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Val the Cookie Queen
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Hello you gorgeous fragrant peepsie poohs,
Individualistic Perfume Behaviour
As I headed off to the hairdresser the other day, not a rare thing as I go every fourteen days, I grabbed a spritz for my wrists and jumped into the car. I never spray my neck as I don´t want the stylist to have to breathe in what they might not like. And to be honest a good haircut is a notch above my perfume habit. Years of perfecting my OCD I´ll be damned if I am just gonna let it go. Actually I take care a lot not to get up anyone´s nose. Dentists, meetings, doctors, stuff like that. I find myself thinking ahead before applying perfume to make sure the people in my day can handle it, or not. Probably another reason I love pure perfume and the sublime art of The Dab. Perhaps I should change my attitude and just Spray for England, whaddayareckon?
Biking for a Burger
There is this great place for burgers, unique Austrian burgers, about a 35km bike ride from here. Well, it would be a 35 km car ride too, but I don´t allow myself a burger unless I have ridden my bike to get. (70km round trip 🙂 ) Talking of OCDs ……… So we took off yesterday on the bikes for a late lunch.
When I was a ten year old I had mega bike crash, one that puts all my husband´s downhilling buddies to shame. I fell off as I was steaming down a hill, and actually have no idea to this day why exactly happened. I was found lying in the street with a couple of teeth next to me, with their roots attached. I had a fractured jaw, and a massive hole in my lip. One could say fairly traumatic. I didn´t look in a mirror for about nine months and spent the next eight years having work done on my teeth, some really weird shit I can tell you!! I didn´t step on a bike again until I was 26 years old, when my now husband
made me get on a bike when we lived in Amsterdam. I was terrified. But yeah, I got used to it and started to love it and even spent a year riding around the city at top speed on an old piece without brakes. Just using my feet. Ha! Can hardly imagine that now. Some sucker stole that bike outside of The Melkweg.
I hope they fell off.
Yesterday I fell off again. Forty seven years after my first fall. Hard to believe it took so long. Luckily Chris was there to take a pic for a later Instagram post before picking my bike up. I was riding so slowly it didn’t matter, although I got seriously nettled. Was glad I had a helmet on as I did knock my head. Teeth stayed in place.
Here’s a few pics.
The stone lion is a statue along the lake, in Traunkirchen. A local artist was commissioned by the Emperor Franz Josef. He cast several bronzes. When the Kaiser inspected it, he saw it had no tongue. He mentioned it to the artist who was so upset he later chucked himself into the lake and died. The Emperor felt so bad he vowed never to criticise someone who had done something for him again. The locals celebrate this event each year.
The coffee is a double espresso Affogato in our favourite place in Bad Ischl We have that after our burger. The mirror in the loo is in the same place. How totally cool is that, that you can fix your makeup whist on the bog? Talk about mirrors in the bathroom ….. lalalala.
Ride on.
Bussis.
CQ
Australian Perfume Junkies 
That bike accident in your youth was horrendous. How amazing that you managed to try it again in Amsterdam and didn’t look back. That’s a huge fear to overcome.
How long does it take to ride 35km? That burger doesn’t look like McD’s 🙂
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I had medical assistance in Amsterdam of course. Hahahahahahahahahahaha. 35km? Depends how often I fall off. I guess about 90 mins, but we ride off road the whole way, through woods and up and downhills and stuff. No, the burgers are unique to anywhere in the world actually. The burger stand is quite famous. You sometimes have to stand for half an hour to get one. We´ll go when you get over here. Hugs. xxx
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Great. Will have to take the car though 🙂
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Glad this year’s bike accident wasn’t too traumatic. That mirror in the loo is…remarkable!!
Did you try Gabrielle, Val? Typically do well with Chanel, but was not impressed.
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Hi Caroline! No it wasn´t traumatic at all and my husband laughed all day. I aim to entertain. But you know, the stinging nettles stung for like 5 days. No wonder they recommended it for rheumatism in the olden days Gabrielle? No. 🙂
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Oh Val! This hurt just to read about it and reminded me about my own wipe out when I was 10 and my trusty Schwinn three speed with pedal brakes hit a patch of gravel and I woke up in the ER. Didn’t find out until a few years ago after an MRI, that there was an old hairline fracture in my skull that was unaccounted for. And nettles! Dear God what a day, but the hamburger looks amazing! Xoxo🚴🏻♀️🚵🏼♀️
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The burger was absolutely worth it. Oh gosh, we are accident twins. That´s quite cool actually. 🙂 xxxx
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Oh gosh, that early accident would be enough to put someone off biking for a good long time. Funny that you ended up married to a downhill bike enthusiast! Sorry about your nettling experience – that must have stung like hell. The mirror in the loo made me think of the toilet with the cut out in the door for some reason. 😉
Two years running in Corsica I came off my moped on the same bend and patch of gravel outside a monastery, once when holidaying with a BF, once with my mum. Each time I was given first aid by the monks. The second time I think they thought their memory was playing tricks, though at least my companion was different.
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I have never ridden a moped, and don`t intend to start. Yes, the bike accident put me off bikes and mirrors. And I spent 6 years having to glue a plate in with bloody Kukident – throughout my teenage years. Laughing now at the very thought of it. I always had a tube in my school bag. Still need to make it to Corsica ….. xxxx
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OMG Val,
Thank goodness you’re alright.
That stone tiger story is so good, yet thoroughly disturbing. Poor artist. What a shame too because it’s really beautiful.
Portia xx
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I´m fine and didn´t miss my deadlines. huh? Hahahahahaha. Bussis. xxxxx
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Your Bike history ouch. So Brave of you to get back on it! luckily you weren’t hurt too badly this time, you landed in nettles!
Imagine if I had to walk 35km to get a burger. I will think of you everytime now lol. ( Not gonna happen)
The Lion statue story,I am glad he is remembered.
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No bike ride, no burger. That’s how we do it. But I would not be so crazy as to walk 35km to get a burger, no. 🙂 xxxx
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Every 2 weeks? Wow… I thought my 4 weeks were a little too tiresome. But my hair is long.
I do the same with perfumes when going to the salon: I wouldn’t want my master, on the hands of whom I rely, to be annoyed or distracted by my perfume. With many other occasions described by you I do the same as you.
I had my own traumatic experience in my childhood – not as horrible as yours but bad enough to put me off bikes for a long time… I almost bought a bike about a month ago but my sciatica said loud “No” after the 20-minutes trial run. I’m glad your recent incident was of the post-on-Instagram type.
I’m not sure such food, for which I’d ride that far, exists: I rarely drive that far to eat something 😉
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Hi Undina – the burger is a goal to be honest. It´s a decent ride there and back and something to eat in-between. It makes all the difference to the ride knowing that there is something so good at the end of it, burger and a double espresso? We fly back!!
Yes, so true about the ahi salon, I most certainly do to want to distract my stylist, who I reckon is already scared to death of me. 😉 xxxxx
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hair* salon
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Oh my, I can relate to bike accidents, had a few of those myself in my youth. I haven’t been on a bike in about 40 years, would probably look like the monkey on the grinding stone – Affe auf dem Schleifstein.
Bad Ischl is so beautiful, wasn’t that Grete Weiser’s favorite spa town? I bake ‘Ischler Toertchen’ every Christmas.
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Hey Val! I understand biking accidents all too well – S is getting there too. Stinging nettles are all over the paths here too. Glad you are ok. Sandra xoxo
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I love your spirit! To get back on a bike after your fall is tough stuff. I won’t go near horses. Ever. I came off an ungelded 2 yo stallion after never having been on a horse. I was 8 and terrified. So, for you to fall, again, and continue going… you have my vote. A damn fine chick! 👌 K xx
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