Uncle Severin's wedding!

On the first Friday in July we went to a wedding here in Austria.  In fact it is because of this wedding that the kids and I are able to be in Austria at all!  Dominik would have been coming to work this summer again at the Schloss, but I would have been in Canada with the younger children.  However, as his brother was getting married, we all very happily flew over!  We have had Severin with us in Canada quite a few times and he has worked closely with Dominik on the plans and the building of our cottage.  We were so very happy when he announced to us that he and Ruth were going to be married.

Unpacking the sawmill together.

Building our cottage with Severin.

A wedding in Austria sounds romantic from the start, but this wedding was taking place in a ruined castle which dated back to the 12th Century!  It is situated on a hill overlooking the Danube river, and the reception was to take place in a large, open stone room- such as one might find in an old castle.  One of the most amazing things, especially when you come from Canada, is that this large room had large open windows without screens.  They're not needed as there aren't really any bugs to speak of.  There might be the occasional mosquito, but I didn't see any that night.  We could lean over the stone windowsill and look out across the Danube valley in the gathering twilight.  The lights of the towns along the river and the starts broke up the darkness. 

Looking down the Danube.

The castle as dusk approaches.

Bars on the windows.

Yes, this is a toilet. 

The wedding was a very small and almost informal affair, considering that it was in a castle.  Only immediate family and a pair of friends were invited.  It was cosy and relaxed, and it gave us an chance to catch up with family that we hadn't seen since our move overseas. You can enjoy the photos and look up the website for the castle, if you like.  www.ruineaggstein.at
It is open to the public and they have a restaurant in the courtyard.  There are also river tours from further upriver, taking you through the Wachau region, which is famous for its wine and its apricots.

Preparing for the wedding.

Severin's neices lead the way for 

His first view of his bride!

The Rittersaal is ready for the reception.

Guests after the ceremony.

Our five children.

The boys and the bear!

 Cousins!  Benjamin and Paul are missing though.

Dominik and Benedikt.

The party is beginning.

Lighting the torches.

We roasted marshmallows before the kids left for bed!

The house and Austria!

We want to finally get an update out on what we've been up to- it's been quite a lot!!! We haven't written because it's been so busy.  We are now in Austria, visiting friends and getting ready for a family wedding and for summer camps.

We were busy enough in Canada with me working full-time and with home schooling, maple syrup-making etc., but then at the end of April we started clearing the ground for our house!!!!  We spent the winter drawing up the plans and dreaming of how our house would be.  It was and is still exciting to know that we will have our own place.  I'll include a few photos here but we will expand on the house-building theme when we return to Canada.  We have done a bit of planting- some berry bushes and some apple trees. I have a lot more planned, but building was so time-intensive that we didn't manage anything else.  These photos will show you the work that was done between the 3rd of May and around the 10th of June. When we go back then we will get the windows and doors and many more things!

The footings

Apple blossoms! 

The floor is in!

Kids working together!

Grandma's inspection.

Our head planner and builder.

It is a family project!

Boys on the roof!

Inside with the trusses on. 

Lilac blossoms from our land.

Ready for the roof.

Laying the first sheet of roofing.

The view of our driveway.

We'll report more when we get working again!

So, Dominik and four of the kids flew to Austria 5 days ahead of Jeremiah and myself.  I finished up my last day, well, half-day, of work and then went straight to the airport.  I arrived in time to be one of the surprise guests guests for a good friends' farewell party here at Schloss Klaus.  It was wonderful to come here, and also to see friends that we were away from for a year and a half.  The last few days have been full of visits and memories.  The oldest four children have each visited their old school classes, catching up with teachers and students alike.

The altar in the Schlierbach church.

Rebecca and school friends.

Frescos in the church.

We also visited friends who live up in a stone cottage in Obergrünburg.  They have a great view of the Alpen foothills.

We were at my in-laws but since the weekend we have been staying in a room high up in the Burg (fortress) part of Schloss Klaus.

We used to live here (der Mauth)- in the top at the back.

The view from the garden of the Mauth.

Schloss Klaus as seen from the Mauth. 

 I will have to count the stairs from the parking lot to our room, but we're really quite high up.  The view is amazing!

View from our room out the back.

The view from our rooom to the front.

Our room in Schloss Klaus- 'The Ark'.

If anyone wants to see more of the area, look up Klaus an der Pyhrnbahn, Austria on googlemaps.  You can also check out www.schlossklaus.at