As I was saying previously, this Fall needs to be enjoyed. And enjoy we did, every single year since we’ve been here. Time is short and precious as we don’t usually take any time off in the Fall, so we are left at the mercy of the weather on the weekends. There are some years when we barely get a couple of weekends before the foliage is completely ravaged by the cold November rains, and then there are others when the long Indian Summers just melt into October and the shift is barely noticeable except for those couple of days in between when it rains hard and the temperature drops from 80s to 50s literally overnight. Those, as I say, are MY Autumns.

I’ve mentioned this before: Vienna is 50% green, woods, parks, gardens, just green. One of the most impressive parks is the Lainzer Tiergarten. It’s a 6000 acre wild life preserve just on the city outskirts, bordering on the Wienerwald. However, it is not the wildlife that draws us here every season, it is the ancient woods of that park. It is true that you can occasionally see a boar or a deer crossing your path, but those are rare occurrences, especially on the weekends. Far more fascinating for me are these ancient oaks and beech trees. I have always loved the woods and felt at home in them. Straying off the beaten paths and finding a place to rest between these ancient living pillars is one of the best stress relief methods I have tried. And since we are a bunch of gatherers in my family, we always look for little treasures, depending on the season: berries, mushrooms, colored leaves, empty snail houses, rocks, lichen, anything really that will draw our attention.

But most of all, we gather memories. Here are some of the best pictures from the Lainzer Tiergarten.

The time has come to mention yet another great (not so secret but still not touristy) place in Vienna. It has been tucked away all this time behind a hill, only 15 min. walking distance from our home. We discovered it in September and we keep going back and exploring it every chance we get.

This is one of Vienna’s most gorgeous parks. For starters, it is huge, we have yet to get to its last corner. It has ancient trees, large meadows complete with deer and squirrels, big white statues from the Biedermeier era, playgrounds, large alleys with inviting benches and hidden paths, a greek style pavillion and a little Brothers Grimm cabin hidden behind old oaks. Ancient trees, and some rare for these parts, could tell stories from the beginning of the 19th century, when the banker Johann Heinrich Geymueller, who owned the castle back then, added typical English landscaping to the park. We admired a couple of giant sequoias, so far away from home, but kings of their landscape.

The story of Poetzleinsdorf tells about a knight’s castle on top of the Schafberg. The inhabitants of this castle were grim fellows and possessed extraordinary physical strength. One of the knights was said to have overcome a bear with his bare hands. He then brought this bear home and trained him as a watchdog for the castle. The bear became very tame. Ever since they called this knight the Petzler - Petz is the nickname for bears in German fables. Therefore, the village belonging to this knight got the name Petzlersdorf.

While there are no more bears to be seen in the park, tame or otherwise, there is still plenty of wild life. It is not uncommon to see deer running through the paths of the forest, or grazing in the meadows. Very curious but shy squirrels watch us as we stroll through the woods. At the pond we can feed the ducks and geese. There is also a petting zoo complete with sheep, goats, chicken, turkeys and other fowl. My daughter, being the little carnivorous brat that she is, was already asking if we could take one of the turkeys home for dinner, and no, she did not mean to “invite” the turkey to have dinner with us.

Once the Viennese society of the 19th century enjoyed long strolls through the Poetzleinsdorfer Schlosspark. Now the park is open for young and old alike. Bikes and dogs are not allowed in it, so it remains a clean place of relaxation. We are looking forward to experiencing this park through all the four seasons. So far fall has been spectacular.

We have been here a year already! And I am happy to say that there is still much left to explore, even in our closest surroundings. There is always one more secret path to discover, one hidden architectural wonder, another charming part of town you never knew existed.

Today I am going to write about a magical place called Am Himmel, meaning “In Heaven”, literally. Vienna has a nice collection of tall hills in the west, it’s where the Wienerwald actually beginns. On top of one of these hills you can find Am Himmel. We don’t go there only for one of the best equipped play grounds in Vienna, but for the entire experience. On the very top is a large meadow. In the middle of this meadow stands the Lebensbaumkreis, meaning “The Tree of Life Circle”. The tree of life is a symbol of all that what life is, it shows up in all traditions and cultures, it is forever green and blossoming, and its fruits represent youth, health, and immortality. So the Austrians still plant trees associated with birth and wedding events, so that the tree will accompany the child or the couple throughout their lives.

The Lebensbaumkreis contains 40 trees, of over 20 different species. In front of every tree there is a small column, equipped with speakers. If you stand in front of it just right, the tree will start “talking” about itself and overwhelm you with information. On weekends there is classical music streaming from the speakers, which you can listen to from the amphitheatre that surrounds the tree circle. Everyone can find their own “tree of life”, according to the birth date. My tree is the Rowan. The information sign on top of the column tells me that the Rowan-born can fool anyone with their dainty appearance, but they are actually strong and resistant underneath. They also have a strong sense of community, enjoy prettyfying the world around them, love life, and oscillate between intuition and analysis.

Close by you can find the Sisi Chapel. This was one of Empress’ Elizabeth (Sisi) favorite places for meditating and praying. It has been recently renovated and it is like finding a hidden treasure when you finally discover it tucked away in the thick Vienna woods. But even in such a blissful place one still gets hungry. Austrians know how to combine a beautiful walk or hike with cullinary pleasures. The Octogon Cafe is one of my favorite cafes in Vienna. Not only do they offer breathtaking views of the city, but their food is a feast for the hungry traveller. Their desserts are all home made, which is not something to be taken for granted in Vienna. A few good cafes still remain that bake their own cakes and goodies, and they are far from the beaten path. The Octogon has only few desserts to offer, but you really don’t need more. My favorites are the Am Himmel chocolate cake, really heavenly as the name suggests, and the house chocolate mousse. It is the perfect finishing touch to a perfect Sunday afternoon. So I sip my cappuccino and take in the warm afternoon sun while Annabelle swings high on the nearby playground. I am, as the architects of this place envisioned, truly in Heaven.