A Year in Vorarlberg A blog about an American guy and an Austrian gal taking a year off away from home to travel and explore Vorarlberg, Austria and all over Europe. This blog will capture some of the adventures and challenges (and pictures) along the way; cats in transport, learningRead More →
And it Begins… Preamble to ‘A Year in Vorarlberg’ Blog – Eighteen months ago in a very, very cold, dark and wet Alaskan day, Ursula and I sat in the Islander Bar reviewing our last year and half since retirement and trying to figure out if we’d done the rightRead More →
Finally! Arriving in Feldkirch Video Log – it’s been a busy and fast few weeks with travels and dramas and events and fun…and all sorts other stuff. It hasn’t been a period filled with any blogging or reflecting….as the ‘here and now’ is too demanding. Soon, I plan to takeRead More →
More Vids I still haven’t had a chance to sit down and catch up with all the events and activities since we arrived in Feldkirch. But, I have taken a lot of pictures. For this Blog edition I’ve put together a VLOG called ‘A day in Vorarlberg, a vid.’ It’sRead More →
Going away for a Year What could be more simple! Pack up the cats and fly to Vorarlberg; just hang out for a year! It’s an easy plan, until you get into the details – then, perhaps, it’s a naive plan. We put a lot of effort into our VoralrbergRead More →
Traveling beyond Feldkirch Heidelberg, That’s the German town where American soldiers meet ‘green’ Austrians girls in Irish pubs,,,,and marry them. Al least that’s how it worked out for us. Going back to Heidelberg is a happy occasion to which we always eagerly look forward. Ursula’s touring company is having aRead More →
Speaking the Language One of my goals while living in Vorarlberg is learning German, or learning it well enough to be fluent. Although I’ve lived in Germany, on and off, for ten years, the experience was spent in a protective cocoon of the English language and US culture. Time spentRead More →
When reality sets in 3 Dec 17 – In the real world when planning knocks up against reality, reality usually winds up on top. So, it’s best to infuse your plans with a good dose of reality! Planning vs Reality There’s an old phrase in the army that says thatRead More →
Birthday in Feldkirch We celebrated Ursula’s Birthday yesterday, in typical Austrian style. Where that differs from typical American culture is that the Birthday Girl is the one who puts on her own party, cooks and prepares and provides everything…..and family and friends drop by to indulge and enjoy the BirthdayRead More →
Winter in Voralrberg 3 Feb ’17 – One month has flown by! Seemingly we’ve been standing still the whole time, but in reality, it’s been a fast,engaging and exciting adventure so far with travels, sightseeing, Ursula’s birthday party, concerts, bands, feasts, shopping, shopping and shopping and demons (that would beRead More →
Fine Cuisine Experiences (12 Dec 17) There are many places in Europe that are crowded and busy. That’s because Europeans seem to focus more on the refinement of what they have rather spreading out, or up. One of the areas they’ve taken refinement to the far edge of exquisiteness isRead More →
Skiing in the Vorarlberg (18 Dec 17) Christmas came early this year as another ‘bucket list’ item entered the chute! I’ve always wanted to be one of those guys that spent all their time away from work chasing speed, style and grace down a ski piste; for a season. IRead More →
Zimmer’s Christmas Letter – December 2017 Dear Friends, It’s been several years since we’ve penned Christmas cards or one of the ever dreaded (but much appreciated) seasonal form letters. While undergoing our transition from the military there never seemed much to say. However, with much time for reflection, we realizeRead More →
YIV – Phase I My Year in Vorarlberg (Phase I) is rapidly drawing to a conclusion as the 90 day tourist visa expires; time to pack-up and head out of the Schengen Zone! We’ve scoured all sources of information we can find and yet we can find no acceptable alternativeRead More →
Schengen Zone Banishment Quick update – As noted earlier, my Schengen Zone visa for staying in Europe (26 countries….or is that 27?) has expired. There’s not much that we can do about it so it’s time for me to move along elsewhere until I’m eligible to return to Austria toRead More →
Phenom Phen Today I closed out of Phenom Phen today and rode on a Chinese airline, of Euro Manufacture (Airbus 320), to Seim Reap, the home of famed Angkor Wat. Some from the West might wonder why the Chinese are operating in Cambodia? I’d say, ‘Check the map’; why wouldn’tRead More →
Siem Reap – day 2 Travels throughout Europe are often remembered through the lens of what cathedral or castle you visited. Most are magnificent. But, there comes a time when even the heartiest of tourist are effected by the ABC syndrome; ABC….’Another Bloody Cathedral/Castle’. When the ABC’s hit, it’s timeRead More →
Back in Phenom Phen Conjure up the most amazing and astounding adjectives you can, and they might be sufficient to describe the Wats and sights in Angkor Park; they were selected as a ‘World Heritage Site’ for a very good reason. The third day in the park (and final entryRead More →
Homeward Bound This morning, or afternoon, or evening….whatever my body thinks it is, I’m sitting in SeaTac airport drafting up a few more notes. In total, I’ll have spent over 47.5 hours playing the Airport Odyssey between Anchorage and Phenom Penh. Right now I’m up to 38 or so…. TodayRead More →
Gloomy Banishment I once went through a job interview where we applicants were required to tread water in the deep end of a pool for 20 minutes, while fully clothed. For most ‘swimmers,’ that wasn’t a big deal. If you weren’t much of a swimmer, but your muscles were inRead More →