10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT WINTER (in Europe)

SNOW – the silence before the snow falls, snow ball fights, fresh snow, the sounds of crisp snow crunching beneath snugly oversized snow boots, snow capped mountains, dogs that love to eat snow balls, crystallized flowers, building snow man, snow days in London, sledging – especially the home made sleds, long walks through the snow speckled forests

HOT TOTTIES – red mulled wine, white mulled wine, mulled cider, Glug Wine, hot Pimms, hot chocolate, steaming cup of coffee, warm milk and honey, egg nog, hot whiskey, Irish coffee

WINTER STYLING – beanies, gloves, scarves, leg warmers, toe socks, ski socks, thermal socks, thermal underwear, leather boots, ski boots, multi coloured, double layered, wool, cashmere, cheap, expensive, vintage, matching, fingerless, berets, leather, fake leather, balaclavas, neck socks, ear muffs, mittens, pom poms, badges, brooches

CHRISTMAS MARKETS – Mulled wine, bratwurst, churros, cheap Christmas hats, more mulled wine, cold salesmen, random gifts, dogs dressed in Santa outfits (seriously people...), carolling, outdoor fires, cheese and charcuterie stalls, Santa’s parade, fireworks

ROSY CHEEKS – although the cold can be so bitter you fear losing fingers and toes Rosy cheeks and Rudolph noses add a little colour to a dreary day.

WOOD FIRES – collecting wood, trying to split logs (bahaha no good at that one..), the smell of burning pine, discussions that escalate into arguments about who is better at building a fire, sitting around the fire with a hot tottie and blanket, watching the fire die out and the incredible change in colours, smoke, chimney sweeps

CHEESE (or chocolate) FONDUE – pfft... Need I say more?

SKIING – michelin man jackets, bum padded ski pants, learning to walk in ski boots, learning to juggle skis and poles, funky goggles, BEND ZEE KNEES, snow plough, pizza... French fries – pizza.... French fries, thermals, skidoos, après ski bar hopping, mastering the chair lifts, gaining speed (obviously post ACL tear this is now all a thing of the past for me)

CHRISTMAS – family, friends, laughter, playing, collecting Christmas hats, eating so much you have to pop the top button of your jeans (Don’t tease, we’ve all been there), Santa, the reindeer, baking Christmas goodies, Christmas card photos, Christmas decorations, dressing the Christmas tree, checking out the neighbours decorations, Christmas lights... Everywhere, Christmas carols (although by Dec 10^th I’ve normally had about enough), finding that perfect gift, helping make cookies for Santa and getting up in the middle of the night to help them disappear, church bells, Santa outfits, Elves, cheesy Christmas movies, Christmas baubles, watching the pile under the Christmas tree grow, mince pies

And of course, the first glorious days of SPRING – when the temperature goes over 10 degrees for the first time in 5 months, packing away the jackets and pulling out the thongs and swimwear, the smell of freshly cut grass, blossoming flowers

The tiny pocket of Dentures and cheese...

When looking for somewhere off the beaten track it is hard to look past glorious Liechtenstein. That is, of course, assuming you are among the misfortunate percentage of the worlds population that has never heard of it. Most people who have heard of Liechtenstein automatically describe it as Europe’s equivalent of an off shore account. To the thousands of cyclists and hikers that pass through every year it is a perfect resting point between the stunning Dolomites and the equally dramatic Swiss Alps. However to me, an average backpacker with a passion to see the world, Liechtenstein was an unexpected yet splendid vacation.

I had traveled to Switzerland, to catch up with friends Anna, Gio and Katherine from Australia, for a little road trip. On a whim we decided to hop in the car and head out on to the open road. Being the middle of the summer holidays we found ourselves with no booked accommodation for the night so using my trusty ‘Lonely Planet – Europe on a Shoe String’ guide we were able to find a vacant hostel in Liechtenstein and although none of us new anything about it, we decided to head there and check it out. It was definitely a bonus having a car and a Satellite navigation system, getting there by train and bus would have been a bit tricky.

The drive through eastern Switzerland is absolutely stunning. The auto-route is nestled in between the majestic Swiss alps and winds through and around various tunnels and rivers, with the occasional waterfall cascading down a mountain edge.

The first impression of Liechtenstein is quite modest, it is quite easy to drive half way through and not even know you have left Switzerland. Both the language and the currency are the same (German and Swiss Franc), and the country side is equally beautiful.

We actually didn’t realize we had arrived until we had already crossed half the country, not hard to do considering Liechtenstein is only 24.6km long and 12.4km wide at its largest extension.

The HI Hostel there is as good as can be expected, the location is excellent, only a fifteen minute walk into the center of the capital city, Vaduz. They are a bit pedantic about lights out timing but it was a great venue to get wasted on Prugna. Dangerous dangerous stuff!

The walk into town is lovely and takes you past the outdoor pool/sports center and miniature golf. While the walk through the city can take less than ten minutes there are quite a few things to do along the way. The streets are adorned with a wide range of modern art and sculptures that would impress any passers by. The European style sidewalk dining is fantastic as it gives you a great excuse to grab a cup of coffee, some crepes and do some people watching. If you are lucky you might spot one of the royals!

While walking down the main street it is hard not to stop and have a look at the custom cigar shop, or drop into any one of the fantastic children’s toy shops. Vaduz also houses one of the worlds most extensive stamp museums, as well as fantastic National Museum that fills you with a fulfilling knowledge of the country’s fascinating past and the history behind the Royal Family.

The locals are fiercely proud of their royal family. Rightly so considering the family is worth approximately 3.3 billion pound sterling!! Every year, on the 15^th of August, the Prince invites all residents, all 38,000 of them, and guests to celebrate the National Holiday. The party is held in the palace, starting in the castle grounds and moving next door to the Castle Meadow as the day moves on. All the best foods and drinks are offered and the Royal Family puts on a festival of fireworks, musical entertainment and dance shows. There is no official closing time, the party has been known to go all night long!

The 15^th of August is a great time to visit, not only to join in the party, but also to explore the palace grounds. It is the one day of the year that the grounds are open to the public. For the rest of the year you’ll have to be happy with an outside view.

The walk up to the palace from Vaduz is like a miniature adventure trail. There were lots of snails, a weird looking red speckled frog, a cute but dead mole, the cat that killed the mole, squirrels and little birdies… I was disappointed that we didn’t encounter a St Bernard!!

After exploring the city I suggest taking a drive up to Malbun which is the local snow field. I was such a beautiful drive, a little curvey but fun! It only takes fifteen minutes and you have basically crossed all of Liechtenstein!!

Obviously it wasn’t covered in snow but it was still very cold and you can see how amazing the slopes would be! Taking the ski lift up to the top of the slopes provided a fantastic view of Austria, Liechtenstein and even through to Switzerland. Stop and have a coffee at the Brasserie but don’t get to jumpy on the trampoline or you might fall down into Austria!! About 65 percent of the Liechtenstein is mountains, this is why there are over 400km of walking and hiking tracks to be discovered. Malbun being a great place to start.

Whether you want to check out the worlds largest producer of dentures or have a tub of UHT milk that actually comes from Australia, Liechtenstein is the perfect getaway for those who want to stay somewhere unique. Treat yourself and indulge in this little slice of heaven, tucked away in the far eastern corner of Western Europe. You might surprise yourself.