via www.sacher.com
Just have come in here for a quick return visit to escape the midday heat and try their apfel strudel !!
June 2012
06/30/2012
Day 8 - Climbing Every Mountain {or so it seemed}
Today was the last day of our hike, the most strenuous too. It was a long hard 6 hour/15 km slog from Golling to the cable car station at Mt Jenner. We ascended 1400 meters in that time and crossed from Austria back into Germany. Weather included rain and thunder then searing heat. The winding path was narrow and extremely rocky. It perhaps has been the most physically challenging day I have ever experienced. It was a day that capitalized on every minute of training I did leading up to this trip.
We rewarded ourselves with a lengthy lunch stop and it was the perfect opportunity to eat bratwurst and potato salad, garnished with a generous amount of delicious grated horseradish. Also enjoyed immensely was the hauskuchen or cake of the day !!
The cable car brought us back to our original starting point at Konigsee. It is such a long trip down that there is a mittelstation so you can alight halfway down the mountain or stay on till the very bottom as we did. We will sleep so well tonight and then be ready bright and early for our next round of adventures. I am off to Finland and L heads to Paris.
06/29/2012
Day 7 - Mostly Downhill to Golling
We set off early due to the heat - forecast was for 30 C . Lots of open meadows and very few ascents today. We hiked to Werfen, home of some enormous ice caves. We then hopped on an immaculate Austrian train to Golling. Our hotel is the Goldener Ochs or Golden Donkey. Golling is bigger than a village but smaller than a town with an exquiste main street.
Meanwhile Back at the Ranch - part 2
Seems like the Cocopop is pining so the rules have been seriously bent to make her happy !! And she is becoming a lap dog !!
No dogs on the furniture whilst I am away - at least that's what umm I thought - I seem to be wrong !!
06/28/2012
Day 6 - Rest Day at Arthurhaus
No hiking boots or blister bandaids today !! No deadlines or mud ! No ascending or descending !! Just total slacking off, reading, catching up on emails and eating large amounts of Austrian calories {and loving every one} without a second thought.
We were booked for 2 nights at this wonderful alpine gasthof and it has made a marvellous halfway rest point. Below is the view from my window - a childrens farm and a dog shower room !!
Below is the view inside the room !! Very hunting lodge-esque !!
We have met up with others doing our hike both unescorted like us and escorted groups too. It has also come to light that our trip notes are 4 years old and that may well account for us standing at byways and bridges looking totally nonplussed as various landmarks mentioned in the notes have been built over or signage replaced. The German hikers have the new notes but they are as yet not translated into English so the likes of us have to just hope for the best a bit.
Austrian Pancake Recipe - Kaiserschmarrn Recipe with Raisins - German and Austrian Dessert
I have just eaten this delicious, traditional Austrian dessert - well, shared it anyway, though I know I ate the most. It was served with a sour cherry jam like sauce on the side.
06/27/2012
Day 5 - Hiking Above the Tree Line
Today's hike took us to the snow line, high above the tree line, frequently crossing rocky streams and through alpine pastures with abundant wildflowers.
All the time we were surrounded by huge snow capped peaks. The trail varied from good to very muddy and stoney with both steep ascents and descents. It was reasonably well signposted too compared to yesterday when we did get a bit lost. Thankfully my trusty companion has good map reading skills and brought a compass. All in all today we covered about 15 kms. The weather was brilliant sunshine with a slight cooling breeze.
At our mid morning break we tried a mug of buttermilk, the beverage of choice for hikers here. And of course cake was involved - a beautiful and huge slice of apricot kuchen with a snowball sized dollop of cream !!
06/25/2012
Bovine Bliss
Yesterday and today our hike took us through alpine pastures with small herds of enormous cows on either side and often on our path. Whilst big they are not threatening and they just keep eating as we slide past. Their bells ring out constantly and they makes them quite charming. Their smell and their cow pats are sort of less than charming as you can imagine. At one drink stop, I spotted a barn that was full of cows, quietly sitting down, having been brought inside by the farmer due to the heat of the day. It was probably a mximum of 25 degrees Celsius and it made me wonder how they would fare in Australia. Australian cows would probably sneer at them and call them spoilt !! Most Aussie cows never, ever see the inside of a barn. Plus these Austrian cows get to enjoy the most incredible "chocolate box" views whilst they chew thier cud. I know which country I would prefer to live in if I was a cow !!
Day 4 - Weissbach and Dienten
My first coffee for 3 days !!
We have been hiking today in rain and drizzle. The terrain was filled with muddy craters and cow pats but we soldiered on and have done about 13 kms. We did see a big elk and yesterday I was thrilled to spot a red squirrel. Also today we heard the distinctive call of a cuckoo, many times over, as we trekked through a forest. It was wonderful to reach our hotel in Dienten and it is so lovely and traditional and our room is huge. This little alpine hamlet has a population of only 800. Below is the view out of my hotel window of yet another lovely chalet.
Meanwhile Back at the Ranch
S is keeping the home fires burning and made this marvellous gluten free bread !!
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