Signs of the Times with Annie West

One of the joys of travelling, I've discovered, is the sheer novelty of so many things we take for granted. Where in Australia, for instance, would you find a sign in the street like this? A crowned eagle and grape vines advertising a cosy place to drop in for a drink and something to eat. Our signs tend to be a bit more prosaic. As a result I spent some time on my recent trip to Europe smiling over the variety of signs we discovered - from the beautiful like this to the ones that that simply caught the eye of a travelling Aussie as something you don't find at home. I thought I'd share a couple of my favourites with you today.

Direct and functional, but this sailor made me smile. 'Boote' means 'boats' and given the fact that I was standing approximately 5 metres from a rather large Austrian lake I thought this one a tad unnecessary but charming anyway.

 

 

Just down the street I came across these two. The building is a boathouse turned restaurant and just in case you couldn't read the text, the picture on the right makes it pretty clear it's a fish restaurant. I particularly enjoyed the warning sign on the left - watch out for overloaded waiters dashing across the road to the kitchen!

 

 

And on a piscine theme, where else would you go to buy your fish but to a fischerei?

 

 

This sign for the butcher, though, is a bit misleading. Somehow I expect butcher Stefan doesn't let many little porkers get the better of him.

 



 

You know you're in Europe when the sign inside the cable car tells you your dog can go up the mountains too, so long as it's on the floor, not the seat.

 

 

Then there are road signs. You may have to peer a little to get this one. Both cattle and wild deer are likely to wander across the road in this area. I'm wondering if it was considered too confusing to put them both on the same pole.

 

 

My other favourite was a sign that said 'Attention, marmots!' with a drawing of a marmot standing to attention on its hind legs. I wasn't sure if the sign was meant for motorists or little furry animals. If it was for the marmots they weren't paying attention, as they were on all four legs when we saw them, including scampering across the road in front of us.

 

Finally, here's one of my favourite old fashioned direction signs.

 

Do you notice signs? Do you have favourites? What's the best one you've seen?

 

While I remember, I'll fit in a quick plug for my new book - out any day now. Look out for 'DAMASO CLAIMS HIS HEIR' in your favourite bookstore. I'm so chuffed that this story scored a 4 1/2 star Top Pick from Romantic Times. Perhaps it's a sign of things to come? Wouldn't that be nice. Here's a link if you want to browse the book.