Back from Austria

We have been on our annual family visit in Austria during the last couple of weeks. Now we are back and I'm trying to catch up with work, garden and laundry.

It's good to be "home" in Austria, spend time with family and friends, eat things we are not getting here (like Quark/Topfen) and enjoy the athmosphere of good old Europe. However, after 2 weeks it also feels good to be back "home" in Massachusetts.

Texas, along the US-mexican border

The long drive from South Padre Island to Big Bend National Park has been almost boring, at least for the first stretch.



Only billboards in Spanish and signs for border crossings let the traveller be aware that Mexico is just around the corner.




Foreigners, who are driving in thise area should always be prepared for a stopp by border patrol. We had our green cards and passports checked at least three times in two days - one time even about 20 miles inland.

Rio Grande Delta wildlife

There are quite a few wildlife refuges in the Rio Grande Delta and it definitely pays off to visit at least one of them.

Though we didn't see an ozelot, we had a good time.




Only the abundant jack rabbits stressed us a bit because they wouldn't run away from the approaching car and we didn't want to hit one. So my son got out of the car to 'clear' the road for us:

Texas journal 2: South Padre Island

The first day of our vacation in Texas was rainy and for the second day, the forecast was even worse: wash out. So we decided to leave the Port Aransas area and to drive down to South Padre Island. It was not easy to get there because of the heavy downpours


On South Padre, we had surprisingly no problems to find for a reasonable price a room at a beachside hotel with view over the ocean. In such a beautiful place, even the rain becomes bearable.



After the rain cleared, we enjoyed horseback riding at the beach and parasailing.