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We've used the squat toilets in China. Not a fun experience, IMO, but sometimes that's your only choice. I am not sure I could use a squat toilet now. I have too many aches and pains due to arthritis, etc. I would probably fall in!:) Once we had to use a trough in China! Very little privacy! And not a pretty sight!:mad:
We spent 3 nights in Ljubljana and took a drive across beautiful mountains to Lake Bled for a day. Ljubljana is so pretty. Would love to see more of Slovenia. |
WOW! In another life, I must have been an archeologist because I find it fascinating!
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What a wonderful trip, and joyful wedding.
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You still find squat toilets in France, though thankfully not as many as there used to be.
We stayed in a couple of places in La Palma where the loo paper went in a bin, and one in France as well. Looking forward to the rest of this report. Greece has never appealed for some reason, but you are converting me! |
Today we drove from Trikala to Farsala, about an hour away. It is easy driving, all flat. I can’t say that there is anything famous or special about the city, except apparently Achilles was born and baptized in the local river there. His father, in his younger years and until he was over 80 was the foreman of a cheese factory on the outskirts of town. Everybody in the city knew him and he was well respected. The cheese factory isn’t there any more.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d135c4620.jpeg As I said, no place that any tourists are about to visit! This area in Greece was wealthy, due to the crops of cotton, wheat and tobacco. Not many people from the area came to the US for better opportunities. A great majority of the Greek people who came to this country were from poorer regions of Greeece and the many islands. Today we came to visit from elderly relatives, go to the cemetery and see his childhood home. The house was never sold after his parents died and has been abandoned since the 1990s. It was recently sold and the old house and outbuildings were torn down and it is now just a pile of rubble. So sad. Lots of memories from visiting there to meet his family on our honeymoon in 1978 and with the kids in later years. Time marches on! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...14d5930b2.jpeg the city from afar |
Last night we ate at the nieces house. Her husband is a really good cook. He made pork souvlaki. So juicy and crispy! Then, in the morning , a stroll in the city, goodbye to family and we are off to the beach!
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0e5beb49b.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e044aa101.jpeg Wonderful food. Looks we could feed an army but 4 people ate almost all of it! https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4b2e9bf70.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...924eb7383.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c86496a34.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aa7a67d37.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a1ee84989.jpeg That’s me in the reflection https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...def90f43f.jpeg Everything looks so yummy! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...12010a485.jpeg |
Spending a day and night in Platamonas. It is a little beach resort town at the foothills of Mt Olympus. The beach was small, clean, shallow and warm and we rested for the day and went out to dinner at night. The sand was so soft, like flour, unlike other beaches in Greece we have been to, which are very pebbly. We stayed at a local hotel by the water, Hotel Rastoni, which I believe either costed 70 or 75 euros for the night, with a balcony and breakfast. The area and beach are not fancy or exotic but served our purpose for rest and swimming ( really more floating) in the water. There are also shops and plenty of little restaurants but we didn’t really walk around. There is an old castle up on the hill overlooking the beach.
On the recommendations of the tavern owner, in the early evening we went to see Old Panteleimonas, an old style village high in the hills. It is now a popular tourist attraction, with many restaurants and many shops. We didn’t have much time to explore as it was approaching sunset and because the roads where so windy on the way up, we were afraid to drive down them in the dark. But I do hope I will be back, maybe next year. https://www.neiporihotel.com/what-to...d-panteleimon/ https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5f764a343.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...efa6a196f.jpeg The view https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aa0a48aba.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1431e9f98.jpeg The castle on the hill https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fcc877bab.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...77b53c957.jpeg The Greeks call this bathing suit a”fart-splitter”! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e8fd7e4c5.jpeg Balcony view https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...44405f96a.jpeg View from hotel https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cc80726ac.jpeg Breakfast on the patio https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c8ba63ef5.jpeg Patio https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7e868633f.jpeg Old Panteleimonas https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a8e09debc.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...60e6eac14.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fe9f2a0c1.jpeg Shops with lots of expensive gifts https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eafcb60a4.jpeg Which way should we go? https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...62d5af1e2.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2e0852d9d.jpeg Little shops https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ed1d54c53.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9a5a62cc2.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ec46fa7b4.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4ef0e6820.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0f659c48f.jpeg |
I am really enjoying your photos of these unknown villages in Greece that are so interesting and charming, and where people actually live. Love the photos of the stores. I always take photos of interesting displays in storefronts.
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KarenWoo, so glad you are enjoying. Almost finished with the the Greek part of our trip. One more night and we will be on our way to Austria and Slovenia via Munich.
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Thursday, June 23
We went for a swim in the am and then went up to the castle on the hill. It is called Platamon castle and was built by crusaders in the early 1200s. It reminded me of my mothers hometown castle in Bielefeld, Germany and I thought of her fondly as I watched it from the water. It was a long , steep walk but I made it. It was also again very hot. I have had 3 joint surgeries since 2018 and then came Covid lockdown. I was so terribly out of shape so I lost about 18 lbs before the trip and practiced my walking with and without Nordic walking sticks. Definitely a help. I could feel myself getting stronger each day we walked around. If we weren’t traveling. We averaged 2-4+ miles a day and one day, in Graz, we walked 6 miles! As I was doing better, my husband was declining. He ended up with cellulitis in both feet by the time we got to Slovenia. More about that later. Then we drove to Litochoro, a town on the slopes of Mt. Olympus. My daughter, her husband and family have been there several times and love it, so I wanted to just get a glimpse. We had a quick lunch of pork gyro and gelato, walked around a little and then we were off to Thessaloniki for the last night. https://greecetravelideas.com/litochoro-greece/ For those of you that are waiting for Austria and Slovenia, this is prob the last post about Greece. We have an early morning flight out of Thessaloniki on Friday morning. Rental car was returned without a problem in the am and they drove us to the airport. No problems with security or flight to Munich. For those of you waiting for the next countries, my next post will start with them. I will put a post up in Austria and Slovenia to invite anyone who is interested in those countries to join us but will continue to post under this trip report title. Thanks for joining me. I hope you enjoyed the trip! https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...497772518.jpeg Castle Platamon https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...80c6a5cf8.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a9a53ec43.jpeg View down to the water and beach of Platamonas https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...df1a63297.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...57d584daa.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b81cb571e.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1184a6320.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...576426743e.png I love flowers! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b3e064671.jpeg Litochoro https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3ef570364.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...af3963de2.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...85e506d29.jpeg Yummy gyro https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2049f8a02.jpeg Can’t remember what flavors but wonderful! |
Debbielynn, thanks so much for your TR about little towns and villages off the beaten path, have enjoyed the minutiae of rural life and your gorgeous pictures. Looking forward to the next installment…
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This has been a wonderful journey, I’m glad you persevered with the difficulties of posting a report.
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Thanks so much for taking the time to write up this trip report.. I am just starting to plan my trip for next May.
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Welcome to the Austria/Slovenia portion of my trip report. Before I start posting pictures, I have to give all of you a general history of my family. I called this portion of the trip “walking in my father’s footsteps”.
My father was born in Yugoslavia in 1928. The story of his people dates back to the 1300s, when they came to the region from Tirol and Carinthia. You have to remember the present countries didn’t exist at the time and over the hundreds of years, the area switched possession and rulership many times. They maintained their German origin and language but with their own dialect and the area was considered a German-speaking “island” in Slovenia. I have included a several links for anyone who is interested in reading more about it. The main city was Gottschee, now known by the Slovenian name, Kocevje. History | Gottscheer Heritage & Genealogy Association Gottscheers - Wikipedia Gottschee - Wikipedia the really long explanation The people of Gottschee were farmers, and in the non- farming season, many of them peddled goods and ware in other portions of the region and in Germany. They were hard workers, and held their families and the Catholic faith in high esteem. Many people had emigrated from the area in the early 1900s (also maybe earlier) so at the time of WW2, my grandfather, who was the youngest of 12, owned the family farm. All the other siblings had left. In 1941, whoever was left in Gottschee, was ordered to leave by Hitler. My family was sent to Brezice, Slovenia and then Villach, Austria. My grandmother, at some point, was on the run alone with the children, hid instead of boarding a train that had an unknown destination. Eventually, the British found them. The people on the train were never seen again. From Wikipedia: During the Second World War, Brežice and the adjacent countryside to the north and west were known as the Rann Triangle (German: Ranner Dreieck), an area intended for the resettlement of Gottschee Germans that had been evicted from the Gottschee region in the territory annexed by Italy.[6][7] My father was ordered into the German army at the age of 16 but didn’t finish his training before the war ended. He escaped and was eventually reunited with the family through the Red Cross. My grandfather was a prisoner at the Sterntal concentration camp in Slovenia and was lucky to have survived. After the war ended, they were again relocated to Graz, Austria, where they lived from late 1945 to late 1949. All that time they lived in a displaced person’s camp. They were now considered “stateless.” They couldn’t go back to their village, as it had been burned by the Italian army and that country no longer wanted them. My father didn’t really speak about those years and most of what I know is from his youngest brother, who did all the family genealogy and documented the family history. In Jan of 1950, with the help of family members in NY, they took a boat from Genoa, Italy, by way of South America and eventually to NYC. |
After arriving in Munich and picking up our rental car, we took to the roads of Germany. However, George took a little too eagerly and in no uncertain terms, I told him the rest of my vacation was not going to be at the Indianapolis 500! His driving was fairly calm and ordinary in Greece and the moment he hit Germany, all bets were off. There are areas of the autobahn that do not have a speed limit but I was not going to be the passenger in the car going over 160km per hr. Eventually, he calmed down. Some of the drivers liked to drive fast and came up right behind you but you should do your passing and go right back to the right lane and let them by. When there was a posted speed limit, everyone adhered to it immediately. I find the driving in Germany, as well as later in Austria and Slovenia, quite civilized. There is no beeping, no weaving in and out. Do your passing if the car in front to you is slower, then move back. No problem. I just love orderly!!
It took about 4- 5 hrs of driving to reach Graz. We stopped for a bite to eat at one of the autobahn rest stops on Austria. A far cry from our rest stops here. Also, if you are driving in Austria, you need a special sticker, called a vignette, that allows you to use the highways. You can buy it at a gas station as soon as you cross into Austria. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...55ae72d03.jpeg Mountains in the distance https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...227dfd1b4.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0eb233b68.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a178c5103.jpeg Rest stop on autobahn in Austria https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8abe37e25.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f80e86a49.jpeg They cook some of the food from scratch. A far cry from rest stops in US. George had pasta bolognese and I had goulash. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7e85ca561.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f2916d9be.jpeg Dessert anyone https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...18b175c2f.jpeg And beer! But watch out, legal limit for alcohol is .50 in blood |
Graz is not on the radar for most Americans. In Austria, it is know for its beautiful architecture, restaurants serving delicious and locally grown food. As I had previously mentioned, I wanted to see where my father lived when he was in his late teens and early 20s, before he came to the US. I was in the city in 1970, as a child, with my father ,mother and 2 brothers but I don’t remember anything except the hotel along the river and that my youngest brother got sick and was visited by a doctor at the hotel. My father, at that time, also looked up the teacher who taught him his trade of locksmithing, which eventually lead to him doing auto body work in the states. Needless to say, I definitely saw more of the city this time!
https://www.austria.info/en/where-to-go/cities/graz First glimpse of Graz https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c269631f8.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dc048db0b.jpeg |
We stayed here. Clean, homey and typical Austrian.
https://steirerstubn.at/ I loved the hotels in Germany, Austria and Slovenia because they had duvet covers, not top sheets. I felt so much better knowing the blanket was completely covered and all the sheets and covers were newly washed for me. I always feel skeevy in the states in a hotel because I am absolutely sure they do not change the blankets between customers. And I hate bedspreads on the beds and some of the hotels in Greece still use them. I don’t like the blanket to come in contact with me and try to curl up into the smallest ball possible. I grew up with duvet covers and still use them to this day. My mother had to order our covers from Germany or she sewed mine from sheets that matched my bedding. Now of course, you can buy them everywhere here too. We ate here for dinner. George had schnitzel topped with pumpkin seeds, which was one of his favorite meals, and I had a salad with roasted pumpkin seed dressing. This area of Austria grows pumpkins specifically for their seeds and oil, a greenish pumpkin with dark seeds, not like our orange ones. Very tasty, nutty in flavor and dark, dark green. The restaurant was very good. It was right next to a clock that chimes and has little dancers that come out 3 times a day from the upper clock and dance. We did not get to see them, unfortunately. https://www.gloecklbraeu.at/ https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1524e2dec.jpeg Schnitzel https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3e7f772b1.jpeg Walking around in the evening in Graz https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9a772dfb1.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ad7063cef.jpeg Mariahilfer church, near our hotel |
Saturday in Graz
After coffee at the hotel, we hit the city, walking! Our destination was the farmers market but lots of stops along the way. The city has beautiful architecture; renaissance , baroque, medieval and modern. It is also known as a university city. It’s historic center is on the UNESCO world heritage list. Further out of the city, you can visit the farm where they breed The dancing Lipizzaner horses. This is also Arnold Schwartzenegger’s hometown! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...19745355e.jpeg The Mur river and the Murinsel, a structure straddling the river. You can walk through here to get to the other side. Inside is a cafe , which didn’t seem to open when we were here https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d2d9b2fc5.jpeg The clock tower, on the hill, the symbol of Graz https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dd13d10c8.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b989c25cd.jpeg My favorite picture of Graz https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9540c0230.jpeg The city hall https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...79ce79aa9.jpeg City hall square https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0cf922fba.jpeg Cable cars run through here |
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Some of the intricate decorations on the buildings https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f031251b6.jpeg Called “ the Painted House” https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9d60adae6.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2b0c30408.jpeg Elaborate stucco https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2f58b9765.jpeg Painting on a building in the main square https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4aa4455a6.jpeg The Landshaus- parliament buildings of center of the regional government https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2deb1a9a3.jpeg Renaissance https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7d379721d.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...69a496ed4.jpeg |
Heading to the market
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https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...32a1ef671.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f86f38b5f.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e89b801c9.jpeg My mother loved gooseberries We ate fresh farm yogurt, followed by cheese and wurst. This is the exact same hard sausage I grew up. We call it Krainerwurst here. Also know as Carnolian sausage. We found the same in Slovenia, as well as the cooked, soft version. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2c53e1237.jpeg The farmers and butchers have their information displayed. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c0df53188.jpeg Cheese with what else? Pumpkin seeds, of course. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...02a4088c6.jpeg Wurst and Speck (bacon) |
Love your photos of Graz! The architecture is beautiful. The only time we visited Austria was in the mid 90's when we did a day trip to Salzburg from Munich. Would love to return and spend more time in Austria. I used to eat gooseberries growing up, too. They grew wild near where I lived in western MA. The ones at the market look huge!
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Just started reading this, and got caught up. Thanks for all the photos. Your family story is so interesting, but so sad.
I liked Graz so much the first time I went back, and both times I stayed at the Steirerstub'n! (But I hate duvets - they are always too hot and I have to take the cover off and just sleep under that.) I also really liked northern Greece - I visited Thessaloniki, Kastoria and Ioannina but I traveled by KTEL bus, not car. |
thursdaysd, you are off the beaten path too. I don't think most people go to northern Greece or Graz.
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Right. My landlord in Kastoria (https://venetula.gr/en_US/ ) said that that 98% of his guests were Greeks: "the foreigners all go to the islands".
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thursdaysd, where are you from?
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The plan for today,(sat) was to go to Eggenberg Palace and gardens. while it was still open, then to the streets that my uncle told me the displaced persons camps were. There is also a Gottschee memorial in the neighborhood of Mariatrost, away from the center of the city. As it turned, the palace closed down to visitors early today and they were setting up for a concert, and the memorial and museum down below were not open. Apparently, in order to go inside, you have to call one of the names listed on the door at least a day ahead of your visit and someone will open up for you. Oh well.
The plan for today,(sat) was to go to Eggenberg Palace and gardens. while it was still open, then to the streets that my uncle told me the displaced persons camps were. There is also a Gottschee memorial in the neighborhood of Mariatrost, away from the center of the city. As it turned, the palace closed down to visitors early today and they were setting up for a concert, and the memorial and museum downstairs were not open. Apparently, in order to go inside, you have to call one of the names listed on the door at least a day ahead of your visit and someone will open up for you. Oh well. Poor planning on my part. |
This is a little tidbit from my uncle’s writings. I have blotted out the names for privacy.
Luckily, the T. family was held at three DP camps within the British zone. Their first refuge was at Grossvassach #28, Landskron, Villach, Austria, on July 2, 1945. They remained at this DP camp for four months and, with the aid of the Red Cross, would locate E. ( my father) in Tirol, Austria. His training in the German army (Hitler Youth) was almost completed about the time the war ended, and he was captured by the British and released. As sick as she was, P. ( my GM) traveled to Tirol and brought him back to Villach. In September 1945, H. ( my GF) found his way to Austria and rejoined the rest of the family. The family would remain in Villach until November 1945 before being relocated to DP camps in Graz, Austria. Another tidbit: After the 3 MONTHS of trying to escape from the Russians and the Yugoslav partisans in Yugoslavia/Slovenia, Oma ( my GM) was almost dead. Your aunt E. and Aunt S. carried Oma and me. ( meaning himself, my uncle)to safety into Austria. With the help of the British 8th Army, we did escape across the frontier into Austria. Millions of people were homeless and were looking to find a place to live and find the rest of their families. Opa ( my GF) had just escaped/was released from the infamous Sterntal concentration camp in Yugoslavia/Slovenia. Thousands died in Sterntal, but your Opa survived. A note from my brother to my uncle: also wanted to mention that dad had said many times that he lived and worked on a farm for a bit in return for room and board. He also mentioned he burned his uniform so the Russians would not capture him. I was wondering if he ever mentioned that to you? And my uncles answer: Thanks for the information. No, I was never aware of these two facts. I assumed that was most likely the case with his uniform, as most German military folks were doing the same thing. Uncle John also hid his uniform and Hitler youth items in 1945. It was very smart considering what happened to soldiers and some citizens that were captured by the Russians. I met a man in 1976 who was a neighbor boy of your Opa's from Hohenegg, who was taken by the Russians in 1945. He and his family ended up in the slave labor camps in Siberia. He was finally released in 1956 as the only survivor of his family. His father, mother, and siblings all perished in Siberia. When the war ended, everyone knew they needed to go West to be captured by the US, British, or French and not the Russians. Our family (Oma, E. S. , and me ( uncle) were lucky and were able to transit the Russian-controlled area with the help of the British 8th Army hidden in cattle cars. |
Originally Posted by Debbielynn
(Post 17382808)
thursdaysd, where are you from?
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From my uncles notes:From Villach, the family arrived at a school building converted into a DP camp at Studentenlager Hochsteingasse #37, Graz, Austria, on November 12, 1945. They remained at this primarily Slovenian refugee camp for two months before further movement.
The last displaced person camp the family lived at was Rosenhain Barracken, Humboldtstrasse, Graz III, Austria, beginning on January 21, 1946. They would remain in this one-room barracks until December 27, 1949. This room was also the home of two other families who shared a communal “kitchen” area where they prepared meals. The conditions at Rosenhain were primitive, and it was a task to survive without the necessities of life. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...34083d0af.jpeg This is the street of the first DP camp https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5d10ba4e3.jpeg X https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...01f517fda.jpeg This is a house that would have been right next to #37 if it was there in the 1940s https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a13f27fbc.jpeg This apartment building is prob where #37 was. I stopped an older lady walking and she said everything in the area is recently built and she had no idea about the camp. I don’t know if anything here would have looked familiar to my family. But at least I know they walked here. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d75dab339.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7a713c51d.jpeg This is the street that the other camp would have been located https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3179419c6.jpeg Looking down the street https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1a6f981d8.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...99094c320.jpeg The Gottschee memorial and museum https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7b03cf4b4.jpeg Some information about the people https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1a73be8ff.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2ea6f2ee5.jpeg sorry but it’s all written in German https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ce1348842.jpeg Dinner tonight at Der Steiner. I had the goulash and George had a pork cordon blue. Another typical Austrian restaurant but we both thought last night’s dinner was better. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...20976e505.jpeg My father drank Jägermeister long before anyone here ever heard of it. This was at the reception desk at our hotel so I know my father is around!! Tomorrow we will go up the hill to see the castle and the clock tower. Then onward to Slovenia. |
Thursday’s, hope it’s only a temporary grounding. Between 3 joint replacement and the lockdown. I haven’t been to Europe since 2017. But I’m back full speed now! Already thinking about where I want to go next!
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Debbielynn, thanks for sharing your family’s stories, they’re extremely interesting but sad too. They underwent great adversity, but came out together after the war and successfully re-established themselves in the US, which is to be applauded. It must have been an very moving experience for you, but you will treasure these me. Did your parents ever go back, does any of the family still live there? In Austria, I mean.
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Debbielynn, glad the joint replacements are working! I developed a variant of rheumatoid arthritis in 2017, which really slowed me down, and thanks to the medication I take for it I'm immunocompromised, so no travel while Covid is still so prevalent. Good thing I took early retirement!
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Interesting info about avoiding the Russians. I recently read a book about life in Berlin at the end of WWII and that painted a bleak picture of the behavior of the Russian soldiers. At that point there might be some excuse after the horrors of the war, but none today in Ukraine.
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Steirerstub'n
My son and I will be staying there while in Graz at the end of September, too! I'm happy to hear their restaurant is good.
Your relative's stories sound similar in some parts to my parent's and other relatives time during the war and post war times. |
For eating in Graz (although it's been a while) I loved the open-faced sandwiches here: https://www.frankowitsch.at/ I also ate well with a good view at a restaurant perched on the edge of the hill by the Schlossberg - I don't have the name so can't check whether it still exists.
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Such an interesting family history, Debbielynn.
Recently watching a great Aussie tv show called Back Roads, where the interviewer speaks with locals in smaller regional towns. Leeton in the food bowl of eastern states had incoming post war Italian migrants, whose wives and children stayed behind for years until the men settled in, and had the funds to bring family over. Then other Europeans and Vietnamese, now Afghans, Zimbabweans, Philippinos, as the fruit picking doesn’t require English skills. A Nigerian couple now very central to the migrant resource centre in town and the incredible diversity of cultures coupled with good services and goodwill have led to a inspirational regional centre. Of course, housing is now a real issue. Not easy to settle anywhere these days. But as an aside, the Nigerian couple found a local farmer growing mung beans purely for crop rotation, not for food, and organised a gathering to expose locals to a spicy mung bean stew…one old codger who said he “doesn’t eat vegetables” turned up and joined in. It was just so heartwarming and a reminder that amongst all the war and troubles, there can come good. I bought some Styrian pumpkin seed oil as a souvenir when last in Austria. Lovely flavour. Graz looks beautiful, I had noted it for a future trip and you have cemented that idea. |
Thursdaysd, the mother of my aunt, who was married to my mother’s brother, was raped by the Russian soldiers during that time. I read about a restaurant up on the hill. I think it might still be there.
adelaidean, interesting story about the immigrants. Elberko, we didn’t eat at the hotel restaurant. But the menu looked nice and it is very large inside. Breakfast was good. Der Steiner is another restaurant in the area. |
Geetika, we went back to Slovenia and Graz with my father in 1970. I was 12. I also went to Slovenia, then Yugoslavia, on my honeymoon in 1978. The family had no home to go back to after the war and my grandparents family members sponsored and lent them money to come to the US. I don’t think my grandparents ever went back but I know my aunts and uncle were there numerous times. My uncle, the youngest sibling, traced the family tree on both sides and was able to go back to the 1700s on one side. The churches kept very good records. One of my brothers has been to the ancestral home. (Really just ruins of a well my GGF built ) once and I know some of my cousins have gone.
My father eventually opened his own auto body repair shop here in NY with the training he received in Graz. He learned locksmithing, which I believed required welding , which he needed to repair cars. He was simple, not educated but hardworking. He died at age 91 in early 2020 and one of the reasons I wanted to go back to Slovenia was to take some of his ashes back to his roots. |
Elberko, correction on that other restaurant . Called Der Steier.
https://www.der-steirer.at/?utm_sour...m_campaign=gmb |
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