. Personally I want something I can just pour from a bottle or can. I don’t want to have to start by first pick your rhubarb or grow your rare variety of tomato.

I’m sure some enterprising person could make a fortune if they could come up with some good ideas & bottle it.

It’s not that I drink alcohol all the time, or even want to. We drink numerous cups of tea a day. We’ve even been known to have a glass of water or milk, an occasional coffee or hot chocolate. But over a meal, or when relaxing either on our own to music or with friends, we would just like to have something just that bit more special, more celebratory.

So come on that person out there. Put your thinking caps on. Your market is just waiting for you. 

A white morning

I was not surprised to find a whiter world this morning.

After a trip into Lancaster yesterday, we ended up at the golf club. As we sat there, you could see the number of white horses increasing in murky water of the Bay. As time went on the clear blue sky grew ever darker. In the end the only light was the water, so much brighter than the leaden sky. There the clouds were black & dense, heavy-looking, slowly making their way south from the Lakeland fells. Something bad was definitely on the way. We hastened home before it arrived.

After dinner we settled down to a drink & some French chansons when suddenly there was a horrific pounding at the window. The Fox got up to look out. The world was white with hailstones.

So this morning I wasn’t surprised to see we’d had a scattering of snow during the night. It isn’t very deep but pretty icy. The lawns, lozenge of rowans & other beds were accentuated in white as the paths and patio area just looked wet. In many ways it’s quite beautiful but I’m not sad it isn’t worse.

I’ve just been making some beef rissoles for dinner tonight. A few bits ended up outside for the birds. They’re going to have difficulty finding much in this frozen world without a little assistance.