Under 12 Months, Limbo...

So, In theory we should be celebrating the fact its now less than 12 months until we move. unfortunately, things are in limbo. The NHS is going to hold me up it seems. Add to that the world of Council cuts that has left the E3 program gutted (Budgets have been slashed by 90% for most schools), so work is a bit thin on the ground.

Right that's enough of that. let's get on with the fun stuff. Moving to Vienna is still happening, plans are in motion to pick up the slack and this week we had to pop to everyone's favourite Swedish superstore to pick up our third tub, packed ready for moving. However, the big news this month has been that we've been in Vienna. From the 7th to the 14th of May, we were in Vienna for work. We picked a new place to stay as we needed a 2 bed room apartment for Lynda's mother. So just off of the Ring, and behind the Rathaus, We had a gorgeous apartment that was home for a week. Now I need to add a few pics :)

First up, A return to one of Vienna, Cafe Central. It was Lynda's birthday on the Sunday so we headed out to Cafe Central for indulge in a typically Viennese dessert.

It had been a long weekend for me, so the Chocolate was needed. 

Lynda and her Mother, relaxing whist we wait for...

The Kaiserschmarrn or Shredded pancake with plum sauce or jam. It Was DEADLY. Meant to share, Lynda and I tucked in to the heavy pancakes. Seriously, there must have been 6 eggs in there. There was so much that Lynda took it back to the apartment and finished it for breakfast. 

Whist Food is an important part of the Austrian lifestyle, days out give a chance to explore. A cruise on the Danube is a very 'Touristy' thing to do, but Lynda's mother had only visited Vienna once and some how, during the whole trip, we missed almost every single thing to do in Vienna, including the Danube river. We only found Mariahilferstasse by accident. So onto the river we ventured. 

Drink in hand and the Danube for a backdrop, who could ask for anything more. 

After 3 and a half hours though, the three of us were so relaxed, we were virtually in a coma.

Shopping is certainly something I go in for, and it wasn't long until I hit up a Saturn Store. See.

I'm only slightly ogling those motherboards, honest. 

Finally though, and something that really drove home why we want to move, we went out for a stroll on Friday night and wandered across the road to the Rathaus. We were met by a young blonde girl handing out disposable rain poncho. Clearly, something was going on. Rounding the corner, We met a huge crowd stood around a stage set up in front of the Rathaus. There was a free concert happening. It was being Televised across Austria and Europe. The Concert was called, 'Europe Sings' and as the rain began to fall in the park, I melted away to the sound of live classical music from the stage. 

That one evening cemented Vienna in our hearts. From there we wandered up the Ring, Met a bicycle race along the way and ended up in Cafe Schwarzenberg before heading back to the apartment.

so that's how we spent part of May. We saw lots of other things, A great show at the English Theatre, The Zoo at Schonbrunn and Lynda and her mother even visited Mayerling whist I was working up in Uno city. I'm already missing Vienna and it'll be Christmas before we're back again. Summer we'll be off to Japan, But I'll be thinking about Vienna. 

13 months to go - Best laid plans gone arwy.

So it's the 13 month mark and next month, on the 12 month mark, we'll actually be in Vienna for work. I'm covering the Vatsim worldwide conference taking place at 'The Stage' near uno city. However, whilst next month brings Sachertorte and schnitzel, this month brings about disarray.

Uncertainty rules. 

First up, E3. A few months back, I mentioned problems that could turn up at Lynda's work. Here's a quick recap. Lynda has her own business working in schools and youth clubs. She teaches teenagers new skills that aren't available during the normal school day. Well, thanks to huge deficits run by the council, a whooping £70m hole in the budget, and cut from London and Cardiff, things are not looking good. We were concerned that the whole E3 program could be scrapped. It hasn't been scrapped, but it has been reworked. Cuts have come thick and fast and for the final block of the year, work is looking scarce. Originally, we had a back up plan of leaving the country early for Vienna. However, given the difficulty of starting a new life premeturely, we have been forced to think again. 

Secondly, and another great reason for not leaving this coming May, is that I've developed a medical issue. It's nothing serious, but I'm now waiting to see a specialist to help get it sorted. Now its fair to say that the NHS doesn't move swiftly, and this is no exception. I've been told I could expect an appointment between 6 months and a year from now! As you can imagine, this has thrown the cat amoungst the pidgeons. Given I could be seeing a doctor around March next year, plans may change. 

At the moment, we're crossing our fingers for an early appointment, but truth is, it may be the end of 2015 before we can move.   

Best wishes,

Jess 

14 Months to go! - Bargains and must haves

Its 14 months to go, and we've had a bit of an emergency this month. I'll get to that later. For now though, we've been packing. Yes that's right, we've just packed the first box of many, 14 months in advance. Ok, it's not as bad as it sounds. Because we've moving from a shared home, we're short on a few things. Items like towels, kichen bits and bobs and various other things are going to be needed after we move. With that in mind, the post Christmas sales have been plundered for a few great bargains. A set of nice towels we the most recent purchase and, with a. Small pile forming on our coffee table, we figured we'd need a box to keep things in. So off to ikea for a cheap plastic tub and lid we went. 

The trip did more harm than good. Whist the box of brand new homewares is sitting just waiting for a home, we found that Ikea was discontinuing a few items of furniture. Now when we decided to move, for fun we went to ikea, both here and in Vienna and Innsbruck, to do a bit of fantasy shopping. We picked out several things, including the very nice, and very comfortable Ektorp sofa, for example. We did struggle with a good tv unit. However, the Ikea Expedit range introduced a great looking unit that fitted in with two other items from the Expedit range. Now for those who aren't familiar with it, the Expedit range has been an ikea staple for many years. However, whist we were shopping, we caught sight of the tv unit, complete with yellow 'Now or Never' ticket. Panic stations. 

Reaching home confirmed the worst. The Expedit range was being discontinued. The online outrage was tempered a little by the news that the range would return restyled with slimmer sides and slightly rounded corners. That's all we knew though, and with the spectre of losing our tv unit (from what we knew of the new range, the tv unit may not be remade.) we took the plunge and ordered the unit, a 5 by 5 box shelf unit and a seperate smaller unit a whole 14 months early. It does present a few problems. For one, the seven boxes have to go somewhere, and we won't know until we go to build the units next year if they're all intact. Still, it makes life interesting. The new stuff isn't due until next month (the tv unit is popular and has been delayed apparently). 

Until then, we're still battling on with Rosetta Stone, slowly closing in on the end of the first level. Plus, come the first week of May, we're off to Vienna for work and a short break. 

Jess B

10 reasons we love Vienna

Ok, so the title of the post says it all, or at least some. Coming from a small Welsh town, in the heart of South Wales, you live a very sheltered life. Whist we only love some 30 miles from our capital city, we may as well be in the middle of nowhere. So coming to Vienna, its not long until you notice the various different things the Viennese do compared to the Welsh and British. Here are 10 little things we've noticed during our stays in the Austrian capital. 

1. Coffee shops. 

Perhaps one of the most well known things about Vienna, is its coffee houses. This is a city that runs on coffee, but not necessary on caffeine. Take Vancouver in Canada for instance. There you'll find coffee shops littering the street like a rash. Starbucks as far as the eye can see. The city is addicted to caffeine. Its a recognised excuse in Canada that your late for work due to the line at the coffee shop. I've even seen coffee shops set up in a companies foyer for the workforce to enjoy a hot cup of Joe. It's a frantic but laid back life the average Vancouverite enjoys. 

By comparison, the Viennese coffee shops are slow, studious affairs. Whilst its true that a cup of Viennese espresso will keep you awake for days, the atmosphere of a typical coffeehouse is relaxed. Here you can come and enjoy a single cup of coffee, open a book and sit all day. It's not just coffee on the menu though. They often serve several varieties of tea, soft drinks and beer. Then there are cocktails, both non alcoholic and full on booze. If your hungry, there's often a bewildering assortment of cakes and pastries to tempt the sweet toothed diner. For something more savoury, there's usually a goulash soup, a schnitzel and other such Viennese delicacies. 

Come evening time, a coffee house is a great place to relax. Enjoy a beer, a meal and a coffee whist a piano player plays in the corner. Most coffee houses I've been to can stay open until midnight, with food still being available until 11pm. It's all a far cry from Wales, where coffee shops shut early, often by 7 in the evening. 

2. Going to the dogs 

One of the oddest things we noticed on our first trip, were dogs. We're not talking strays either. Nope the Viennese love dogs. Ok so there's nothing wrong with that, but that's not the whole story. The first time we took note of the dogs was at a supermarket. The dog and its owner were doing the weekly shop, and unlike the UK, this was fine. In fact, dogs on leads seem to have free reign around the place. Shops, restaurants and cafe's are all dog friendly. Given that here you can't get a dog into a shop unless your blind, it was quite shocking to see dogs wandering the aisles with thier owners. I like it. 

3. Followers of fashion. 

Uk dress sense is often a weird mix of skin exposing clothing tied with very conservative colours and patterns. In vienna though, colour is everything, and more so for the men that the women. Bright red or  bright mustard coloured trousers are popular with the men along with a nice jacket or shirt. For women, everything from neon colours through to bold patterns can be seen, especially on a Saturday night after the theatre or opera have finished. Compared to the jogging bottoms and hoodie seen in the valleys, Vienna is a veritable cornucopia of style.

4. Hello, goodbye. 

Lets face it, as a nation, we don't really make eye contact. Social interaction is kept to a minimum when out and about. So when we first got to vienna for a break, we were surprised to find everyone we met greeting us with Grüß Gott or god be with you, as a polite hello. Leaving a shop often invited a Tschuss or, bye. It seems the Austrian's and the Viennese like to feel connected to those they meet. It's very similar to the 'have a nice day' tradition American's have, but a little less false sounding. 

5. Saturday nights are right for tea drinking 

If there's one thing a great deal of British people worry about, it's going out on a Saturday night. To much beer, a bag of chips, being sick after the chips and finally, a good fight, is what makes many town centres no go area's on the weekend. So imagine my surprise on the first Saturday night out I spent in Vienna. We called in to a cafe, sat out on the terrace and watched the world go by. Other people were enjoying a drink and a bit of polite conversation. Come eleven o clock, an old lady, somewhere around 80 wandered into the cafe, ordered a coffee and cake. We paid the bill, caught the 11.30 tram home, which was quiet, and that was Saturday night. Now I'm not saying it's always like that, and we did see several expensive cars parading around the ring, showing off. Compared to a valley's Saturday night though, trouble was minimal. 

6. No takeaways?

So, it's been a long week and you don't want to cook. In Wales, you thumb through the selection of menus by the phone and order a Chinese, Indian or pizza. In every town or village, there'll be at least a fish and chip shop or Chinese. In Vienna though, things are different. On and off we've spent over two months living in vienna, and we've yet to find a Chinese, or and Indian that you can get delivered to your apartment. There are plenty of proper restaurants that will make food to go, but no British style takeaways. There's plenty of street food, from the traditional sausage stand, to the rather nice noodle box places (noodle boxes are cheap but very filling). As for pizza delivery, why bother. Pizza is available by the slice almost everywhere and companies like dominoes simply don't exist there. Things are changing, although one of the first companies looking to offer takeaway food for home delivery is McDonalds of all companies. For oriental food, Akakiko also offers home delivery, and they make some of the best Asian food around. 

7. Beer me!

We've already touched on the lack of drunks on a Saturday. Much of this is down to the Austrian drinking culture. Its nothing to have a beer with lunch, or a early afternoon tipple. Moderation is key in Vienna. It's seen as a great shame if you overindulge with the booze. Often a group will order bottles of wine along with the same amount of mineral water. It's brilliant to feel that you can have that drink with lunch if you want. Just remember to keep it under control. 

8. Smoking

Ok, it's hard to not mention the Austrians love of Cigarettes. Unlike other countries, Austria is rather resistant to change when it comes to smoking. It's not to bad these days as most cafés and restaurants have separate smoking and non smoking area's with a glass wall protecting the non smokers. But smoking is still seen as an ok thing to enjoy. 

9. On time public transport.

This is something that will make no sense to anyone from the UK. We first noticed it when visiting the SCS mall in Vösendorf. The free bus that takes people back and forth to the U6 station runs on time, every time. The first one we missed by two minutes (an acceptable amount of time to still be on time here I the UK.) So for the next one, we came to the stop early. The bus was due to arrive at 52 minutes past the hour. At 51 minutes past, there was no sign of the bus, and we were certain it would arrive late. However, as the clock turned 52 past, the bus rounded the corner and was at the stop. It could have been a one off, but after several visits to Vösendorf, that bus turns up dead on time, every time. The same goes for trains, U-Bahn and even trams, although trams can be delayed by parked cars on some lines. Given that a train here in Wales is considered on time if it arrives within 10 minutes, Viennese transport timings are the things of wonder. 

10. Food seasonings.

This is one of my personal favourites. The Austrians like to taste their food, and are really not scared to season. They aren't fans of chilli though. We used a packet sauce to make a batch of chilli con carne last time we were in the capital. The result wasn't that spicy, but it was certainly full of flavour. We got heartburn halfway though the meal. Similar experiences come from tinned soup. Whist a tin of Heinz soup in the UK needs a bit of salt and pepper, Austrian Goulash soup needs no salt at all. It's refreshing to be able to taste food, but the poor salt and pepper shaker is seldom used at our table and I have to wonder if high blood pressure is common in Austria. 

15 Months to go. Movers and Parrot shakers.

It's the 15 month mark and given the weather here in Wales recently, well I'd rather be somewhere else. Whilst the wind and rain is continuing, we've been busy sounding out movers. What we've found is that there's a huge difference in costs between moving companies, and that's if you can get a quote out of them. Almost all the movers websites I visited have a 'get a quick quote' button somewhere. Most however will answer your request with an offer of a home visit to accurately quote you. Well we're not ready yet, so getting a mover to give you a ballpark figure is difficult, but not impossible.

To help matters, I stumbled across the British Association of removers site (www.bar.co.uk). They offer a quote system and give you a list to fill in that covers almost every room and item. Just tick off what your taking and you'll get a fairly decent quote. Or so I hoped. BAR then passed the list on the three members nearest our postcode.

Within the hour, we got our first callback. Masons of Barry sounded fantastic. Easy going and typically Welsh. The guy was friendly enough and Lynda explained what we were looking for. There was no quote over the phone, but Mason's promised to email us that evening. Cometh the hour, cometh the email. Sadly the email didn't contain a quote. The secretary had forgotten to attach the quote. We emailed back and the next morning the quote arrived. With various charges included the cost came to £2497.50!. Bare in mind this wasn't a full removal. Fearing we'd asked for the wrong thing, We emailed back to ask if that was the price included the removers packing up our stuff. Next reply came, and yes, it was with a full pack service. Hallelujah. seeing a chance to save a big bit of cash, we asked how much it would save to do it ourselves. After all, we'd rather know we packed everything ourselves than trust someone else to do it. The reply came back and with baited breath we opened the email. Packing ourselves would save us just £135! Seriously, £135.

I had a sinking feeling in my stomach as £2500 was way above the costs we expected. As a backup, I began scheming. how much to hire a van and do it myself. Surprisingly, it came in around £1000. This put the cat amongst the pigeons. It wouldn't be an easy job, but here's the plan.

Ironically, booking flights to move, its much cheaper to book a return and not use the return part than it it is to book travel one way. Lufthansa offer returns for around £300 for the two of us, but two singles come in at over £1000! So since we have the return, I figured we could use it to get back to the UK once we'd found the apartment. So after a lot of logistics, the plan started on the return to the uk.

Pick up the Van from Cardiff Airport and Drive it Back to Hirwaun.

Next morning, Load up the van, hopefully with a bit of help, then head for Dover. At Dover, stay overnight at a hotel.

Day 2 - Dover ferry to Calais and into Europe. Ahead is a 7 hour journey to Frankfurt Airport. Frankfurt Airport marks the more or less half way mark. The airport is just off the Autobahn and has plenty of hotels nearby, making prices competitive.

Day 3 - Frankfurt to Vienna. 6 hour plus today. Head though southern Germany and into Austria near Passau then onto Vienna and our apartment. Here's the sucky bit. Unload the van by ourselves and park it up.

Day 4 - Back on the road to Frankfurt.

Day 5 -  Calais and the English coast. It's an early start to get to Calais quickly. Once across the channel, its off to Crawley to return the Van. This is where the sneaky part of the plan comes in. The Van get's returned to Crawley rather than Cardiff airport, cutting 4 hours off the journey. From there its just a short taxi ride to Gatwick and a cheap flight to Vienna thanks to Easyjet, who Ironically offer one way fares.

The whole thing is a last resort, but we've done crazy things before. Anyway, whilst I was still putting the fine detail the the backup plan, The second removers got in touch. Fox Seemed very professional, and the quote was interesting to say the least. Fox would do the same thing, minus the packing for just £1455 including VAT. This sounded brilliant. For just £500 more than doing it ourselves and for the same price as replacing the furniture that didn't make it to the van, Fox would take care of getting our belongings to Vienna, and up to our apartment. However, there was a slight fly in the ointment. The quote only included unloading to an apartment no higher than the first floor. For higher floors, there would be an extra charge. Personally, I'm hoping for the 3rd floor or above so the extra charge would be unwelcome. Figuring this would price Fox out of the market, we asked the cost. Fox came through though. Each additional floor would cost £35. A bargain.

Then, Pickfords entered the Frey. Moving company number 3 really wanted to come and inspect our belongings, but Lynda talked them into giving us a quote. Reluctantly, and a few days after they promised to email us, we got the quote. £1800+VAT, so around £2100 more or less. But whist it seems that the price is more or less in the middle, the quote is for 400sqft, not the 330sqft we've been quoted by Fox and Masons. So its possible the quote may come down some. We await a revised quote. 

The thing is, and this is purely a 'me' thing, the costs involved do make the van run quite appealing. And whist Fox looks set to get the job, due to me wanting the 'best deal', we need to get specific quotes in much earlier than expected. August to be precise. Why? Well, the best prices for easy jet tickets are at the furthest point from departure. Easy jet sell 10 months in advance, so August is effectively 10 months from May. You can see where I'm going from here I'll guess. So come August, we'll need to finish downsizing and get the pros in to quote us happy as the ad use to say. If we don't like the price, well 2000 miles in a van it is. 

As I type,  Britannia want to have a look around and GB liners hoping the same. But at the moment, Fox movers are winning the battle. We should know more around August, when we get the companies in to provide a detailed quote.

Parrots aren't Pets.

In other news this post, Apparently Parrots aren't pets. At least that's the way Petair see poor Geri. Petair deal with moving your pet to your new home. Most of their website deals with cats or dogs. However, they also have a page that says they deal with more than just cats and dogs. It even features two beautiful Macaws sitting on a branch. So Naturally we thought Petair would be the perfect people to take Geri to Vienna. A quick phone call though and apparently they don't deal with Parrots. Apparently, when they say 'other pets', they mean chinchillas and things. Ironically, they get a lot of calls about moving Parrots, but they have no idea why. Maybe the Macaws would give them a clue.

They did however recommend a different company that does deal with Parrots and the quote is around £800 door to door. Its a fair deal to ensure my best friend gets to us safe and sound.

There have been a few other questions about getting Geri to Austria. The biggest has been 'what are the rules on importing a bird'. We just didn't know whether to expect a period in quarantine for him, or what tests he'd need to travel. Well after searching around for the last few weeks, we have an answer. According not to the Austrian Government's own Health department, and I quote:

"Pet animals defined above may enter Austria when travelling with private persons without health certificate."

Allowing for government speak, it means that we can take Geri into Austria without restriction. Just turn up and that's it. It explains why there's a lack of infomation out there. It's just not a big deal. Its worth noting though that these rules only apply for travel within the EU/EEA. If your taking your pet from outside this area, the rules are much harsher. 

So 15 months to go, and it's all going off.

Jess

Shopping, Viennese Style.

Its a well known fact, to those who know me well, that I like to shop. I really do. And shopping in Vienna is a real treat. Be it big name brands, or the little boutique shops hidden away in side streets, Vienna is a shoppers paradise. But what choices exist. I thought I'd type up a quick list.

A few quick notes.

Before you go off on a mad dash around the shops, Vienna has a few rules. Opening hours are different than the UK. Most shops will open Monday to friday from 9am till 6 early in the week or 8 in the evening towards the weekend. Most supermarkets open earlier and close between 7.30 to 8 in the evening. On saturday, all shops shut at 6.30 at the latest. Sunday, almost no shops open with the exception of a few small supermarkets around train stations. So plan ahead for your sunday lunch. If you miss saturday's chance to shop, it'll be monday before you can get what you need.

The other thing to know is that Austrian supermarket's love a bundle deal. but rather than the UK norm of Buy on get on free on say a jar of ragu, or a bottle of laundry detergent, expect a BOGOF on an 6 jars of ragu, with 6 free, or a 400 wash laundry detergent with another free. And don't think you can just grab the one. No these offers will be already tied together, ready for to heave them home. In the past I've seen massive boxes of washing powder, 6 litres of cola and 48 rolls of toilet paper, all on sale at great prices, and all far to large to carry. Oh and don't expect to get a box of dishwashing tablets in less than 50 pieces.


Groceries.

It's said that an army marches on its stomach, well so do shoppers. Getting your weekly shop in is essential. Vienna offers plenty of choice for the intrepid grocery shopper.

1. Budget Supermarket.

Hofer

When it comes to budget supermarkets, The leader in Vienna is Hofer. Its all a bit familiar. The logo, the layout. Low and behold Hofer is actually Aldi, But for some reason, In Austria, Hofer is the name they trade under. They opened their first store in Austria in 1968 and today offers over 400 stores in the country. Like the UK supermarkets, Hofer is cheap, cheerful, and for the real bargain hunter, they offer weekly bargains on everything from skiwear to Laptops. Like the Germans, the Austrians love a bargain and the weekly offers have a bit of cult following.


Zielpunkt

Zielpunkt is one of Austria's own supermarket chains, mostly based in the East of the country. It sits above Hofer and is about on par with the UK's old Kwik Save brand stores, only nicer looking. It offers everything you'll need from cheap dinner rolls and up. own brands offer good value for money.

Lidl

German favourite Lidl has a much smaller presence here than its rival, with just shy of 200 stores in Austria. But just like the UK, Lidl offers good value and those pesky weekly bargains ensure people pass though the doors

PennyMarkt

Like the others, this German supermarket chain is cheap and cheerful, thier medium size stores are
akin to the larger Nisa shops in the UK. Like the others, expect cheap products at cheap prices and own brands.

2. Regular Supermarket.

Billa

Although this Austrian supermarket is now owned by German company REWA, Billa is Austria's most well known supermarket. Almot every other street in Vienna features a Billa. Most are smaller in size than the average supermarket, but often cram more in than you expect. the Smaller stores are more like Tesco Metro here and the produce they offer is often a bit more up market. Fresh bakery breads and sandwiches, deli meats and upmarket goods. All can be found here. If you want to know how big Billa is, Vienna Airport has huge store just outside the terminal. Ideal if you want to pick up a few things when you get home.

SPAR

I know that just seeing this title will cause confusion and laughter. But SPAR in Austria, and the Continent in General, is far removed from the little expensive corner shops we find in the UK. Here SPAR come in many flavours, from the smaller SPAR's up though EuroSPAR to the Might INTERSPAR. INTERSPAR's are the Tesco Extra of the SPAR world. They stock everything, or so it seems. Household goods, furniture, toys, DVD's and even more, SPAR is nothing like its UK counterpart. Nowhere is this more evident than the sight of Pierce Brosnan advertising SPARs own upmarket brand. With nearly 1500 stores in Austria, This Dutch firm is a ever present feature of the Vienna street scene.  If you get a chance, try an Interspar cafe for a stunning and cheap meal, Especially after 4 in the after noon.

3. Top Of the Range. 

Merkur

Merkur (Translated as Mercury) is one of Austria's top brand Supermarkets. Owned by the same company that owns Pennymarkt and Billa,  Merkur only have 100 stores in Austria, but the stores are the Waitrose of Austrian supermarkets. Beautifully laid out, and featuring their own restaurant, cafe and bakery, Merkur is one of the top and most expensive supermarkets in Vienna. Bargains can be had though, and being a Friend of Merkur offers you various discounts from crates of beer to restaurant meals and even show tickets and holidays.

SPAR Gourmet.

Small shops, but with soooo many nice things. Spar Gourmet's offer a taste of luxury for that occasional treat. Expensive bottles of wine, rich chocolates, all butter pasties and so on. Spar Gourmet has something for everyone.

Billa Corso

Billa's upmarket brand seems at odds with its sister company Merkur, but like the others, it offers a higher end item, with a higher end price. Try the store in the Ringstrassen Gallerien for a nice taste of luxury.


Clothing

Vienna is a great place to shop for clothes. There are plenty of big stores offering clothes to suit all tastes. Here are just a few to choose from

H&M 

The Swedish retailer is a familiar sight though out Vienna. The jeans are just a tad to skinny, but the prices are often good and if your looking to bang up to trend, H&M will get you there. Wait for the sales to get the real bargains. The only annoying thing about H&M is they seem to be everywhere. Every mall, every big shopping street  has at least one store. Like acne, they seem to pop out of everywhere

New Yorker

Much like New Look, This Fashion store mainly appeals to the younger crowd, but offers some great clothing at great prices. Sales are fantastic and it's not uncommon to see people spend €100 at a time to get what they want. Like H&M though, they can litter a mall with ease.


Forever 21

Upmarket 20 somethings fashion store, Forever 21 can have so really great things in them, sometimes  its off the wall. Either way, Forever 21 i a great place to shop for that nice top or cute hat.

Primark

Yes Primark. The Irish firm who's stores in the UK often look like a bomb has gone off has just made it to Austria. Just 3 stores exist in the entire country, and amazingly, I've been to two and will see the third in may. Unlike their UK counterpart though, Primark Austria doesn't seem to suffer from the same untidiness. Things live happily on rails and shelves without ever seeing the floor. The stores also seem to have slightly better quality clothes and things that seem a little more tasteful than at home. The Austrian's love primark, with their new flagship store seeing queues prior to opening this last november.

C&A

the Fashion brand, once a familiar sight on UK high streets, still lives in Vienna. This Dutch firm is popular with the Viennese and I fairly popular with me. I love their lingerie section, whist their clothing is of good quality and cheap. They may not be cutting edge, but their great for picking up the staples like plain Vest tops or a standard pair of Jeans.

Palmers

Austrian Lingerie store that offers girls only the finest. From seduction to thermal underwear, Palmers  has everything you'll need, at a price.

Triumph

British Lingerie brand Triumph has a big presence on the Austrian high street. The underwear is expensive and often a bit plain, but every now and again, something special will turn up that is a change from the norm.


TV, PC and other Electrical goods.

1. Saturn

This German company is the equivalent of Curry's/PC world, but so much more. Saturn has everything you'll need for you home, at least if it has a plug anyway. From PC's to washing machines, Irons to Large screen TV's (I'm talking about 80 inch 4K TV's that I saw just this december in several stores) Saturn even has DVD's CD's and LP's! There are huge racks of PC games to. Stores are often found in Malls where space is available. Bring your walking shoes to really enjoy a look around.

2. Media Mart

Sister company to Saturn, Expect the same size product range, along with similar prices. A great place to hang out on a hot day due to the compulsory Air con. A visit to the Vosendorf store is a real treat due to its size.

3. DiTech

If you need a new PC or are building one, then Ditech is for you. DiTech is a great place for technogeeks to shop for PC components from cases though to graphics cards and everything in-between. Prices are good and you can order online to pick up at any location in the city.

CD's, Books and DVD's

These shops don't quite fit into an easy definition. So here's a collection of stores that offer CD's and Books.

Muller

This German department store has over 100 stores in Austria and seem to stock just about everything. More like Woolworth's in the UK, Well, the store Woolworth's thought it was anyway, Muller has it all. CD's, DVD's, Console games, Toy's, Hosiery, Toiletries, household goods and even the odd groceries. Muller is well worth a trip. The Store on Mariahliferstrasse is huge. Muller's can also be found in most malls.

Libro

Libro is a great little store that defies genre. It has books, but without being a big book store. It has games consoles and games, but really isn't a technology store. DVD's and CD's for sale, without being a DVD shop. And then there are the office supplies, party supplies and so on. These curious little stores are great for picking up something you need, without knowing you needing it. Find them everywhere and in most malls.

Thalia

THE bookshop in Vienna. Huge stores, and filled with the smell of paper. For a book geek like myself, Thalia is a must visit. The stores on Mariahilferstrasse and Landstrasse station are huge and feature more than just books. PC's and components can be bought from Ditech instore, along with stationary, craft and painting supplies, DVD's and CD's. Both stores offer an English language section for those looking for English paperbacks. You'll find a few more in malls though out the city.

Morowa

Bookstore with a great selection of english magazines found down in the SCS Mall at Vosendorf. Plenty to see along with that all important paperback smell. Also sells DVD's and CD's, although choice is limited.

Malls

Malls are plentiful in Vienna, so here are just a few I've visited and enjoyed.

Mitte Wien

One of Vienna's newest malls, this new building is found as part of Mitte Wien station at Landstrasse. All the big names are here, and there are quite a few places to grab a bite. Mitte Wien also features the CAT or City Airport Train terminal where travellers can drop off their baggage before getting the train to the airport. This mall is a great place to relax on a hot day due to the excellent Air conditioning.

Danube Zentrum

This mall is found over the Danube on the U1 line. With over 200 stores, plenty of places to eat and even a multiplex cinema, the Danube Zentrum is the best mall in the city limits, at least in my opinion. Easy to get to from the Prater station as well as several tram lines, you can lose a whole day picking around the stores inside. Big names include C&A and Saturn. 

G3 Shopping resort Geradorf.

This brand new mall opened in December 2012 and has big ambitions. Located way outside the city limits in Geradorf. A free shuttle bus can be found at Floridorf Station and it takes around 20 minutes to reach the mall in question.  Inside there are are two big anchor stores, Primark and Merkur, along with the regulars like H&M and C&A. The food court offers a great Thai beef curry and outside the main shopping area there are few other stores to browse around. If your driving, don't worry about finding a space, with 4000 parking spots provided. 

Ringstrasse Gallerien 

This little mall is found right in the centre of the city on the ring. It's not a big place, but if you'd like toget a taste of how the other half live, the gallerien is the place to be. The basement feautres a Billa Corso and an interio. 

SCS mall, Vösendorf.

Ok, this mall is not quite in Vienna, but it's the biggest mall you'll come across. With a free shuttle us from Siebenhirten on the U6 line, the mall is just a 15 minute journey. Alternatively you can catch the Ikea bus from the Ring for free providing you buy something from ikea. Everything at the SCS mall is big. Ikea forms as one of the anchor tenants along with interspar, saturn and a big multiplex. The mall has been undergoing a revamp since 2012 and just this summer, it got retrofitted and now features Austria's biggest Primark. Oudside of the main building, there's also an interio, and further up in the SCS park area (one stop,on from ikea on the free service bus) there are several more big shops including mediamarkt and a Conrad. Plan at least a day to see everything, more if you want to take in the surrounding area. One quick tip though. The Free bus from the Siebenhirten is usually painted in SCS advertising material, but the bus may be used on regular services to Mölding. Make sure you catch the bus from the right stop or you'll end up taking the scenic tour. And yes, I speak from experience. 

Westbahnhöf station

Westbahnhöf station has a cracking little mall to pick around, and again the usual suspects are there. This makes a great place to start any shopping trip on Mariahilferstraße, as the stations it's at the bottom of the main shopping street. U-Bahn lines U3 and U6 stop here along with about a dozen tram lines. 

Home furnishings.

Setting up home in Vienna is simple. Furnishing it though takes more. Vienna has a fantastic choice of home stores to pick around. You'll find something to suit every budget. 

Ikea

Just like Swedish supergroup Abba, Ikea is everywhere. There are two huge stores in Vienna, Wien Nord and Vienna Vösendorf. Both are sutabliy large and feature all the furniture and furnishings we've come to love. A free bus departs for Vösendorf from the Ring and is only free if you buy something in store. 

XXXLutz

 

Austria's answer to ikea. In fact! XXXLUTZ has even opened a store in Stockholm. Stores are just as huge and the Store at Vösendorf can be easily spotted by looking for the giant Red chair that sits outside it. That chair is a record breaker by the way. In the city, there are several XXXLUTZ stores. From my one visit to a store in the summer, prices are much higher than Ikea, so be prepared to spend if you see something you really like. 

Mömax

If XXXLUTZ is a bit on the rich side, then Mömax is probably a safer bet. Sister company to XXXLUTZ, Mömax is much closer to Ikea. Prices are good without being to cheap and the furniture seems to be bang up to date with the latest trends. Unlike ikea, you order your furniture at the till and it gets delivered to your door, so no worrying about finding space in the car. Mömax is a personal favourite and stores can be foud throughout the city.

Möbilix

Yet another sister company to XXXLUTZ, Möbilix is THE place to go for bargain furniture. Ex display units, slightly damaged stuff and things that just didn't sell in the other stores all find their way here. Prices are cheap, but the catch is simple. You buy it, you haul it away. Often found with XXXLUTZ or as seperate stores, if your looking for a bargain, this is your place. 

Interio

Another Austrian brand that sells furniture and soft furnishings. Stores can be both big and small depending on location. Prices however aren't so small. My one visit to an interio store left me in no doubt it would be my last. If your looking for tht special item, then try here.

Leiner 

This Aistrian furniture maker has stores everywhere. Whist I've yet to go into one, from the window displays I've seen, prices start highish and go up from there. Look for the green Leiner signs to find a store, and if you have a chance, try the in store restaurant. I've heard good things. 

Kika

Sister company to Leiner, Kika offers great soft furnishings, kitchen essentials and various decorative touches that brighten any home. Try them at sale time to get some great bargains. There's usually something for every price range here. 

So that's it, these are just the stores I can recall. There are hundreds of little stores, boutique shops and so on to pick through. Oh and don't even start me on coffee shops, cafe's, bars or restaurants. That's for another blog or four. Till then.

Jess 

Learning German and other bits and pieces.

    Moving is always daunting. Whist I've done it a few times, Lynda has only moved once in her life. But moving to a different country can be down right terrifying. Besides the vast distances, the worry of getting all your belongings there in one piece and hoping you'll meet a few new friends. The language spoken in your new home isn't yours. Now I'd hate to be one of those Brits who happliy live abroad without ever learning the language. Its rude and makes you look like a jerk. So Lynda and I began looking at German language courses, books and computer software packages.

    Classes are few and far between in the Valleys, so first choice we made was a book and audio CD  course. The main plus point is cost. The BBC's learn german beginners course is around £15 and the complete course is just over £30. Whist the cost my be good, learning from just CD's and book isn't easy. In truth, It can be damn boring.

    Our next choice was computer software. Here there's little choice really. Language specialists Berlitz offer a course of German for PC, but we needed it for mac. Plus it's showing its age a little. The cost of the software was somewhere around £70 but can be gotten on offer for around £35. User reviews though told us that the software may be ineffective. 

    Finally, we bit the bullet and went to the accepted leader in learning a new language, Rosetta Stone. Rosetta Stone offers complete courses for most modern languages, even Welsh. Everyone from Nasa to the top FTSE 100 companies use Rosetta Stone to teach executives new languages. The name Rosetta Stone is taken from the actual Rosetta Stone, found in Egypt. The stone provided a way for archaeologists to finally translate Egyptians hieroglyphics. The stone was the key to the language of the Egyptians. So Rosetta Stone is aptly named. 

     So what makes Rosetta Stone so good. Simplicity. The course runs on both PC and Mac and only needs a mic headset. The course is delivered with total immersion, meaning no English is spoken at all. The whole course is delivered in German. Using sound and pictures, all you need to do is listen and click the right picture. Occasionally, you'll answer a question in German and even type a few answers using a on onscreen german keyboard. Its that simple, and it works. You learn without feeling like your learning. It's not boring and you can go at your own pace. The softwares best feature is it's recapping. The course is 5 levels, each level is split into 4 units and each unit consists of at least 8 lessons, from the core lesson through grammar, writing, speaking and listening. Intermingled with each unit is a random previous unit's lesson that cement what you've already learnt. Its very good, and in the short time we've been using it, our german vocabulary has increased massively. Best of all, it never feels like your bored. 

Yup, this is Rosetta Stone in action. Point, click, learn.

    The huge downside is the cost. The full price of the german course is £329. Sales do happen of course and we picked it up for just £259, paying it over a few installments. But it's a price worth paying. For an extra fee of £50 per person, the course can be taught on iPad and you can get genuine german speaking teachers to teach you online. For now though the base software is just fine. 

Other news

    The learning of German is going well, which is great given the news from Wales this week. On Monday, the Welsh government announced plans to merge Several councils,reducing the number from 22 to just 10 or 11. Our own local council will merge with Merthyr Making a new local authority. It's not good news for us. Currently, our council runs a program called E3. It provides after school clubs for kids to help them learn skills not taught in the mainstream lessons. That's what Lynda's job is. She teaches the kids various new skills. Parents love it. She's had phone calls from parents who are over the moon that thier kid has found something that they can do, enthusiastic about what they've learnt and eager to learn more. One mother even said she was more than happy to pay her council tax so thier kid could learn. But with the merger expected to start as early as Easter and to be completed by 2017, E3 looks likely for the chop. Even if the merger begins next year, Our council's already cutting E3 provision, slimming it down to just 17 centres and making the people running the E3 program reapply for thier jobs. It could be the case that the writing is on the wall. Its so concerning that we're provisionally moving our moving date to May this year if E3 disappears. We'll know more around the end of March. 

Best wishes,
Jess

16 months to go!

As the title suggests, it's 16 months to the day that we leave for our new home. Geri can hardly contain his excitement (he's getting a brand new cage to call home once we get our apartment sorted.) We on the other hand are trying to get our collective heads around the whole move. So far our timeline reads something like this.

1. 2014: Save, save save.  

With some money already in the bank, 2014 is all about building on that to ensure we can afford the various bonds, rent and to survive for at least six months, hopefully the year. That's of course the worst case scenario. Plans for 2014 include sorting out a revenue stream to live off once we move. 

2. 2014: Snag, bag and tag the clutter.  

We've been together for 17 years this year. That's 17 years of clutter that needs sorting.(Yeah, We tend to horde, Mostly Lynda actually) So Jess's office, Lynda's workspace and, and this bit is truly terrifying, the attic needs to be sorted and disposed of. Its a tough job and it'll take a year. 

3. Visit Vienna.

One thing we realised early on is that it would be silly to move to a country based on one trip, at one time of year. Summers are lovely in Vienna, whist winters can be bitter. So the May trip will help to see Vienna in a different light. It also happens that Jess is covering a conference there so whist Jess works, Lynda and mother in tow, will see the city, do some shopping and hopefully enjoy themselves. 

4. Christmas 2014. 

Enjoy a final Christmas in the UK. Next year will be in Vienna. It also means that once the decorations come down, they'll need sorting for travel. Gulp. 

5. 5 months, panic.

Now the really planning starts. We'll need to decide what furniture, electrical goods and what items that have survived the various culling's will be joining us. The reason is to do with the moving company. Its time to get quotes for moving. Chances are the companies will send an assessor to give an accruate quote. So far Pickfords leads our thinking, due to their weekly deliveries to the continent. Hopefully, it'll mean only a short wait for our furniture once we find the perfect apartment. 

6. Easter 2015

Last bit of work for Lynda and a month to go. Its headless chicken time as we start boxing up all our crap. It's going to be manic. From getting copies of our medical records to cancelling the broadband, sky packages and mobile contracts. 

7. May 2015. 

Final goodbyes, a final meal at our favourite local pub and a check of the UK bucket list. The bucket list contains all the things we'd like to do and  places we'd like to see that can only be done in the UK. Anything not done is not getting done. Then we need to tie up the loose ends and prepare. 

8. May 9th 2015.

Final night in our bed. Tomorrow it'll be packed up and dealt with by the removal company. Expect the house to look like cardboard city. Plus Geri will be relocated to the main living room. He's not coming with us straight away. Instead, Lynda's mother and Brother will look after him until the apartment is found and a new cage is sorted. At the moment, we're not even sure how to get him to Vienna, so expect more on that subject in a later post. 

9. May 10th 2015. 

Time to go. The movers will be buzzing around packing up, and for us, its time to head to the airport. We fly out tomorrow, so we'll be staying in a hotel tonight for a final bit of British hospitality. Getting to the airport is going to be us certain for a while. The cars will be gone, so it'll either be by bus, train or a good friend. We'll see. 

10. May 11th 2015

Happy 39th birthday Lynda. Its time to go though and we'll be arriving in Vienna in a few hours. At the airport, we say goodbye to the bags, grab a last pack of English breakfast tea bags and jet off. Arrival at Vienna will see us head of to our temporary accommodation. 

11. May 12th

Up nice and early and off to the district office. Vienna is split into 23 districts, and almost all districts have a seperate office that deals with the districts paperwork. Anyone planning to stay in Vienna for more than three months must register with the local district office. You need to fill in what's known as a Meldezettel. This covers all you details, along with your address. For now we'll be using the address of our temporary accommodations. Ironically, it's much easier to get an apartment once you have a Meldezettel than if you don't. Once we've found our new apartment, it'll be back down to the district office to fill in a fresh Meldezettel.

With the district office dealt with, its time to hit the streets to get that apartment. We need to be quick, mostly to save on temporary accommodation costs. Time is a big factor. Hopefully within two weeks, we'll have a new home. 

12. End of May. 

Apartment found hopefully, nows the time to let the movers know they can deliver, and then hit the shops. Ikea and local favourite Mömax offer good furniture at good prices. They'll help fill the gaps whist the other furniture comes from Blighty. We'll also need to sort out internet, telephone and cable, probably enjoying UPC for Sky like service without the Sky like price tag. Speaking of TV, there's a licence to be paid. It's around €300 and non negotiable. There's travel passes to sort and lots of different things to get our heads around, plus a cage for Geri needs to turn up. 

13. Mid June. 

Start to settle. Geri should be with us and the last of the furniture should have arrived and been assembled. Time to hit the streets and get the groceries. Welcome to Vienna.

That's the timetable. We don't expect it to be accurate. In Fact Jess expects it to fly by harmlessly over our heads. So please, Join us for the horror and humour as it all goes wrong, goes right and as about a million differing issues crop up alone the way. Until next time.

Jess, Lynda & Geri

Useful Links.

www.ikea.at
www.moemax.at
www.upc.at

Hello And Welcome.

As the title suggests, welcome to our first post. Ta da...(Ok imagine fireworks and a fly by featuring the Red arrows.) Yup, it's that kind of blog. Slightly crazy. the problem is, It doesn't tell you why we're here, or even why your here. So what's it all about?

Welcome to 'The Plan'

We're moving. That's the short answer. But this isn't a normal move. Nope, We're moving to another country, Austrian and the Capital no less. The problem is, there's a lack of information out there when it comes to moving to Austria. Move to Germany and there's a great book that takes you through moving out, getting there, getting housing, work and more. But look just across the border and most web searches assume you mean the land of the Kangaroo. Even with the blogs from Ex Pats out there, living in Vienna, Good details are hard to find. So we decided to keep our own blog of experiences from now until we move, and after we arrive in the hopes of improving the situation.

Why Move abroad?

The reasons are varied, but here goes. Back at the start of 2013, We decided the time was right to try and buy our first place. We run our own business, work hard, and get a pretty good quality of life, but space at home is limited. So we were really pleased to find a large, 4 bedroom property in our village here in sleepy Wales. The price was a minuscule £50000. It was well within or price range, needed a lot of work, but it would be ours. However, the recession has left the banks a little shy of lending, and after putting a bid in that was accepted, the bank said no. The story was the same all over. No one wanted to lend. It left us upset, and in the middle of the tears, tantrums and heartache we hatched a new plan. With no mortgage, threats of more cuts from the government and with work looking shaky due to the recession, we decided to leave the whole lot behind. Within one month, we were moving from Wales to Vienna. We just needed a timeframe.

Countdown to Moving Day.

As I type it is precisely 16 Months, 4 days, 9 hours and 37 minutes until we leave for Vienna. Come May 11h 2015, we'll be officially Ex-Pats. It's scary, knowing that next christmas will be our last at home. But a plan is a plan, and there's much to do. Most of this year will be prepping for packing. At the moment a mega-sort is going on. Clothes are being sorted, cupboards stripped bare and repacked with only the essentials, and more bags of rubbish have been created than we would if we stayed put. Its quite difficult to sort through 16 years of accumulated clutter, but its worth it. The less we need t take, the more we save when it comes to the moving company. At least we hope. Between now and May 2015, we've much to sort out.

Why Vienna?

Why not? Actually, It's a city we both fell in love with. To begin with though,  we found ourselves in Vienna back around Easter 2011 with little idea why we were there. We'd taken a family holiday with Lynda's mother to Vienna. We had six days there, Jess got a terrible cold, and at the end of the trip, none of us felt we'd seen the best of Vienna. Feeling Vienna was unfinished business, in the summer of 2012 we returned to Vienna for a month and by the time we were boarding the aircraft at Vienna international, we were in love. From the cultural offerings like the opera, concerts and stage plays, to the vibrant Cafe scene and I need not mention the shopping, Vienna is everything the Welsh countryside isn't. Since then, we've been back to Vienna several times, the last being just a few weeks ago for christmas.

Whist most of what we mentioned sounds great, there are other reasons for moving as well. Currently, we need a car to do our job. Covering 20000 miles a year, our average motoring bill is near £6000 and the cost of petrol isn't coming down. With that kind of milage, we also spend a large part of any day in the car, and that sucks. Late nights, screaming kids, and a complete lack of exercise are taking their toll. It's not fun. Jess works from home, but is the only driver, meaning she's in the car whist Lynda works. Lynda can't spend time making jewellery whist she's doing her day job. So it's time for a change. In Vienna, Public transport is cheap and reliable. for just €365 as year, you can travel anywhere in Vienna. Traveling by train to other cities in Austria is ridiculously cheap and with all the walking we'll be doing, we're hoping to lose some weight and feel even fitter. So for a better quality of life, we're moving.

So from here?

Well who can say. We're just hoping to muddle along and post our progress. Next post we'll look at the Basics of moving to Austria. See ya then

Jess & Lynda .

P.S. Geri says Hi.