The Blithe Traveler

Goats and Other Goat Like Creatures

Warning: goats might be on the road. 

Warning: Mouflon might be on the road. 

Two totally different issues. The goats were small and cute trotting around on their darling little cloven hooves. Possibly some feral, definitely some were being kept as livestock. 

Mouflon? More fierce than darling. 

Today mouflon inhabit the parts of the Middle East (Iraq and Iran). Mouflon were introduced to the islands of Corisca, Sardina, Rodes, and Cyprus during the Neolithic period (from 10,200 BCE to between 4,500 and 2,000 BCE), perhaps as feral domesticated animals. They have have naturalized in the mountainous interiors of these islands over the past few thousand years, giving rise to the subspecies known as European mouflon (O. aries musimon). On the island of Cyprus, the mouflon or agrino became a different and endemic species only found there, the Cyprus mouflon (Ovis orientalis ophion). The Cyprus mouflon population contains only about 3000 animals. They are now rare on the islands, but are classified as feral animals. Wiki: Mouflon

  

So, drive carefully. And, on the left. Because, of course, the British were here for so very many years. 

Next: Cyprus Delight!

 

Lying Around on the Beach

Because, that's pretty much what we did. There wasn't a whole lot of anything going on during this particular holiday. I mean, we did go to the mountains one day, and on our way out, we hit Tomb of the Kings, a fairly stunning archaeological site. But, at the end of the day, we were resting, and rest we did. 

So, we'll start with a bit of beach romping.

This particular beach was just a short walk from the house. So if Jeff needed to spend an afternoon working, it was easy enough for the children and me to scuttle down there and have a nice time, say, conquering an island. 

Or building a sand fortress. And practicing your long jump over it. 

The beach, as you can see if you peer into the distance, isn't exactly a pristine, clean sort of beach. There was a fair bit of trash washed up on the sand. We're not picky folk, though, when it comes to a bit of sand and and island, so it worked for us. Your mileage may vary. 

The "public" beaches, with restaurants, etc, are well kept, so please don't get the wrong idea that Cypriots don't take proper care of their beach areas. But this was a bit of a cove on a less traveled part of the island during the off season, so we certainly didn't turn our noses up at a few old detergent bottles and a bit of flotsam. 

The water was cool, so although there were a couple snorkeling while we were playing, there wasn't a lot of "swimming" from our crowd. Wading out to the island and back was about the extent of it. But, not an issue. Fun was had by all. 

And when the light began to wane, we headed back to the house. To enjoy the sunset,

and then a little lightening show.

Next: Goat or Mouflon? 

 

 

 

Cyprus, A Bit of History, Interspersed with Sunset Photos

Let's start with where it is, because that's quite important to its history. It's an island strategically located in the Mediterranean Sea, which means it has been passed back and forth between dominant powers from time immemorial. Technically, "Cyprus" is the Republic of Cyprus, so independent, but, part of the island is occupied by Turkey. 

It was in British hands from 1878 until 1960. During that time time, there were strong movements for (a) Independence, (b) Greek absorption (called enosis) or (c) Turkish partition (called taksim). The history is long and extraordinarily complex, so I'll not even try to do more than scratch the surface, but net net Cyprus gained independence from England in 1960 and joined the UN. 

The British vacating the island did not stop the Greeks and Turks from fighting over it. On July 20, 1974 Turkey, after failed UN meetings, invaded Cyprus. To this day, they occupy 38% of the island. In 1983, the Turkish area declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. They are recognized only by Turkey: "The United Nations urged all states to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic Of Cyprus and reject the declaration of independence of the occupied North." Wiki, A Modern History of Cyprus

The Republic of Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, and is currently in the news as it's in the middle of a banking crisis. Banks have just re-opened, and it's bigger than just "small country, banking crisis" kind of news; other less-than-stable-economic EU nations are eyeing what's happening carefully. It appears that the "small investor," you know, the guy with less than 100kEuros in an account is covered, but the big investors are left holding the bag. Putting controls on Euros being able to leave Cyprus? Not cool for big investors. Trouble, with a capital €. 

And bad news for unstable EU nations, for the obvious reason that if you are a big league investor, are you going to want to invest in a PIGS (Portugal, Irish, Greek, Spanish) bank? Or, say, a German bank. No contest. So, interesting stuff to watch in our wild and wooly economic world.  

In weirdly tangential news, we are currently skiing for the Easter break and are renting a small Alpine apartment from a Cypriot (<-- no word of a lie, that is what you are called if you are a Cyprus citizen). He asked us to pay cash. One cannot blame him. 

Back to tourist Cyprus. When one travels to Cyprus, one goes either to Cyprus, or "the Turkish side." We traveled to Cyprus. We landed in Nicosia, rented a car and drove aalllll the way around to just north of Polis (which means we went south from Nicosia, traveled along the southern coast until we hit the western coast, then we drove north again). About a 3 hour drive. 

Whereupon we landed in a house by the sea. That's me. And a glass of wine. 

So, we've covered recent, and immediate Cyprus history. Cyprus is also awash in ancient, ancient history.  

I'll leave you with these two tidbits: 

Water wells discovered by archaeologists in western Cyprus are believed to be among the oldest in the world, dated at 9,000 to 10,500 years old, putting them in the Stone Age. They are said to show the sophistication of early settlers, and their heightened appreciation for the environment. Wiki Cyprus

In 2004, the remains of an 8-month-old cat were discovered buried with its human owner at a Neolithic archaeological site in Cyprus. The grave is estimated to be 9,500 years old, predating Egyptian civilization and pushing back the earliest known feline-human association significantly. Wiki Cyprus

Ha! I love Grumpy Cat. 

Next: We explore the island, mountains and beaches  

 

Cyprus!

Brace yourself, as we are now going to leap from the middle of March Real Time, backward to October (2012). October has historically been a big Ex-Pat Holiday Travel Month. In China, we celebrated National Week and now in Europe, we celebrate something else. I think it might just be "Fall Break" from school. Honestly, I'm not sure. You would think I could google it, but I'm a few days behind right now and it's just not high enough on the priority list to warrant a google.  

But, pretend it's October, okay?

As we sat back and caught our respective breathes after our whirlwind summer (and, by the way, blog readers missed the actual life events that involved three separate countries in the space of a few days, children scattered across those countries, then rounded up again, additional children added to the mix and then returned to their hearths and homes, plus multiple birthday parties ... so really whirlwind), the question arose: "Whatever shall we do for our October holiday?" 

I put a good bit of research into South Africa. It's a less expensive time of year to go than around Christmas (when the prices on everything double), and it's a place we would really love to get to. However, even during a "less expensive time of the year," you're talking a pocketful of change to get us all there. Plus, the sort of travel one does in South Africa when you have two weeks is On! The! Go! sort of traveling. I was looking at driving the Garden Route, so we'd be a night here, a night there for two weeks.

Given that our breathing was still ragged from the summer, we decided a holiday of leisure would be more in order. A place where we could get the sun on our faces and a warm breeze through our hair before settling in for the long, cold slog to spring that our northern climes brings. And, lo and behold, Cyprus in late October is still warm enough to hang out in bathing suits, but it's the off season! So, fewer fellow travelers, cheaper accommodation and a generally more relaxed kind of place to be. Sold! 

Our plan for the week was to make like slugs. Which is exactly what we did. Jeff found a nice house on the ocean with internet, we had a rental car to drive around when we felt like driving around, and a deck to hang out on when we felt like hanging out. What will follow will be a lot of beauty shots of sunsets, because, basically, that's what we did. Take pictures of the sun setting. 

And that's all for now, folks. Here's a sunset to whet the appetite for what will probably be a week of sunset photos.

Next: Some Actual Interesting History Around Cyprus

Old Volks Home

Utterly charming.

Who does not have fond memories of an ancient Bug or Beetle? Or, maybe not-so-fond memories, as in the case of my father's, which never had any heat in the winter. But generally managed to spew forth a cloud of noxious hot air for the entire month of August? 

Next: Back in Time! Back to Cyprus (October, 2012) 

Nackte Männer (NSFW)

NSFW because we are taking about nekked(1) men today. And, there are pictures! I'll keep the photos on this post close to safe-for-work, but will provide links if you're interested in seeing the ads without their artificial covers.

Below is an outdoor ad that popped up all over Vienna a few months back. The advertising was for an exhibition at the Leopold museum, as follows: 

"Exhibitions about nudity have been preoccupied with images of [nekked] women. In autumn 2012 the Leopold Museum now with "[nekked] men" a long overdue exhibition of diversity and change in the depiction of [nekked] men from 1800 to the present." Leopold Musuem

 

The link to the museum exhibition page is no longer active (the exhibit is over), but here's a link to the ad in all of its full frontal (uncircumcised) glory: Definitely NSFW. And here's a link to a a Huff-Po Fluff Piece on the exhibition. They apparently had a Nudist Day for people to view the exhibition in the buff: Click at your own discretion. 

To be absolutely clear, the white tape was added by a local "concerned citizen." These three very fit dudes were full front nekked all over town. 

The ads were put up in the fall as the air became chill around us. The children were a little off put by the drama of the nekkedness, so I took advantage of it as a teaching tool: "Dudes, don't they look cold? Button your jacket!" The Austrians, I would argue, are not the sort to be phased by a bit of nudity. 

I don't have a ton of evidence here, and please don't use this posting as a resource in your "Austrians: Not Prudes" Masters Thesis, but, my general feeling about from limited exposure is that there's not a lot concern over the nekked body.  At our recent ski holiday, bathing suits were not allowed in the jacuzzi. 

So, you could be 15 and nekked in the jacuzzi with a bunch of strangers. Yeah, people who are completely cool with the human body!

Although, I confess to waiting to use the jacuzzi until everyone else had gone skiing. Everyone except the old fat guy who was clearly a Brit because he would hover, peeking in at me, and refused to doff his suit until I put on my robe and left (to be clear, I  never felt that he was peeking at me, just checking to see if I had left yet; he wanted in, but wasn't baring his wedding tackle until I had vamoosed. Like I said, British). 

But, and here's the only reason I even bring up this topic, the red tape and assorted other covering devices appeared all over the city. From my perspective, mostly in areas with high Orthodox Jewish and Muslim populations. Oh, right. People who might be a little more naturally modest. 

So, perhaps a bit of a clash of cultures over the whole thing. We did not go to see the exhibition, not because of prudishness, or a lack of desire to see the nekked male body, but because I am a Philistine and eschew museums, even in this town where some of the most amazing museums in the world exist. I know, I am a terrible person. 

The good news is that there is another nekked person exhbition opening up, this one at the Natural History museum, and the ads are once again displayed all over town. 

 

Nekked, like, really, really nekked. 

Next: Old Volks Home

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(1) Not being cutesy here; I do not want this to pop up on Google for anyone searching for actual "nekked men." 

 

 

Heindl Chocolate Museum

Chocolate tourism. How could that not be a win? That said, I am personally not a huge fan of the Heindl chocolates, so temper this post with that understanding. Ha! Temper! Chocolate humor. (1)

The occasion for this sojourn was a class trip with Hope's third grade cohort. There were 40-odd eight- and nine- year olds involved and much shuffling about on public transport. The trip registered an "11" on the Stress O' Meter. I was on a class trip last year where we actually lost a kid, so, you know, I'm scarred. (2)

But that is water under the bridge. Today we are talking chocolate! Heindl begain in 1953 as a family enterprise in Vienna. Today it is run by the children and grandchildren of the original husband and wife team. 

They have shops around Vienna, and offer many products that are chocolate and fruit. Or nuts. These are not my personal favorites. I am not dissing these confections in any way, mind you, just pointing out that in my world, chocolate with peanut butter is divine. Chocolate with hazelnuts? Dramatically less so. 

Sissi is of course present, as she is everywhere in Vienna. (3) I really should do a post on her, because you might be all, like, Sissi who? One of the children mentioned her to Jeff the other day, and he made the mistake of expressing exactly that Sissi who? sentiment and got a full body eye roll in exchange. They were all like, "Really? How can you not know who Sissi is?"

My children, on a first name basis with a long dead princess. 

From the Heindl Website: "The famous 'Sissi Taler' is an exquisite combination of fruity apricot-marzipan on truffle cream covered in finest whole milk chocolate. Every single 'Taler' with the picture of the unforgotten empress is a sweet salute from Austria to the world.   And Sissi Veilchen: the unforgotten empress Sissi loved violets as sorbet and caramelized. Our interpretation of her favourite sweet is delicate dark chocolate with a violet raspberrycream and truffle cream filling."

So, fruit and other stuff with the chocolate. Stamped with the face of the dead princess. Again, not my speed. 

THESE, however, choco Santa and choco Easter Bunny are exactly my speed. The Heindl milk chocolate is truly wonderful. 

In the museum, they have interesting chocolate exhibitions. This is a shoe. Do not try this at home, kids. Chocolate shoes will melt right off your feet. 

This was our favorite. You could taste milk, "white," and dark chocolate. They were seriously good. Who can pass up hot, melty chocolate? I had to beat back the children for my third sample, but it was totally worth it. 

Creepy, eh? Sissi with Hope's face. While this is entertaining for the children, I don't recommend using it as your Christmas photo. You're not fooling anyone.  

Then there was the chocolate art. These paintings are done with chocolate. The teachers and I all thought it was cool ... but ... agreed that it was best that the children were not actually executing chocolate canvases. I'm not sure how well a chocolate painting would fair in my home. Bugs? People licking it as they went by? Which would be worse? 

We did get to taste bits of chocolate as we toured; and, the children got to take these chunks of marzipan and chocolate marzipan and make stuff out of them. Entertaining and it tasted good, too.  

Best news of the day? We got back to school with every single child we left with. Win! 

Next: Nackte Männer (NSFW!)

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(1) Tempering refers to a process of heating and cooling chocolate to prepare it for dipping and enrobing. The tempering process ensures that the cocoa butter in chocolate hardens in a uniform crystal structure. Chocolate that is tempered has a smooth texture, a glossy shine and a pleasant “snap” when bitten or broken. Chocolate that is not tempered might be cloudy, gray, lumpy, and sticky at room temperature.

(2) You might wonder at that, the losing of the child. In that case, we traveled from the school via tram to the Ubahn whereupon we got on another bus. With 40 nine and ten year olds. Do you see how it might be possible to misplace one of them? No? Right. It was awkward. 

(3) The Empress Elisabeth of Austria ever present, and known as "Sissi," is considered an historical icon. The Empress is now thought to have been a non-conformist who abhorred conventional court protocol, as well as a free spirit, who valued an individual sense of freedom above anything else. Wiki

PS: If you are looking for a post on Microwave popcorn, that was a joke. 

Watch it Wiggle! See it Jiggle! In Which I Begin A Food Blog

My track record in the kitchen is not good. But, today, we shall learn to make Jelly, the European way. 

The background: I have difficulty following directions, have the shortest attention span on the squirrel, and am mostly indifferent to food. Add that up and you get a gal for whom a bag of store bought popcorn = dinner. 

The more background: Long ago, in a galaxy far away, I was the assistant brand manager for Knox brand gelatin. Knox is unflavored gelatin: tiny brand, used mostly for synchronized swimmers to keep their hair in order (true story) and occasionally for old American grandmas who have not discovered the ease of Kraft's Instant gelatin dessert to make what American's refer to as "Jell-O," but which everyone else in the world refers to as "Jelly." 

When I worked on this brand, I spent a lot of time with the Nabisco Test Kitchens who created recipes for Knox. We used those in marketing pieces and on the packages to incent people to use more of the stuff. I was attending a party at some point and was asked to bring a dessert. Instead of my usual tactic of heading to the shop and buying a cake, I asked the Test Kitchens for the best recipe to prepare and bring to showcase my awesome Knox product. This is probably why I don't get invited to many parties.  

The recipe required a can of pineapple, some orange juice, ice and a blender. I was going to have to boil the stuff on my stove top, but I had purchased a condo about six months prior, so had a stove and a pot. The Test Kitchen lent me a blender, handed me a can of pineapple, explained the ins and outs of buying orange juice, and wished me luck. 

The project was an eyeopener. I discovered when I headed over to the stove top to commence boiling, that I had an electric oven. Six months and I had no idea (I'd been using gas for the decade prior, so it took a few minutes to work it all out). Finally got the stovetop going and I headed over to the fridge to get the ice. There was nothing in the freezer. Nothing. No. Thing. Of course there was no ice, I had never made any ice. I didn't own any ice making trays. I just figured, freezer=ice. 

Got in my car, drove the 300 meters to the shop, bought ice. Came back to my condo. Picked up can of pineapple. Realized I would need a can opener to open can of pineapple. Got in my car, drove the 300 meters to the shop, bought a can opener. 

So, me and kitchens? Not really on the same page. 

But! It's fifteen years later! Yea, gods. Is it really? Yes, indeed, fifteen years since those heady days when I could live in a place for six months and never (a) turn on the stove or (b) open the freezer. Now I have children! Who require occasional feeding. Le sigh. 

My youngest child, to whom this post is dedicated, has been requesting for over a year that I make her the aforementioned Jelly. 

However, the Austrians are not Americans, no siree-bob. They do not stock Kraft Instant Gelatin on their wee market shelves. There is no room for that sort of "instant" nonsense. If one wants a Jelly, one must work for it. 

What is that thing, you ask? It's a leaf of gelatin. 

But, and here is where things strike me as odd. While you cannot buy instant gelatin, you can buy instant non-carbonated drinks. There are shelves and shelves of "sirups" available in a host of flavors; you bring them home, add water, and drink. It's like watery Kool-aid, only in really awesome flavors. 

 

Which is the only reason this stupid Jelly project even got off the ground: all I had to do was work out the gelatin sheets, then add the pre-mixed flavor and refrigerate. 

So back to that tricky sheet gelatin, being held by the wee Jelly-wanting child in question. She's the one in the hat. Why the hat for making Jelly, you might ask? I have no idea. 

With this leaf of gelatin in hand, I addressed Mr. Google, because, it's not like I had the faintest idea what to do with it. 

Google directed me to a Mr. David Lebovitz, who had this to say about sheet gelatin: "Substituting sheet gelatin for powdered gelatin is perhaps the most controversial ratio known to the baking world."

At which, I almost bailed on the project. I mean, that's pretty dramatic. The most controversial ratio known to the baking world? 

Hat Girl talked me down, though. She really wanted the Jelly. 

Further reading of Mr. Lebovitz would suggest: "I've seen everything from 1 envelope equals 3, up to 5 sheets. Three-and-a-half sheets seems to work best for me. I use sheets that are 3-inches by 5-inches.*"

Oi. I went with 4 sheets, taking the middle road. The deal is you soak this stuff until it is all slimy.  

Like this. Eew. Not for the faint of heart, let me tell you. 

Then you drop it in a pot of hot water, with the ratio of one cup of sirup to two cups of water. Hot water, not boiling, as per Mr. Lebovitz. Four sheets of ick, as we have already determined. 

Pour into cups and refrigerate! Jelly! 

I am such a star. 

Here's the recipe for your very own self, should you desire to take this particular road. 

Next: Microwave Popcorn 

The Doctor's Scarf

Second Nerd Post in a row. Are you a Doctor Who fan?  I wouldn't go so far as to say I am about to sew myself a Tardis Dress, but as a knitter, the Doctor's Season 12 scarf does have appeal. The original was 13 and a half feet long, which translate the more modern 411 centimeters. 4 meters of scarf? Seriously, who needs that? 

In the series, the Doctor mentions that Madam Nostradamus knit the scarf for him, refering to her as a witty, little knitter. The scarf has a following, and a modern day witty little knitter has emerged with an entire website (and, perhaps life) dedicated to The Scarf: Witty Little Knitter. 

Sound odd? Yes, indeed. One of my favorite knitting bloggers, The Yarn Harlot, knitted a scarf recently, which is what initially piqued my interest. There are lists of the yarn for one to buy, and I idly poked around. It didn't take long to realize this was an expensive proposition. To knit the scarf from cheaper yarn would cost around $40US and from nice yarn, more than $60US. 

Now, I knit a lot. The photo below is my Closet of Shame. These are all finished knitted things that sit on the shelf for a good bit of their knitted lives. And, it's not my entire knitted scarf/sweater/hat/mitten/sweater collection. No indeed. This is a partial Closet of Shame. So, while I like to knit, and I certainly give myself permission to indulge my hobby, at some point, one has to realistically assess what one is spending versus the final product. It made me sad. 

In typically twenty-first century fashion, I posted my sadness on Facebook. Something along these lines: "I am suddenly obsessed with knitting the Season 12 Dr. Who scarf. It's the 50th anniversary year, you know. So, why not?"

Why not, because, hello! Another scarf? For sixty bucks? Hard to justify. 

Whereupon a friend emailed and said, "Dude, you knit me one, I'll pay for two." 

And a deal was struck. Instantly. 

Looky! She bought the good stuff!!

Now, if you are a knitter, you might be rolling your eyes, waving your fist at the monitor shouting, "Way to go! Way to undervalue your mad knitting skillz!" Because, we are talking about a lot of knitting. For ultimately, what amounts to very small return at a per hour knitting rate. 

But, people, I am a process knitter. Which means the following: 

The process knitter is one who knits for the love of the act of knitting. They love the hunt for the perfect marriage of the right yarn and pattern. Cables, lace, cables and lace. Big ass projects with thin yarn on teeny tiny needles. Bring. It. On. A project that takes months doesn't daunt the true process knitter. Were a knitter stranded on an island with one ball of yarn and one set of knitting needles they’d knit up all the yarn, rip it all apart and start again because it’s the act of knitting that they love best. The product knitter is nearly the opposite. On that deserted island they’d knit up that yarn and wear whatever they made. Top Floor Corner 

I don't knit because I give a rat's furry behind about the final outcome. I think my Closet of Shame is pretty clear evidence. I knit because I find the act of knitting soothing for all of those hours I spending waiting for my children at school and at those endless kid-birthday parties, traveling, and for those rare occasions when I find time to watch a movie. I virtually never sit and knit for the sake of knitting. It's always during "something else." 

So, why not have someone else pay for my OCD habit? 

It's a thing of beauty is it not? Photo on top of a Grand Piano that is not in my house. 

 

Here I have photographed it with the pattern. It's a simple thing, the pattern. The numbers printed on the colors are what are referred to as "garter ridges." Which translates to each number representing two rows of knitting. If the chart says "8," you knit 16 rows. If the chart says "32," you knit 64 rows. Got it? 

Why doesn't it just say "64" if you have to knit 64 rows instead of saying "32?" No idea. 

At last, the knitting was finished. 

Does this mean the scarf was ready to drop in the mail? Of course not! Look, it's only 296 centimeters long! Nowhere near long enough! 

Time for a bath. Washing and blocking, as every knitter knows, are critical to the success of any knitting project. In this case, I washed in VERY cold water; this wool felts like nobody's business. And the last thing I wanted was to end up with three meters of felted ex-scarf. 

 

Stretch a bit for the block, and ... 

432 centimeters. That'll do. 

I have already begun knitting the second one. The endless repetition is good for my process knitter's soul. 

Next: Watch it Wiggle, See it Jiggle! A Food Blog? Can It Be?? 

Remember Mini-Mozart?

Mini-Mozart was Hope's creation. 

Tom made this and challenged me to guess what it was. 

Millenium Falcon. 

Mom, FOR! THE! WIN! 

Here's the real deal, if you can't quite put your finger on what the original MF looks like. 

Seriously, if this does not earn me some Mom of the Year placing, I'll be a Wookie's Uncle. 

Next: The Doctor's Scarf