Back in school and learning about calculation, hygiene science in the kitchen, profit and loss account, marketing, labor and tax law, in short, everything that is involved in setting up a catering business. Who would have thought that? At the age of almost 60, we follow a gastronomy course so that we will soon have all the permits to open more guest rooms, café and terrace next summer.
No pain, no gain. Because it's not easy. Not only because of the many substances that people want to pump into us in six weeks (how am I going to remember it all?) but also because of the German language. There are terms that make me frown even in Dutch, let alone in German... or rather in Austrian. Because that is what they speak here, not High German but the Carinthian dialect. In Carinthia, the vowels are often swallowed and people speak in a lilting or more sympathetic tone, almost with Slavic sounds. After all, Italy, Slovenia and Hungary are just around the corner and they often say 'ciao' here. But that means that the teachers and my fellow students are sometimes difficult to follow. And that gives me a double challenge after these already hectic last months of a lot of research and renovations. Fortunately, those months have already shown many successes, such as importing our beautiful company car, obtaining our residence permit, adjusting the name signs on the façade, the completed renovation of the first floor and the enthusiastic reaction of our neighbors after they were given a tour during a cozy drink in the Stube.
And so we experience that you can best achieve your own success yourself. By thinking in solutions instead of problems; by believing in our dream instead of someone else's; by optimally combining our two worlds of Peter's dexterity and my secretary skills; by enjoying a radiant day in this fantastic environment and taking a beautiful walk, whenever we want.
So we are never too old to learn and we learn here not to feel old but above all to live. No idea if my catering paper will yield but who does not dare, who does not win.
Stay healthy, stay curious and above all stay yourself.
Ingrid & Peter
Never stop learning because life never stops teaching
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