It is cold and foggy outside, brrrr, what a day for All Hallow’s Eve! And if you think that I am missing out on all of the Halloween fun, just because I’m living in Austria, then you are dead wrong! Halloween is very popular here, and just as commercialized as it is back home. My daughter went to a Halloween party last night and came back with a scary bag of treats (just as I was hoping there will be none of that in Vienna, to save her growing new teeth). The programm on TV tonight is Halloween fitting therefore the TV will be off tonight, I can’t handle anything even remotly scary. And I am wearing a pumpkin orange sweater today, ’cause when else do you get to wear orange to work? And this weekend we baked lots with pumpkin: Halloween muffins for the kids’ party and pumpkin bread with walnuts for me (I left out the cranberries).

But overall we just ignore Halloween and celebrate Fall really. That is more fun and lasts longer too. These past couple of weeks have been wonderful, weatherwise. It has been almost warm during the day, the fall colors of the trees glorious against the sparkling blue sky. So I have taken advantage of it and taken long walks almost every day. This weekend was also a wonderful gift and we were outside for most of it. Am Himmel had a pumpkin festival this weekend, for all little and big kids. So we hiked up there (it’s quite a steep walk) and enjoyed the breathtaking views of Vienna, the sun, the kites in the sky, pumpkin foods, great cappuccino at the Octagon, pumpkin carving (Kürbisschnitzen), face painting and general frolicking on the playground.

Steiermark (Styria) is the official pumpkin region in Austria. The pumpkin patches are just as big as the vineyards here. Every self respecting farmer produces his/her own Kürbiskernöl (pumpkin seed oil), also called the “green gold”. It is a rare species of pumpkin, grown only in the Styria region, that produces skinless seeds that are made into pumpkin seed oil, renowned the world over for its sweet, nutty flavour. This dark green oil is particularly good in a vinaigrette made with cider vinegar, drizzled on salads and made into a pesto, using pumpkin seeds in place of the traditional pine nuts. It has …um… a laxative effect in large dosis, we can confirm that. It is amazing all that they can do with pumpkins: pumpkin seed potato chips, pumpkin saussage, pumpkin seed cake, pumpkin soup, pumpkin jam, pumpkin chutney, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin pesto, chocolate covered pumpkin…Ok, I gotta stop, I can already hear Bubba say: “There’s pineapple pumpkin, lemon pumpkin, coconut pumpkin, pepper pumpkin, pumpkin soup, pumpkin stew, pumpkin salad, pumpkin and potatoes, pumpkin burger, pumpkin sandwich. That- that’s about it.”

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.

I have been very busy these last few weeks, so I almost forgot to write about our latest adventure in the surroundings of the Green Forest. So here it is.

A couple of weekends ago the days were still calm and warm as they should be in an Altweibersommer (old wife summer), the equivalent to the Indian Summer. So we decided that it was the last chance, and right we were, to take our bicycles on a tour in the Wachau Valley. This beautiful region, reminding of a Ring of the Nibelung setting, extends about 20 miles along the great river Danube. Fall is the perfect time to visit, to stroll through hills covered with vineyards, sample the local grapes, most, wine, jams and preserves, nuts, and local cuisine.

There is also plenty of history in those hills. Old towns and monasteries, some dating back to pre-crusade times all still stand, proof of a rich history in this rather mild climate region, dominated by the big Danube. In Duernstein, legend has it, King Richard Lion Heart of England was once held captive. Duernstein also offers some very old Roman ruins with a breathtaking view of the region, and one of the cutest downtowns, with little cobble stone streets, hidden back alleys, all very well preserved. This is where I got my first parking ticket in Austria, but that was a year ago, and is another story….

When you are riding your bike, the next town is only a Katzensprung (a stone’s throw) away, as my daughter put it. The little town of Weissenkirchen (white church) with its impressive market church dating back to 1190 is no less attractive. The church boasts one of the oldest pipe organs in Austria. It is a Gothic church in its construction, with Baroque influences visible in the interior. It is beautiful in its simplicity, very different from a big city church, still providing a sense of peace, inviting to prayer and meditation. I have seen many old churches in my European travels, but very few have given me the feeling of the presence of God and an invitation to stay and reflect. The church in Weissenkirchen is not merely a museum, but it is still alive and comforting for the wandering pilgrim.

The inhabitants of Weissenkirchen became very wealthy during the 15th century, as a result of the trade with wine, wood and salt. In 1645 the Swedes invaded the little town and consumed its wealth. In 1793 a major fire destroyed much of the village, but left the church almost unscathed. In the 19th century Weissenkirchen was practically cut off from the rest of the world, as the train connections only went as far Krems or Melk, both wonderful places to visit. Today this beautiful place is reachable by train and car. Tourism is flourishing and the entire region is on UNESCO’s cultural heritage list. But I think that it hasn’t lost any of its charm and there still are romantic place where tourist hords can’t reach.

Our tour of the Wachau completed with a visit to one of many local restaurants on the road, complete with playground for the kids. We had wild boar and deer, as it is hunting season in Austria. We lingered in the warm afternoon sun rays taking in the peace and beauty of this place, before we went back to our big city busy lives. But we know we will be back, as soon as the leaves start changing color and the grapes hang heavy and translucent from the vines, we will hear the Wachau calling to us again.