TRAVEL: a weekend in the mountains.
Before moving to Vienna, I never really appreciated the place my family calls “Home” as much as it deserves. My parents live in the mountains near Zell am See and Kaprun, which for many others is a holiday destination. As I am getting older, I have started appreciating the incredible surroundings more and more, taking full advantage of all the activities the region has to offer. This past weekend, a much overdue visit at home was on the agenda and I decided to bring my camera along to share a few impressions here on the blog with you.
We took off from Vienna on Friday in the ultimate mountain machine, the Audi Q7. Not only does the Q7 have lots of room in every aspect, but it is also perfect for snowy or mountainous terrain – aka the Audi Home of Quattro Zell am See – Kaprun. On Saturday, our first stop was the Tauern Spa, a thermal resort just at the foot of the glacier in Kaprun. The perfect spot to unwind after a day on the slopes or on a snowy day that’s rather spent inside than outdoors. We’ve actually been to the Tauern Spa a few times when visiting my parents, sometimes just for a massage, other times to enjoy their breakfast and sauna world. My personal highlight is the panorama pool, which only hotel guests have access to with a stunning 360° view of the region and the huge breakfast buffet. After a bit of R and R we wanted to take advantage of the Audi and explored the area a bit, on the hunt for windy mountain roads to test the quattro 4-wheel drive.
Of course, a trip to Zell am See and Kaprun wouldn’t be complete without a visit on the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier, which I happen to have a clear view of from my old room. My Sunday started with an early morning hike up the mountain with my Mom, a lazy breakfast at home and then some ice camp action on the Kitzsteinhorn. Even though the weather didn’t show it’s best side (-12°C and snowfall), we had such a perfect day! We took the cable car up to the middle station and hiked the rest of the way to the Ice Camp by Audi quattro. I worked on the glacier for 8 months while Mike was in the military, so obviously I’ve been to the famous Ice Camp before, but that doesn’t mean it gets any less impressive. Just like you’d imagine a real igloo, there are huge blocks of ice, just in a way more stylish way with a bar, colored lighting, reindeer skin to get cozy on and a car. All at more than 2.400m elevation. No big deal, right? Actually, it is a big deal and if you ever happen to be in the area, you have to stop by for a drink! Next stop was the “Top of Salzburg” with more than 3.000m of elevations. Usually this is where the view will literally blow you away, but thanks to the weather we were in the middle of the clouds. Before heading back down the mountain, we had the obligatory “Kasnockn” and Kaiserschmarrn at Gletschermühle, which has always been my favorite restaurant up on the mountain. It tasted better than ever and I basically rolled home afterwards.
*in friendly collaboration with Audi.
Vicky, I do follow you for a long time and always liked this blog. However, lately I feel like there is everything sponsored! There is not one post of your outfits without “cooperation” items. This was meant to look like a post of your home and in the first lines your readers just can read about the Audi you took on the way home?!
Just put friendly cooperation note at the beginning and larger letters, so I (and other readers) do not even read it because I am not interested in sponsored post. Unfortunately you lost the balance between authenticity and sponsored posts.
Hi Michaela,
thanks so much for your honest feedback. I am sorry to hear that you didn’t like this post, especially because it was very close to my heart and I’ve been looking forward to sharing the images from the weekend with you.
I take great pride in only working with brands that I absolutely love and have a relationship with. I think it was super authentic for Audi to pick me for this collaboration, which allowed me to share some of my favorite places at home with my readers. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’d know that I post images similar to these on Instagram almost every time I visit home, and I’ve actually spent a lot time at all of the spots featured in this post 🙂 Seen here: https://www.instagram.com/p/xd5YACtnML/ or here: https://www.instagram.com/p/TlFEdUNnJ8/
Also, all of my sponsored posts are marked with the category “sponsored”, which is visible before clicking the “read more” button. This year, I’ve had a total of 2 sponsored posts in January and 2 in February. For someone who is providing free content on an almost daily basis as a full-time blogger, I feel like that is a more than fair ratio 🙂 As far as the outfits go, I had one collab with Pandora in January and one with Esprit just last week. Nothing else was paid for – otherwise it would have clearly been stated so.
xox Vicky
Dear Vicky,
I just read through this and all I could think of was how eloquently you answered this reader. I personally don’t mind sponsored posts, as long as they feel like an organic fit within the company (which is what this blog is to you – a job). I feel like you really think about ways to incorporate sponsored content as naturally as possible and I just wanted to tell you what an incredible job you are doing at providing high quality content.
It is one thing to share great content with your readers, but a completely different one to answer in a respectful manner. I’ve seen this done by you time and time again and just wanted to say how much I respect you for that. Politeness and kindness will always take you further than pride. x
This means so much! Thank you for taking the time to write such a nice commen <3
Hello Vicky,
I do appreciate your answer!
I feel that 12 sponsored posts is a lot even if you make an average with the next month of just 2 sponsored posts.
The point is that reader do not necessarily see your disclosure as maybe that just click through facebook to your blog. Also, you might be counting each sponsored post but the readers do not do. Readers do not count in their head how many sponsors you get. The follow many other blogs and this information is not the first idea that pops in their head, unless it is just too much and over time you create an eye for it and then it feels that you only have sponsored posts. They just simply might perceive -like me that EVERYTHING feels sponsored. Also with your links from EDITED etc.
Why don’t you start producing a product/service as other bloggers do (Anna Saccone, Emily Schuman, Chiara…) and sure it will make for your living rather than losing your credibility through all the sponsored posts?
If someone will love-and I know many followers will, they will buy your products and your blog content can return back to the ones from past without so many promotions.
For instance Emily Schuman mentioned that her sponsored posts make about 3-4 posts a month, which I see fair and acceptable.
P.S. Audi sure knows his marketing tools to get into subconscious of your younger readers-which 95% of them for now can not afford to have such a luxurious car. They are just using you to build need for them in the future that they will want to get this car. So I believe it is completely out of place to promote a car company in this blog.
Gorgeous pictured of your lovely weekend in the mountains. I totally feel you when you said at times thay we often take for granted where our parents live. I currently live in Denver and whenever I go home to Orange County I’m so glad I have thay balance between beach and mountains.
Also loved your pictures and outfits! Gotta love cute snow coats and the works!
Xo Chloe
http://www.timetravelblonde.com
so schön, wie du unsere heimat präsentierst, liebe vicky. aber als halb-pinzgauerin solltest du schon “kasnockn” schreiben und nicht “käsespätzle” 🙂 🙂
🙂 Hast du mich schonmal Pinzgaurisch reden gehört? Da würdest sofort umdrehen und weglaufen! Aber du hast natürlich 100% recht und es wurde soeben ausgetauscht <3 Kasnockn for the win!
I love it when you post pictures from Zell am See – it’s such a gorgeous area from Austria! We were there last year and I fell in love!
I understand that some people don’t like sponsored posts, but from the comments I sometimes read here, I think people just don’t understand the difference between a sponsored or paid post and, say an outfit post, where one of the items was gifted to you. It’s only natural for a blogger to also work with brands and in your case I find you’re always very true to your style and beliefs – regarding the brands you do work with. Unfortunately a lot of people still think blogging is all fun and games and don’t see all the hard work (and funds!) we put in our blogs.
I think you do a great job and even if sometimes I personally don’t have an affinity to one or another brand you work with, I still think you’re doing a good job and in no way doing to much sponsored posts.
xoRosie
Rosie’s Life
I do love these photos, it looks absolutely stunning up there in the mountains! 🙂
Das sieht ja toll aus! So einen hübschen Offroad-Audi durch die Berge zu kurven stell ich mir echt witzig vor 🙂
Viele liebe Grüße
Ina • http://www.ina-nuvo.com
so ein schöner Post – ich liebe die Gegend rund um Kaprun & freu mich immer wieder wenn mein Freund und ich die Gelegenheit haben, dort ein bisschen Zeit zu verbringen! Der Audi ist übrigens extrem cool & das Audi Ice Camp muss ich mir unbedingt mal anschauen!
xx marie
http://www.highheelsandsnapbacks.at
Lovely pictures and a great write-up for a post combining home and business – it has certainly inspired me for trips when I’m visiting family in Austria later this year! Many of the blogs I enjoy reading are written by professional bloggers – the time and skills required for consistently good posts make this no surprise. I definitely think your sponsored posts stand out as being amongst the most personalised and the thought you put into each one is clear, for both products I’m interested in and those I’m not. Sadly for my wallet, I’m old enough to be directly influenced by car product placement! And they cost less in the US too 😉
Dear Marsha,
thank you so much for your kind comment. It really does mean a lot to me when my readers see the effort I put into every single post. So thank you for that. And sorry for making it hard on your wallet ? xox
Dear Vicky,
Your pictures are great quality and you are beautiful no doubt but I agree with few readers on here that you have become more of a commercial tool rather then a unique person you used to be. I used to love your blog but lately it has become a cliche and you basically do what e v e r y other typical blogger does.
This blog is no different then any other blog in the USA. I wish you were more authentic and European rather then mainstream. Lately every pose, every write up, every lipstick color, your every “buy” recommendation, every Instagram caption is so predictable I don’t even need to click on ” more” I already know what you are talking about.
I guess it difficult trying to be authentic in this world of fakes and “look at me”, “follow me”… “i’m so cute”….
but I think if stay true to yourself you will be more authentic organically.
Good Luck !
Xo
Hi Belle,
thank you for your honest feedback. I am sad to hear that you feel like my content is very cliche. I try to feature a lot of unique content like my very personal hotel reviews or products that work great for sensitive skin or eczema. Especially this post, I think is far from what everyone else is doing, as it is a little insight into my hometown. Over the years, I personally feel like I have always stayed true to myself and try my best to share interesting aspects of my life with you. I still remember all of your nice comments about my trips to Slovenia, for example, or how you liked the way I decorated my rooftop 🙂 Hopefully you’ll find future posts you like again, as I really value you as a longtime reader.
xox Vicky
I read all your blogposts and the comments as well and I’m honestly “in shock” by some statements. Totally honest : I’ve also noticed more “* in friendly cooperation with..” but I know that there just are times that brands have more cooperations than other times of the year so when this is your job and you feel like it fits you, you have to grab the chance you get. I also feel like this fits you because of your hometown. If your hometown had nothing to do with this new Audi, I’d be like “uhm, what?” but it has so why not.. Like someone said, sometimes you’re even more open and personal when it’s a sponsored post (thinking of your “typical Sunday night” that was sponsored by Coca-Cola if I remember right) so I don’t really get it.. Also because you still wear clothes that you bought years ago etc so I definitely don’t feel like you’ve changed a lot. Yes you’ve changed but everybody changes in lots of aspects of life..
Lots of people also need to understand that there is a difference between some clothes that were gifted and a completely sponsored post.
Let us not ruin this post, which has amazing photos by the way!
PS : not pointing fingers at anyone (bloggers or people who leave a comment) because there are lots of people who are reading this and also have an opinion, whichever that one may be, and aren’t saying anything so please, let nobody feel offended 🙂
xox Lyn
One more thing to add, to Vicky directly : I read your blog for years now (and TDD since the start) and I still feel like I “read Vicky” and see Vicky as we, readers, know you. Keep doing what you feel is right and definitely don’t lose your way of reacting to not-so-fun comments because that is also you 🙂
<3
Mountains in Austria are beautiful, we spent our summer holidays in that region last year and climbed one of the highest peaks (hello snowshoeing on the glacier in June!). Could you tell us where your outfit is from? I love the jacket and pullover.
[…] Mike and I first moved to Vienna, we used to go home every other weekend or every three weeks max. Usually by train. Back then I always wished I had a […]