A Sunny Day In Town and Pumpkin Invasion

This sunny morning I took my camera along with me when I went to breakfast with my mother in law. I always like seeing the places other bloggers live; it helps me get a stronger idea about their lives and surroundings. So I hope you enjoy these. There is, of course, so much more to see, and I hope to continue giving you little peeks into this beautiful quiet Austrian village that I call home.

Above you see the center of this community: the local church. The bell rings out clear and loud every fifteen minutes.

This is the lovely little cafe where we ate breakfast. We sat outside under the shade of the giant chestnut tree. In winter it's the perfect place for mothers and children, as smoking is not allowed, which is not true of every cafe and restaurant in Austria, including the other cafe in town.

Here's the local apothecary, or pharmacy. It's called 'Apotheke zum Schutzengel,' which roughly translates to 'The Guardian Angel's Pharmacy.'

On the left you see the 'friseur,' the hair salon where I get my hair cut and colored. On the right is a small stationary store where the parents and children are now stocking up on supplies for the new school year.

This blue building is where my friend Daniela has her arts and crafts shop, 'Kreatives Allerlei.' She has everything you need to get creative and I love getting lost in her ribbon selection. Her daughter is due on September 15th! We're quite a sight when we waddle around town side by side with our big bellies.

This is the tiny store where I buy all my wonderful hand painted Bunzlauer ceramics. It's owned and run by my good friend Ose. When I stop in for a visit, she pulls out a chair and we sit and chat for a while. I usually can't help myself and end up buying something. Sometimes she tries to talk me out of a purchase, because she says I already have enough.

On her desk you can see the pile of yarn that she is knitting into something pretty; when she isn't knitting, she's either playing sudoku or reading a book. I hope her store stays open for a long time.

A classic old Austrian door. Doors like these usually lead into a 'hof,' a central courtyard which is surrounded by the home. Wouldn't you just love a big red door like this?

Well, now that it's September, I am allowed to start bringing pumpkins home (this is my husband's rule so that there is some sort of control over my pumpkin madness; I'm also not allowed to play Christmas music until December). By November pumpkins have invaded every corner of the house. I was so happy when I saw these two beauties at the farmer's market this week. Their orange glow is the first little hint of autumn in our home.

See the chicken salt and pepper shakers? Yep, those are from Ose's Bunzlauer store.

xoxoxo