City Dog, Country Dog

It's been far too long since I shared Pan's romps and travels with his eager readers (who regularly remind me that it's been far too long). As the snow started to melt last spring, we spent more and more time outdoors. Finally, the weather is turning cool again and I'm back at the computer. Pan's travels are mostly over for the season, too, so it seems the perfect time to catch up.

Towards the end of March, Austria enjoyed an early burst of spring and we took a quick weekend trip a few hours south-west of Vienna to Graz. Although far smaller, Graz had a liveliness and energy that Vienna often lacks. We never quite managed to explain this, and it could have been the first warm weather that had us energized. Still, something about it felt more fresh and engaged. The old city center rivals Vienna's for charm, but many more shops, galleries, and restaurants seemed new and flourishing.

The weather not only showed Graz in a good light, but also made for an easy trip with Pan. As far as I can remember, this was our first real city-break with the pup. We stayed at a hotel right in town, and almost all of his exercise was on the lead. (Our hotel did have a nice garden which, since it wasn't quite that warm, Pan got to run around in a bit.)Being a good city dog has its rewards: Mike got his first ice cream of the season and shared the last bites with a very intent Pan.
Later in the day we climbed to the top of the Schlossberg, or castle hill, where the remains of the city's fortifications remain, along with an impressive clock tower. Also impressive are the many, many stairs that climb up a rocky face to reach the top from the center of town. The view is well-worth it.
Pan was less impressed.Unfortunately, going down the slopes and stairs can be more tricky than coming up. I took a nasty spill along the way, which left Pan frequently looking back over his shoulder to check on me. Nothing was broken, but there were some colorful bruises and a painful scrape on the top of my foot.

Sunday we explored some of the countryside around Graz. At the recommendation of our Friday evening waiter, we visited a wine shop in the heart of Sud-Steirermark, one of the lesser-known wine regions in Austria, which produces some well-balanced wines that don't get the international recognition that the Wachau has received. Pan and I mainly stayed outside (numerous breakable bottles not being a good place for wagging tails) where he got to know his namesake: a certain mischievous god, also known for his love of wine.The computer is piling up with edited photos, so more posts to come soon--I promise!

Pan in Winter

It's been a cold, snowy winter in Austria and Pan, like his mama, has found it hard to get up in the morning. But while the human among us have been bundling up in as many layers as will fit under our coats, Pan has faced the cold weather by moving faster and faster. At almost one year old, his body is starting to fill out. Still without an ounce of fat, his muscles flex under his thin coat, especially as he bounds in and out of snow as deep as his chest. Fetching has become an obsession, and no lack of traction on ice seems to keep him from flying after his target. Last summer he played with a border collie mix from time to time, and I was amazed at her speed in reaching the ball. She stops halfway to the destination now; Pan beats her every time.

Our winter excursions with Pan have been within Austria. Vienna sometimes seems trapped in the same grey that always surrounded London. As in England, it's taken some trips outside the city to find the sunshine. In the first week of the new year, we ventured only as far as the Grinzing vineyards. Deep snow had melted slightly, then refrozen, leaving a hard crust on the surface. Pan couldn't quite balance his weight well enough to stay on top of it, and would startle himself by breaking through into powder. Meanwhile, Mike and I both froze our hands trying to catch Pan on camera. Mike pulled off his bulky ski gloves to photograph, while I plunged my hands into the snow to find sticks to hold Pan's attention.

There was a bit less snow when we visited the city of Linz one weekend. Situated farther up the Danube, we had a sunny afternoon to walk around and explore. Since Mike's learning to use his new camera, our pauses for photo shoots sometimes draw attention from passers-by. The coos of "süß, süß" (sweet, sweet) from Pan's puppy-dom have turned into admiring comments of "schön, schön" (beautiful).

Most recently we spent a night in the mountains near one of our favorite restaurants. Pan was thankfully well-behaved at dinner after having enjoyed his best friend Ginger's birthday party in the Prater. The next morning, we took advantage of a sunny, if cold, day and hiked for about three hours on the mountain trails.

This coming Friday Pan will turn one, and while he hasn't been with us for a full twelve months yet, it's amazing how much he's grown and changed since we've had him. In a few more months, if the snow ever melts, we'll have some year-to-year photos to compare.