12... The summer edition: Testing Times

"Ha!" I just sat down to start writing and had a quick read through my last entry before starting and read this: "What would we do without the internet...?" The more dedicated reader may have noticed something of a hiatus, which has largely resulted from us not having the internet since moving to our new pad on the first of August! I can confirm that the answer to the question is: get quite grumpy, stop learning German, cease regular COVID testing, get behind on various aspects of household admin, suffer from a touch of FOMO and get behind on one's blog. But there is also: reading books, breaking an obsession with COVID stats, being less distracted when it comes to packing-up apartment and unpacking boxes, all of which are good things. Re-connection is imminent, but if you are reading this before the end of August then it was probably uploaded in the pub!

A good deal has happened since I last posted and I'm not going to try and recount it all. It hasn't been free of frustrations either so I need to be careful to ensure that this doesn't turn into some sort of "whinge-fest" - it is, of course, just "stuff" and not really that important in the grand scheme of things.

Shortly after my last post, we got clearance from Anna's work (much appreciated) that working from the UK would be acceptable for the quarantine period required for us to visit the UK. And so plans were hastily put together for a two-week trip. As you probably all know, on top of the usual travel bits-and-bobs, there was a 10 day quarantine period, lots and lots of paperwork and an astonishing amount of money to be spent on testing, which all added somewhat to the general hassle that comes with a bit of travelling. The COVID testing in particular was incredibly disheartening - policy and legislation without proper and effective infrastructure in place is frankly stupid. It resulted in a huge amount of stress (and even more cost) when results were late being returned and progress updates impossible to obtain (don't use IQ Doctor if you find yourself needing COVID tests; do consider using AssuredScreening). And coming from a country with 10 times less incidence of COVID, where regular free testing and social distancing still in place means you know well that you present a very low risk made it even more galling.

It is very fair to say that we chose this, aware of the necessary requirements, but it was surprising how badly it was being implemented. Having said that, the surveillance aspects were surprisingly comprehensive...! Two surprise visits in person and three phone calls each from NHS Track and Trace. This was being very well implemented and I confess I struggled with it... It didn't feel like the usual way if implementing the law in the UK and did feel like something from the other side of the Cold War. I can't help but think that more effort should have gone into checking up on the suppliers on the UK Government's list of approved testing companies...

Anyway! Despite all that "harrumphing" it was entirely worth it. We had a fantastic fortnight in the UK. The period of quarantine was much appreciated by the garden at Mereghyll and it also kept COVID and "pinging" at bay, which meant that we were all clear to see Anna's sister for her birthday celebrations, along with lots of family and friends. A terrific venue, everyone in good spirits and incredible weather made for a fabulous weekend (the celebrations fell in the middle weekend of those two warm weeks before the school hols when the evenings were even warm in Cumbria!). We also spent some time with my Mum and sister, which was great as we were nearing a year since last seeing them. And we managed to hook up with some of the Cumbria contingent, even visiting a very special swimming spot in the Lake District that was completely new to us! We were definitely packing it in. And I'll confess, there were a few tears after seeing everyone. It felt so much more like a real farewell than the various zoom calls that were all we'd been able to manage up to that point. This is, of course, a good thing.

Anna returned to Austria in the middle of the second week, whilst I stayed on to be there when all of our furniture and belongings were packed up to be shipped off to Vienna. It was good to be there as there were a whole bunch of questions to be answered and a fair few last minute decisions to be made, all of which would have been really difficult on the phone. Packing up Mereghyll was a very tangible reminder of the steps we have taken...yikes! However, we both felt ok on our return to Vienna, which is good. A bit of familiarity goes a long way and a wonderfully welcoming bunch of people in the hiking club have certainly played their part.

It would be just over two weeks before we saw the furniture again, which on reflection doesn't seem that bad, but it was one week after we moved into our new apartment! We sort of camped / squatted for the first week, which sounds like fun...and I thought it would be, but it wasn't. A camping mat on a solid wooden floor is nowhere near as comfortable as a camping mat on the soft grass of a Scottish island...or even a shingle beach! And a life without chairs eats away at you in a most unexpected way. I'd say there is a good chance that you are sat on a chair reading this and I suggest you reach down and give it a tap of appreciation and certainly don't take it for granted, not everyone has them. They don't call these things home comforts for nothing! (The actual transport part of that two weeks was very short, the customs activities was the larger share (chuffin' Brexit!)).

Since then it's been a whirlwind! Frantic unpacking; renting vans to collect second-hand wardrobes; dismantling and rebuilding said wardrobes; valiant administrative efforts to get an internet connection (bureaucracy is alive and kicking here); a simply stunning weekend in the mountains with hiking club; our first visitors (enthusiastic guinea pigs who were only slightly phased by the lack of curtains and blinds and by the distinct lack of planning on our part...😆); our first visit to Cafe Hawelka; and, another weekend in the mountains for my birthday. Crazy, but lots of fun had! (Despite all of these visits to the mountains we still haven't been to the Alps proper yet, although it's becoming increasingly clear that it isn't entirely necessary for proper mountain fun).

And now it is nearly September, which means Anna and I have lived in Austria for over a third of a year... Wow! It flies by. And as we settle in, it's starting to feel like it really is time to start extending my horizon and spending some more time thinking about the future...

I hope this finds you all well and that you are enjoying whatever freedoms are now available to you.

News in briefs:

• Vienna has a free outdoor cinema that operates right through the summer - its' brilliant! We've seen a David Bowie concert and the ballet of Sleeping Beauty! And eaten some great food whilst doing so.

• I had my first taste of the realties of being unemployed when one internet refusal came about because I couldn't provide a payslip or contract of employment... This is of course entirely reasonable, and was a stark reminder of the challenges faced by people without work.

• Clubs and committees - I've mentioned the Hiking Club a few times and they have their AGM coming up. Like all such clubs they are keen to point out the vacancies on the committee. I find this really hard to resist, especially as I lack the excuse of being too busy with work... but I wonder if it's too soon...?

• A friend recently asked how the EU is, to which I was able to respond in the positive, whilst noting that being British in the EU isn't quite as positive. A number of times recently we have been reminded of the impact of the UK leaving and none of them have been positive... Boo!

• "Beer News" - I said ages ago that I was going to do more research on this topic. In case you were worried that I was slacking in this area I can confirm that, in addition to sampling more of the national brews, two brew-pubs have been visited, the produce of three Vienna micro-breweries sampled and the services of one dedicated beer shop availed. A more fulsome report will follow!