The first time I went to Graz was in September 1989, when I was single and on my way from the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, to Johannesburg, South Africa. After 12 years I was leaving the Dominican to go and meet Gernot, an Austrian I got to know when I visited Australia in 1988. The two of us had agreed to meet in Frankfurt, before flying to Austria to meet his family. It was important that I met his mother, as she was organising everything for our wedding in a few months time! Gernot had a 3 month sabbatical leave from his job and he wanted that I come with him to South Africa. In a way, those 3 months we spent there were like our honeymoon, even though the actual wedding was not to come till later!
Gernot had spoken somewhat negatively about the city where he was born, but I found it to be quite charming. We stayed in a small hotel, which was just across from the Stadtpark and we did a lot of walks there. So I not only got to see ducks swimming in the little pond, but also walked to the top of the Schlossberg, where I got a panoramic view of the city and its surroundings.
It was a short stay, but I liked his mother and although we could not communicate in German, we managed with English, bits of Spanish, and French! Soon it was time for us to fly to Johannesburg and after spending 3 wonderful months there, we returned to Graz once again, but this time to get married, as the wedding was scheduled for January 9th! A few members of my family came to Graz for the occasion, my mother from Canada, my sister Susie from Santo Domingo, and my brother Will from New York City. It was the middle of winter then and on my wedding day the thermometer read -9°C! It was very cold that day! My mother and Will were alright, as they were used to cold climates, but Susie was living in the Caribbean, so she was not! We all survived though and my mother even attempted to walk down the Schöckel, even though it was icy!
I was not to return to Austria again until early 1992, when I already had a baby girl and was living in Australia. The 2 months we spent there were quite an experience, especially in winter and with a baby, but we enjoyed it and my daughter even got christened in Baden, which is close to Vienna.
The next time we came to Graz was when my husband decided to return to Austria with the family to settle in 1993, as he got a good job in the same university where he had studied engineering many years before! Our children started going to kindergarten when they were about 3 and soon learned to speak German. The volkschule (grades 1 to 4) followed and 4 years later they started going to the same gymnasium (grades 5 to 12) where my husband had gone to! For the first time in my life I was living somewhere that had four seasons, as the places where I had lived before only had two: summer and winter (Lima, Brisbane, and Santo Domingo). Unlike other places where I had lived before, there were seldom any power failures in Graz and water was plentiful too! Every season also brought along its own fruit and it was quite an experience to be able to buy fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples peaches, apricots, and nuts in the market, although one had to go to the supermarket to get fruit like bananas, papayas and pineapples, as they were imported!
We soon learned that in Austria, activities are related to the season and we have enjoyed swimming when it is warm, skiing, tobogganing and skating when cold, although walking can be fun the whole year round! We also soon discovered that they have thermal waters here and that was a completely different experience, with swimming pools inside and out, with both warm and cold water!
Slowly I have learned to make apple strudel and jams with whatever fruit is in season. I can also do some baking at Chrismas time, although I have learned that what in Austria they call "vanilla kipferl" are none other than the Russian (or Mexican) teacakes from my grandmother’s American cookbook!
My mother in law is now gone, but I am sure she would be proud to know that his son Gernot and his family are now living in what used to be her flat, with views of the Schlossberg across the way. That hill allows me follow the seasons by observing the colours of the leaves on the trees. We had a long and cold winter this year and when Spring finally came in April, feeling just like a tourist I went out with the camera and took many pictures of Graz in bloom! Most tourists just visit Vienna and maybe Salzburg or Innsbruck, but they should also pay attention to Graz, as it is the second largest city in Austria and it was also named Cultural City of Europe in the year 2003! There are no high mountains around here perhaps, but there is the Schöckel not far away, where one can go walking, or ride the Hexenexpress, (fast train for children and adults), in summer and, if there is snow, one can even go skiing there in winter! Just a few kilometres from the city there is also the Weinstrasse, or Styrian Toscana, with its outstanding white wines and schilcher. It only takes about 2 hours to get to Italy from Graz and Slovenia is less than an hour away, with Croatia not much further! There are good plane connections between Graz and Frankfurt or Munich and also direct flights to London with Ryanair. When people fly to Slovenia or Croatia, they should also stop in Graz to have a look at the city! And if they are here in summer, then I would recommend they have an ice-cream in the Temmel shop, as they are excellent! There are only Temmel ice-cream shops in Graz and Los Angeles! Talking about the Californian Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, which is a village on the outskirts of Graz!