Wedding and Birthday party with photos!

The wedding and birthday party was at a restaurant in Koenigstein.  It started at 6 pm and ended at 2:30 am when the police came and shut the party down.  I told Hubi that in American you knew it was a great party when the police arrived.  There was plenty of food and drink - all excellent.  Doris and Moni both gave very funny speeches and Elfriede (Doris' mother) and Laura (Moni's daughter) both wrote hilarious poems which had the party rocking and rolling with laughter.  It seems the whole family  is a bunch of stand up comics.  Since my German  "ist niche so gut", I missed most of the subtlety of word play, rhyme and verse but I could appreciate the laughter and love that filled the room.  Moni's old boyfriend also pooled their photos of Moni throughout the years - most of them have been friends since they were kids, and did a slide show of "do you remember when" which was both funny and touching.  It was interesting being at a party where almost everyone had known each other for decades and decades and share so may experiences and memories.  It was fun being part of such an important event for Doris' family - best party ever.

MONI AND HUBI’S WEDDING AND PHOTOS!

In Germany, a religious wedding does not create a legal marriage – only the German State can “legally” marry a couple.  The civil wedding is mandatory for a legal marriage while the religious ceremony is optional.  Moni and Hubi were married in a civil ceremony ion December of 2012.  Since both of them are Catholic, they also wanted a religious ceremony within the Church.  Since both Moni and Hubi have been married before and were divorced, they could not get married again within the Church because of Church doctrine.  The priest who is more progressive than the Church found a compromised solution that complied with Church doctrine while allowing the marriage to be blessed within the Church.  The ceremony was not a traditional Catholic marriage ceremony.  Family and friends gathered at the Church where the priest recognized and blessed the marriage along with the couple’s family and friends.  It was a very moving ceremony.  

MORE PHOTOS FROM GASTEIN

PHOTOS FROM THE AUSTRIAN ALPS

Life is always interesting with Doris!

Life is always interesting with Doris!

Today is our last full day in Bad Hofgastein.  Tomorrow we leave for Frankfurt on the 12:30 pm train.  This is our last day so we decided to hike from Stubnerkogel to Nassfeld.   We took the gondola up to the top of the mountain from Bad Gastein and started our hike from there.  There is a restaurant at the top of the mountain with some lookouts and a suspension bridge over a deep ravine.  Doris of course had to walk across the bridge.  I watched and took photos.  After some holler juice at the restaurant, we started our hike.  We were already high above the tree line.  We followed the trail from the restaurant to the base of a Spitze (a high rocky peak) with a trail to the top along a narrow ridge of stone with a shear drop on each side – glance right or left and you look into the abyss.  Doris looked at me and I looked at Doris.  I told her, “I don’t know if I can, but I’ll try.”  Doris took off up the ridge and I followed.  I kept my face down and focused on the trail.  I narrowed my vision and reduced my peripheral – I looked neither left nor right. I took the hike up the narrow ridge as a walking meditation – focusing only on the trail, my breath and each step.  Basically I just manned up and did it.  Doris and I both wanted to complete the hike rather than turn around and go back.  About half way to the top of the peak, the trail went to the right along the upper shoulder of the mountain. We could look to out right and see far below the trail and valley that we had hiked a few days before to Angertal. 

The trail was challenging.  We spent the next 2½ hours following a trail across one rockslide after another – occasionally interrupted by a snowfield.  We had to constantly focus on where we were stepping – bouncing from one rock to another.  The views were incredible but there were few wild flowers since the mountain here are mostly rock.  Occasionally, though, there would be a flash of color and a few small delicate flowers would appear among the rocks.  Doris as usually would always be ahead of me, nimbly moving across the rocks.  I would follow more slowly, methodically picking my way through the rocks, trying not to break a leg, twisted a knee or ankle.  Since the hike to the Reed See, we have shouted, “haaallooo,” as a way of keeping track of where are when we lose sight of each other.  It started out as a joke but it turned out as an effective way to stay in touch. Khadijah told us that when she was in Oldenburg (Germany) people would say “haaallooo” when they wanted someone to move out of the way on a path.  By the tone, it was anything but polite and welcoming.  We finally reached the same Scharte (pass) that we had crossed a few days before and started out descent to the lower Bockhart See and Nassfeld.

Even though we had just hiked this way a few days before, it seemed completely different since we were now coming from the opposite direction.  Our view now was of the Bockhart See and the Nassfeld nestled among the high mountains as we hiked down the mountain.  The Nassfeld (wet fields) and the surrounding mountains is probably the most beautiful place that I have ever seen.  There is something almost magical about the way it changes throughout the day.  Look at it in the morning, or the middle of the day or late in the afternoon and it changes.  Today as we walked down the mountain it was late in the day with rain clouds had gathered over the mountains, it looked soft and inviting – the hard stone of the mountains gentled by the soft shades of green that covered their slopes.  The air was full of a quiet stillness – it had a certain peace that was inviting.  The impending storm has cast a kind of magic over the mountains. Doris said that it reminder her of the scenery from the Lord of the Rings.

Once we reached the lower Bockhart See, we hiked to the far end so Doris could take a swim.  By the time I arrived, Doris was in and swimming in the lake.  I squatted and dipped my hand in the water  - too icy cold for me to take a swim.  Doris though was swimming around in this glacier feed lake as happy as an otter.  When she got out of the water, she was totally rejuvenated by the swim – my teeth hurt just watching her swim. We then decided the follow along the lakeshore to the far end of the lake where we could pick up the trail again down to the Nassfeld.  The shore of the lake is steep and covered with rocks.  Since there was no trail among the rocks, we had to pick our own way among the rocks, hopping from one rock to another.  As we progressed down the lake, the shore became steeper – the rocks smaller and finally we could no longer safely cross the rocks along the lake.  We then decided to climb up the face of the mountain to the trail above the lake.  We climbed up the bare boulders until we reached the first vegetation.  There we no trees – just grass, flowers, succulent vines and shrubs that covered the rocks.  Over time dirt had filled into between the rocks where the vegetation had take root.  The slope had about a 75% angle so we climbed, crawled, clawed and slithered up the slope, grabbing plants, rocks or just digging out fingers into the dirt.  We would jam our feet and knees into any space we could find and pushed ourselves up the rock face.  Since the vegetation was 3-4 feet high, I went first - it was easier for me because of my mass to force my way through the vegetation and create a path for Doris.  Whenever we hit a patch of shrubs, we would have to move right or left until brush cleared since they were too thick to force our way through.  We climbed 50, 100, 150 yards but could not see the trail – the vegetation was just too thick and we had to keep ourselves as flat possible against the slope.  I did not see the trail until my face was on it.  I called back to Doris that I had reached the trail.  I then pulled myself up onto the trail and rolled aside so Doris could pull herself up onto the trail.  Once we were on the trail, we both agreed that this had not been the smartest decision that we had made that day – as always Doris was incredible.  We then hiked down to the Nassfeld for some holler juice and a shot of mountain schnapps for Doris. We then caught the bus home, went out to dinner and are now hanging out until we go to bed.  All I have to do is hangout with Doris and my life is always interesting!!!!

Alpine moonshine - no banjo music!

Sunday we caught the early bus to Sportgastein.  The bus was almost full when we left Bad Hofgastein.  Most of the people on the bus were our age or older, dressed in hiking boots and carrying hiking sticks and backpacks. We were surprised at how many people were out so early for a hike in the high mountains.  Each stop on the way to Bad Gastein brought more people onto the bus.  When the bus arrived at Bad Gastein it was already full, there was a large crowd waiting to get into the bus.  At first the bus driver tried to call another bus but none was available.  Eventually, he began to pack people onto the bus.  “Back, back,” he shouted.  “Make room, make room.”  At each additional stop on the way to Sportgastein, more and more people got on.  The bus was packed tighter and tighter.  People were joking and laughing – everyone was good-naturedly dealing with the situation.  At one point the bus driver shouted, “Men and woman don’t be shy – press up against each other.  We need more room.” Everyone laughed.  At another time he shouted, “If anyone farts, he owes the bus a round of drinks.”  Everyone laughed.  It was actually a fun trip – everyone was relaxed, friendly and turning the whole ride into one long running joke.  When we arrived everyone got off the bus – still joking and laughing.  We all then scattered like quails in the wind – everyone going in different directions to find a favorite hike.

Doris and I had decided to hike from Sporgastein to Angerthal which is about a 5 hour hike up over the Stubnerkogel down into the Angertal (tal means valley).  We first climbed for an hour through a beautiful forest adorned with wild flowers wherever  the sun pierced the trees.  We stopped at the Bockhart See Hütte (restaurant) for some cold holler juice before we began the next leg of the climb. 

From the lower Bickhart See, we had a 2 hour steep climb up to the Miesbichl Scharte which a pass between the Stuberkogel and the Silberpenning – both mountains.  Even though it is a very challenging climb, the panoramic view of the mountains is incredible.  I could look down and see the lower Bockhart See directly below.  The water was this translucent emerald green and I could see 30-40 feet to the bottom.  I could feel the icy coldness of the water from 500 hundred feet above the lake.  Higher up, about an hour hike from the lower Bockhart See, I could see the upper Bockhart See – both are located above the tree line, surrounded by beautiful alpine meadows full of the most incredible variety of wildflowers and subtle shades of green.  The lower lake is much larger than the upper lake but the upper lake in a small jewel of the lake where Doris and I took our first alpine swim together two years ago.  There is nothing like a brisk swim in a glacier feed lake to get the blood pumping.  We wanted to take a side trip to the upper lake but we were hiking new trail and were not sure how long it would take to complete the hike.  The last bus at the Angertal was at 5 pm and we did not want to miss it.  There is no way to call a cab from the Angertal and it’s a 3 hour hike back to Bad Hofgastein.  The hike to the upper lake would have been a 2 hour detour with a half an hour swimming and hanging out at the lake.   We decided not to take the chance. 

The view of Nassfeld and the surround mountain range has to be the most incredibly beautiful view that I have ever seen.  Everything that I see is above the tree line.  The mountains and meadows are covered in wildflowers, subtle shifting shades of green in the distance until snow and glaciers cloak the upper slopes.  The green of the high mountains is dynamic - always changing with altitude, shade and sun.  The view of the mountains shifts and morphs as we climb higher and higher.  New ranges are reveled – more spectacular and beautiful than the last.  In the distance we can see the Großglocker, the highest mountain in Austria and the second highest mountain in Europe.  We can't quite see the summit which is shrouded in clouds - like some ancient frost giant wrapped in an alabaster cloak. 

This hike is considered to be difficult but we meet a number of hikers our age and older - all out for a Sunday stroll in the Alps.  It is encouraging to see people older than us still fit and active enough to complete this very challenging hike.  It gives us hope that in 10 0r 20 years we will still be active and hiking these same mountains and, perhaps, other more challenging hikes.

At Miesbichl Scharte, we found a number of hikers breaking for lunch.  It was too crowded for us so we pushed on.  Once you cross over the pass, you leave the high mountains behind.   You still have these incredible views but they are softer and gentler.  You can see mountain farm, grazing cows and forests of pine covering the lower mountains and valleys.  We then began our descent towards the Angertal – this would turn out to be a 3 hour hike.  The descent is still steep but less than the climb up from the Bockhart See.  We spent the next 1½ hours hiking through alpine meadows full of wildflowers – white, blue, yellow, red and orange flowers and across mountains streams.  We came across this small, delicate blue flower that we had never seen before.  The blue of the flower has to be the most incredible blue that I have ever seen in my life. Every time I saw the flower, it just took my breath away. I took a photo of it the next day on another hike but the camera could not capture the true blue color the flower.   Doris told me the name of the flower but I never can remember it.  Songs have been written about it.  There is a type of romantic poetry that is named after the flower.  There are many folk legends about it - it's suppose to be lucky to see it since it is relatively rare. Once we hit the tree line, we stopped at an alm (farmhouse restaurant) and refreshed ourselves with some holler juice.  The alm also had some homebrewed schnapps but we didn’t try a shoot.  The schnapps is sun brewed from fresh mountain herbs.  We have seen homebrewed schnapps at a number of alms – Alpine moonshine. 

The hike down from the alm to the Angertal was again steep and demanding.  We were beginning to tire and were trying to rush to catch the 3 pm bus back to Bad Hofgastein.  As we passed through the forest, we saw thousands and thousands of ants – on the trail, beside the trail, everywhere we looked there were ants.  We saw several anthills that we 2-3 feet high.  I have never seen so many ants so visible – it was almost spooky. The great thing about this hike was the enormous change in altitude and the variety of scenery.  The beauty of nature surrounded us and kept transforming itself as we walked. 

We missed the 3 pm bus by 15 minutes.  Since the next bus was at 5 pm, we hike back to this Hütte about ¼ mile back up the trail.  It turned out to be great.  Doris had fresh-steamed trout with herbed potatoes and horseradish mixed with whipped cream.  I had a vegetable strudel, mixed vegetables and a green salad – all perfect and delicious.  The Hütte raises its own trout so it was freshly caught that day.  It was the perfect end to a perfect day. We caught the 5 pm bus back home and just chilled and relaxed for the rest of the evening.  

Yesterday we took the train and gondola up the mountain that we see everyday as we sit on the porch.  I am writing this while waiting for Doris to get her hair done and I can't remember the name.  We had a great hike full of spectacular views and as always beautiful wild flowers.  In the winter this is a major ski resort but in the summer  people go to hike and enjoy the view.  It's a great place to start a hike from since there are so many options. We ate lunch before we took the gondola and train back down to Bad Hofgastein.  Doris had pancake soup - it's an Austrian thang! I had split pea soup.  We shared a large basket of french fries - ketchup costs extra.  I was eyeing a basket of fries that a Russian kid was eating the day before at a restaurant in Angertal and yesterday my dream came true...I have a real weakness for potatoes.  

I have had acrophobia my whole life - the irrational fear of heights.  It's funny in a way because I love hiking in the mountains, especially the high mountains.  It used to be really bad but has gotten better over the years but it can still send me into a major anxiety attack if the conditions are just right.  If I'm hiking a steep slope and I want to stop for a panoramic view, I have to stop, brace myself and look; otherwise, the acrophobia can be a bit overwhelming.  I've had good luck this trip except for yesterday. We were hiking up a narrow ridge with a sheer drop off on each side. The trail was very narrow and steep.  The higher we got the narrower the trail.  If I looked right or left, all I could see was the abyss.  The trail ended at the pinnacle of this 800 foot rock that jutted out from the top of the mountain.  I was half way up when I had an ass kicking, full blown, acrophobic panic attack.  I told Doris to go on - she had a personal reason for wanting to make this hike.  She understood why and need to turn back so she left me to find my way slowly back down the ridge.  I stopped, took a deep breath, focused on the ground until I calmed down and started back down the ridge.  At the bottom I found a flat rock, sat down and tried not to throw up.  I sat there and watched kids and old people walk unconcerned up the same path that I had just vacated.  I hike in the mountains for the pure pleasure of the hike - the beauty is incredible, but when the hike ceases to be fun, I stop and walk in a different direction.  I could have forced myself to complete the hike to the top but the costs would have outweighed the benefit.  I would have only be able to stand and look at the ground and never enjoy the view.  As I have gotten older, I understand my limitations better and I'm more accepting and forgiving of my weaknesses, but it still bites my ass that I could not complete a simple, enjoyable hike because of an irrational fear that I have minimal control over in certain situations.  Don't get me wrong - I have successfully worked on reducing my acrophobia for years.  10 years ago I could not have made any of these high altitude hikes I've completed in the last two weeks.  Even since I was here two years ago, the acrophobia has gotten better. I can even enjoy a ride on a ski lift or gondola without white knuckling the whole trip and staring either at the floor or closing my eyes.  It's not anxiety free even now but a lot better.  Anyway, I love the mountains - it's where I feel most at home. Bad Hofgastein is the bomb!

We leave on Thursday for Frankfurt and a weekend of partying at Moni's wedding and her 60th birthday party.  I get to go all Euro Mike in my new clothes.  We did hit the spa and sauna one last time yesterday afternoon.  We did the salt sauna with the Bademeister - not as good as the first but boy was it hot.  You get to rub yourself and our partner if you have one with oiled salt between the first and second sessions, and as always the cold showers and ice rub down - sublime. Doris went swimming but I just hung out in the sun and worked on my "all over alpine suntan" - eat your heart out Florida.  This has been a great trip - I will miss Bad Hofgastein and the Alps.  Hopefully, we will be back sooner the next time.  

US spy policy - the ugly American?

It's interesting to view the US through a European perspective.  The spy scandal has been front-page news in Germany since we arrived.  From here the US appears arrogant and indifferent to the rights and freedoms of anyone outside the US.  Democracy seems to be an illusion that the US only gives lip service to when US "national security" is involved.  The US appears to be a bully state that feels that it can with impunity violate the sovereignty and rights of any other country in the name of US security interests regardless of any treaty or alliance.  This spy scandal and the US response to the legitimate concerns of Germany and France have seriously undermined that respect that the average person has for the US. President Obama has also lost some of the enormous popularity that he has in both Germany and France. The US with it's spy policy and disregard for legitimate concerns for personal privacy has successfully resurrected the image of the "ugly American" in Germany and France.  The death of personal privacy appears to be the latest victim of the war on terror.  Unfortunately, the perpetuator of this "atrocity" is not AL-Qaede but the US.  Is this the cyber equivalency of jackboots kicking in the door at midnight?  Is the loss of personal freedom  and privacy an acceptable price to pay for "national security"?  Have we gotten so used to corporate intrusion into our cyber privacy that we no longer feel any indignation or personal violation when the government does the same thing?  Is this the "brave new world" of the future?

Doris writes for a change!

So this is Doris writing for a change. As Mike is keeping you abreast of our every move, I want to add a more political issue: not a day goes by that the news here is not full of the NSA surveillance of ordinary Germans. Germans of all political stripes feel betrayed by the US and feel their only means to counter the most powerful US government is by granting “partial” asylum to Snowden. Across the spectrum, he is hailed as an example of the increasingly rare breed of “the good American.” The other issue in the media here of course is the Zimmerman verdict. Incomprehensible by any European standards that an ordinary citizen can legally arm himself, shoot and kill an unarmed, underage man and – get acquitted. 

Descent into Dante’s 9th Ring of Hell – the Graukogel!

Descent into Dante’s 9^th Ring of Hell – the Graukogel!

Yesterday we took the bus to Bad Gastein and took the ski lift up the Graukogel to the Berghütte (mountain hut).  At the Berghütte we stopped for a glass of “hollerjuice” (don’t ask) before starting our hike to the Palfner See.  In German “See” can refer to either a lake or sea – in this case, obviously, it means a lake.  We had started this hike two years ago but had to abort due to rain and time – we had to get back for the last lift down the mountain.  It was an absolutely beautiful hike.  We hiked the first part of the trail above the tree line – the views were breathtaking.  The last ½ hour hike was a steep climb above the tree line through fields of what Doris called “mountain roses” scattered among the gray bones of the mountain.  Doris, as usual, quickly climbed the stiff slope as nimbly and as gracefully as a young mountain goat, while I, like some ancient mountain bull, slowly and methodically climbed after her. Once we crested the ridge, the first view of the Palfner See was idyllic.  Before I reached the water’s edge, Doris had already stripped down and I could see her swimming out into the lake.  By the time I had arrived, Doris was emerging from the water like a mountain nymph all rosy and joyous.  I slowly undressed – I was anticipating the bone numbing cold of the water.  I slowly walked into the frigid alpine lake.  By the time I was waist deep, I had lost all feeling in my lower body.  The word “hyperthermia” kept repeating itself in my mind like a chant of some impending doom.  I briefly stayed in the water and then quickly pulled myself back into the shore – it was several minutes before I regained full use of my lower limbs and I could speak coherently. By then Doris was ready to dive back in…which she did.  I have a photo of her swimming blissfully out into the lake and waving back at me from this icy, cold abyss with such a look of innocent pleasure on her face that it is, well, almost indecent.  In he background of the photo, you can see a snowfield extending down to the edge of the lake.  When Doris emerged from the Palfner See, she was totally energized.  She no longer wanted to hike back to the Berghütte and take a nice, easy ride back down the ski lift but wanted to forge on to the next lake, the Reed See.  She asked me if I was game, I told her ok but I felt like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. 

We got dressed and began out ascent up the mountain from the Palfner See.  We had hiked over the Graukogel to get to the Reed See.  The ascent to the crest of the Graukogel was challenging but enjoyable. Once we reached the summit, the view was incredible.  We met a group of hikers with a guide. They had hiked up to the Reed See and were now on their way to the Palfner See and then the Berghütte and a relaxing ride down the mountain in the ski lift.  Doris asked one of the members of the group, a young man from Finland, to take our picture. Doris explained that we had just hiked up and were on our way to the Reed See.  Before he took our picture, he smiled oddly and gave us a peculiar look – it wasn’t until later that I realized that it was pity.

We left the group and the crest of the mountain behind us.  We started out descent to the Reed See.  We could see the Reed See in the distance – a blue gem in a setting of green.  It was beautiful and alluring – a prize to be gained with a few hours of hiking.  The hike to the Reed See was fun.  The descent as steep and challenging and we were full of energy and determination.  We passed several small lakes on the way and crossed several small fields of snow.  The view was again incredible.  As we hiked down the mountain, rain clouds began to gather behind us – Doris was the first to notice.  Since she was always out ahead of me, she was constantly looking back to make sure that I was still there and OK.  Me, well I was head down, picking my way through a minefield of twisted ankles, blown knees and broken legs. 

The first rain hit just after we had reached the tree line and about a ½ hour before the Reed See.  Just as we reached the Reed See, it started to hail – icy little pellets behind to beat against our backs and heads.  By then tt was 4 pm and we still had at least 3 hours hike down into the valley where we could catch the bus back to Bad Hofgastein.  By this time, we had reached the end of our fitness.  We were beginning to feel exhausted and did not know how much worse the hailstorm was going to get.  We were soaked and cold – the temperature was dropping.   We were not equipped for a night on the mountain.  Our only choice was to complete the descent as quickly as possible.  We took a quick look at the Reed See – no swim for Doris, no partial emersion for me.  We had enough icy, cold hiking in the hailstorm. 

The descent from the Reed See to the valley floor was a descent into Dante’s 9^th ring of hell.  It was not a hike but a climb down what appeared to be dry waterfalls and streambeds full of rocks and roots made wet and treacherous by hail and rain.  Doris was incredible.  She was always out ahead of me, warning me of particularly treacherous descents.  I knew she was exhausted and cold but she never stopped.  I saw the descent as brutal.  She found it relentless – it was both brutal and relentless.  There was one stretch near the bottom where we had to lower ourselves by a rope attached to capons driven into the stone. It never got any easier until we actually touched the valley floor.  There we staggered around drunk from exhaustion, our legs unsure of how to react on level ground – like sailors returning from a long sea voyage.  We hiked along the valley floor – mostly along the gravel road that runs the length of the valley.  It took us a bit over an hour before we reached the Grüne Baum (a famous restaurant and hotel, host to celebrities, nestled in the valley against a backdrop of steep alpine peaks, aptly called “heaven’s wall”).  We had missed the last bus so Doris asked a waitress at a smaller inn nearby to call us a cab.  We were not quite up to the 2½-hour hike back to Bad Hofgastein either along the Höhen Weg (much prettier) or the hiking trail along the Achen River.  We arrived back home exhausted, sore and hungry.  Doris and I collaborated on a pot of soup – it was all we had energy to cook.  We both took long, hot showers while the soup cooked.  We ate but we were still coming off an adrenaline high to sleep right away.  It was overall a great day – the Graukogel is beautiful and most of the hike was incredibly, enjoyable.  As you get older, you realize that a hike like this is a reward for maintaining good health and fitness.  Even though the last part of the hike was brutal, cold and exhausting, it is still nice to know that even at our age, Doris and I can meet an unexpected challenge together and prevail.  It’s always good to know that Doris has my back whatever happens.

Both Doris and I took two hiking sticks (like ski poles) on this hike.  They made all the difference in the world whether ascending or descending the mountain.  They helped redistribute the weight more evenly, reduce stress on knees and joints, increase balance and help conserve energy.  Both Doris and I agree that without out “sticks” we would never had been able to complete this hike.

This Austrian system for designating the difficulty of a hike is color coded on maps – blue easy, red moderate and white – oh my god, I’m going to have a heart attack.  These colors seems completely innocent and benign on the map but have no correspondence to the reality of anyone else except Austrians until you have actually experienced a blue, red or white hike yourself.  So be forewarned if you ever hike in Austria.  You can survive and even enjoy a white hike but it may be more than you counted on, especially if you are from Florida.  A red hike may break a mountain goat’s heart.  A white hike – well be sure your will is up to date.

Both Doris and I woke up stiff and sore this morning.  I walked into town for brötchen and a newspaper.  The walk down the steps was a challenge but by the time I had walked into town, I was feeling pretty good.  I was thinking about our next hike when I hit the apartment steps – I realized then that the next hike would not be today.  Today, I will catch up on my blogs – too late and to exhausted when we got back to chase the elusive wi-fi in town.  This is the end of our first week in Bad Gastein.   We take the train back to Frankfurt next Friday for Moni’s wedding on Saturday and her 60^th birthday bash on Sunday.  It’s a hard life!

The Sauna!

The Sauna!

Wednesday we went to the sauna.  Nudity like death is the great equalizer, especially as we age. When people are naked, it’s impossible to hide the imperfections of the aging body and the inevitable our mortality.  We see our shared humanity regardless of age, race, gender or economic status. 

Doris and I went to both the open saunas – you just walk in, sit down and enjoy the heat.  You may be alone or with other people.  People come and go as they wish.  There are also the “event saunas” which are communal, ritualistic and organized by the spa.  They include a master of ceremony whom I usually think of as the “Maestro” with special oils or syrups that are added to enhance the “sauna experience” – eucalyptus, Johannes berry, citrus, etc. - the possibilities are endless.  The sauna used for these “events” are large and have three tiers on each side – the top is the hottest and the bottom is the coolest – although cool in a sauna is a very relative term.  Once the appointed time for the “event” has arrived, the “maestro” arrives, he or she has a bucket of ice and bottles containing whatever additives will be used.  The inner doors are closed.  If the temperature is too high, then the “Maestro” will open the outer doors where there is an artificial waterfall in this sauna and use a large towel to wave in cool air until the temperature is just right before starting the ritual – believe me it is a ritual.  The “Maestro” has a towel wrapped around the waist that is secured with a catch.  The “Maestro” is the only person in the sauna that is “dressed”.  The “Maestro” then takes a dipper, dips ice from a bucket, adds the “scent” to the ice and pours the scented ice over the hot rocks that are in a raised hearth in the center of the sauna.  This is repeated two or three times.  The odor of the scent fills the sauna and the hot steam dramatically increases the temperature in the sauna.  Copious amounts of sweat rolls down the body and you begin to wonder why the hell you’re there – the emphasis on the word “hell”.  The “Maestro” then whips the towel around his head to help circulate the scented steam throughout the room – like a stripper at a bad burlesque show – only it’s the audience who have already “taken it all off.” The “Maestro” then moves to one side of the room and whips the towel over his head, his arms wide and the top of the towel brushes the ceiling and more hot, scented steam is force onto the top tiers of the benches and everyone there is then in Dante’s 9^th ring of hell.  The “Maestro” then whips the towel lower, fanning the hot scented, steam to the lower tiers.  The “Maestro” works his way down the tiers – an equal opportunity sadist.  This whole process is then completed again before he moves to the other side of the sauna where the same ritual is completed again.  Then scented ice over the hot rocks, towel ritual again.  Once the second ritual has been completed, everyone goes to the anti-room room where we rub our bodies with ice and stand under incredibly cold showers.  There is one semi-circular of showers (3) where the water gets progressively colder as you walker through this chamber of icy hell. When I say that the water gets progressively colder, I mean that it goes from unbelievable cold to freaking unbelievable cold.   Then back into the sauna, scented ice on hot rocks, ritual, applause for the “Maestro”, backed into the anti-room – ice and icy, cold showers – and you’re done.  The experience is communal, pagan, ritualistic and tribal all in one.  It’s a communal rite of passage – birth, death and rebirth.  I have to admit that I enjoy the communal sauna experience.  We, as human being, are social animals who function best as part a community who share common beliefs and rituals.  In that moment in time and space, a small tribal unit is formed – united by common experience, suffering and ritual. 

I went to both the coed sauna event and the “male only” sauna event – it was “men’s day” at the sauna.  When we checked in at the front desk, the receptionist gave Doris a “wink, wink” when she told her that there special “events” for men on “men’s day”.  I missed the “wink, wink” but Doris told me about it later – she found it amusing.  I prefer the coed sauna.  The all men’s sauna has just too much testosterone – a bit too much locker room mentality.  It’s a bit rowdier, competitive and “good old boy”.   The only “special event” for the men was a shot of schnapps during the first break – again testosterone level shoots up.  The coed sauna is more mellow and harmonious - better for the soul. 

Doris took advantage of the pool for a few laps between sauna sessions – Doris and water.  The pool is really great – Olympic size with thermal mineral water fed into it from the hot springs here in Gastein valley.   I prefer to lie in the sun to maximize the totally pagan experience of the sauna.  I will probably try out the Hammam when I am in Morocco – this is the public bath.  It is probably derived from the Roman public baths but is gender segregated – one more new experience to try.

The sauna was a completely decadent, relaxing experience – hurrah for vacation!

Doris read my log this morning before I published it.  She informed me that the “Maestro” is currently called the “Saunameister”  in Austria but traditionally he or she was called the “Bademeister” – they are still called “Bademeister” in Germany.  Bademeister is actually a trained profession. The Bademeister needed to know something of health so he or she could recognize if someone was having a heart attack or some other adverse react to the heat; how to regulate the temperature – too hot or too cool (no cold in the sauna); the proper sauna “ritual”; and how to control the flow of persons in and out of the sauna if there are space limitations.  The Badmeister is the Zen Meister of the sauna.

Liver dumpling soup...yummy?

Yesterday Doris and I took a short walk from Bad Hofgastein up into the mountains .  Since we arrived, Doris has had a craving for liver dumpling soup so on the way back we stopped at the Grubhof  (farm restaurant) at Jausenstation and Doris ordered liver dumpling soup.  Now before my vegan days I loved liver so for me I could see the reason for the craving.  Doris found the liver dumpling soup good but it did not live up to the expectations of her memory.  I sometimes think that we remember food in emotional contexts with friends or family, an intense personal experience, etc., but when we try to regain that moment through remembered food, the food often does not have the same intense flavor either physically or emotionally that we found in the context of that particular moment.  The Grubhof did have a particular panoramic view of Bad Hofgastein and the mountains – it’s a shame that the liver dumpling soup did not live up to the view.

The Grubhof is part of a family farm and on the day that we were there it was run by the teenage children of the family.  I have noticed at these farm restaurants that the children of the family are often working in the restaurant.  Also, as we hike through these mountain farms, we can see children working with their parents in the fields.  This is similar to the life I experience as a child on a farm – everyone pitched in the get the work done.  Earning a living was a family effort – everyone worked.  I’m sure that this is not prevalent in the more urban areas of Austria but it does reflect a simpler, more agricultural society where survival was more obviously familial and communal than exists today.  I’m not advocating necessarily a return to the “good old days” since much about the “good old days” was simply wrong, but I wonder if a little more “work time” as opposed to “play time” might be better for children in the long run.  It’s would seem that “responsible children” would tend to grow up to be “responsible adults”.  I was listening to the speech at the UN by the 16 years girl who had been shoot by the Taliban because she advocated education for girls.  On one hand it is a shame that children have to advocate for their own rights and freedom but on the other hand, since it appears that the adults aren’t doing it for them, necessity demands that children must get involved if they want change to happen.  She is an incredibly brave and “responsible” young woman.  She is an example not only to children but to the adults, especially politicians, who have failed in their responsibilities to children all over the world.

Other than our hike, yesterday was a lazy day.  We ran some errands in town, did some much-needed laundry and napped.  Later we went into town to catch up on our email.  Doris had quite a bit of email – mostly professional that she had to catch up on.  We have found a particularly good hotspot so everything went smoothly except it was too slow for me to attach some photos to my blog when I did an upload to the web site.  On the way back, we stopped at the Café Schwaiger for some cherry strudel – delicious and then a relaxing evening back at the apartment.

Last night we watched a movie with Senta Berger whom I remember as a boy.  She must be in her 70’s now but she is still a strikingly attractive woman.  It was a light, romantic comedy with a slight, unexpected twist at the end.  I was surprised at how much of the dialogue that I could understand.  It some ways Austria and Germany are beginning to feel like “home”.  Doris and I were discussing how long we had been in Europe – it turns out yesterday was the 8^th day since we flew into Frankfurt and the 9^th days since we flew out of Atlanta (USA).  My life in American is almost like a distant dream – it seems like forever since I left.  Is it distance and the intense immediacy of new cultural experiences that makes my “life in America” seem so distant in my emotional memory?  It is only my friends and family that still seem real and close from my “former life in America”.  But, it is interesting that so short of a time can have such a profound impact on perception and memory.  I wonder if it is only me or do other people have the same reaction to life in a new country and culture?  Europe is a soft landing – it can only intensify once I reach Morocco.

As I sit here on the balcony, listening to the river rush by and the birds singing in the trees, I find my new world at this moment in time and place not a bad place to be.  I do wonder what life in Morocco will be like – so different in culture and language?  We are now on vacation removed, except for emails, from the demands of everyday life with work and both personal and professional obligations so it is easy to enjoy the now in the little paradise of Bad Hofgstein with it’s beautiful mountains, perfect weather and time for Doris and I to be alone together.  But, still I must admit that I’m looking forward to the final move to Morocco with all the new experiences and challenges that it will bring.  But, the best of my new life is sharing it with Doris. 

Hiking in Nassfeld!

Hiking in Nassfeld!

Yesterday we took the bus up to Sportgastein where the road ends at Nassfeld.  Spotgastein is not a town or even a village but a ski lift that is only open during the winter ski season.  It has one restaurant that is closed until winter.  Sportgastein is located at the entrance to Nassfeld, a beautiful alpine valley high above the tree line.  There are number of small farms in the valley and we could see small herds of milk cows and horses as we hike through the valley.  The farms are owned by families who supplement their farm income by creating small restaurants in their homes.  The food served here is simple but delicious – fresh bread, homemade cheese and home cured ham.  You can also purchased “spritzers” made from local berries, beer, wine and schnapps.  The last summer that we were here it was much colder.  I remember when we stopped at one of the alms (farm restaurant) for lunch we sat outside but were bundled up in our jackets against at very cold and cutting wind.  Yesterday when we stopped for lunch, the weather was perfect – the sun was warm with a cool breeze.  We could enjoy the incredibly gorgeous scenery while enjoying our lunch.  There is not much to eat there for a vegan – ham, cheese, milk, butter and butter milk so I had a piece of fresh bread with jam while Doris enjoyed an open face ham sandwich with fresh butter.  Doris also bought some cheese to take home with us.  Doris had to break off a piece of the cheese before we even left the restaurant – delicious. 

After hiking across the Nassfeld we hike up the mountain toward the Hagener Hütte where we had a panoramic view of the Nassfield.  It’s hard to describe the beauty of the mountains and the Nassfeld.  Both the mountains and the Nassfeld are covered with flowers – red, blue, purple, yellow and occasionally white flowers.  The flowers are set against multiple shades of green that give a subtle backdrop the panoramic view.  As you ascend or descend the mountain the flowers change – some disappear and others begin.  I would see an occasional, solitary flower – different from all of the other flowers – which would multiply as I changed altitude and the more numerous flowers would begin to fade.  I saw butterflies, bees and several kinds of ants toiling away oblivious to my existence.  Doris and I stopped at a small stream that flowed down through the Nassfeld from the snow capped mountains.  I took my boots off and sat on the bank, dangling my feet in the water.  Within a few seconds my feet were numb so I quickly pulled them out of the water while Doris is standing knee-deep in a pool at the bottom of a small waterfall, the rushing water massaging her legs.  I waited a minute, five minutes or more waiting for her to emerge from the cold, icy water but she stood there like some mountain nymph oblivious to the bone chilling cold of the water as she experienced some kind of aquatic bliss with a large, beatific smile of joy on her face.  Doris and water – it is a mystery beyond my imagination.

We finished out hike of the Nassfeld and arrived back at Sportgastein.  Rather than wait for the bus there, we decided to hike down the upper valley to Böckstein where we would catch the bus back to Bad Hofgastein.  The path down the valley meanders along a rushing mountain stream with numerous waterfalls.  The stream is tree lined and the wide banks of the small mountain streams that flow into the river are still covered in places by a sheet of ice 3-4 feet thick.  The ice is dirty from dirt washed down from the spring thaw and the streams have undercut the ice during the summer so they flow freely down to the river on the valley floor.  We met hikers and mountain bikes on our way down.  It was a 2 hour hike from Sportgastein to the bus stop in Böckstein and we arrive 15 minutes before the bus was due.  The ride back to Bad Hofgastein was scenic as always.  I enjoy riding through Bad Gastein with its picturesque hotels built on terraces that make them appeared to be suspended in the sky.  It has a slightly other-age elegance that I find incredibly charming.

Doris has finished her newspaper so I will finish my blog for today so we can plan our day – maybe a lazy day after so much hiking and swimming.  

Swimmen in dem Badesee!

Yesterday we walked up to the Badesee, a swimming lake between Bad Hofgastein and Bad Gastein.  It is a 40 minute walk from the apartment along the Achen River.  I like the water but Doris loves the water.  Ever time we get near any body of water – stream, lake, sea or a large puddle – she has to go in.  As soon as we arrived Doris was in the water – she wanted to swim to the other end of the lake and back  - we did.  Doris is graceful and quick in the water like an otter. I, on the other hand, swim with the grace of a rock being dragged through the water. The Badesee is a beautiful, little lake surrounded by mountains.  The water is clear and cold.  It is shaped roughly like a kidney bean – 100 meters wide and a half of a kilometer long.  It has a grassy bank and thick reeds at the far end of the lake.  There is a diving platform in the middle of the lake with two diving boards.  It was covered with children as thick a ticks on a hound dog.  One would dive or jump off and two more would appear. The sun was warm with a cool breeze – a perfect day.  After swimming we sat in the sun.  We read or talked or sat quietly and enjoyed the beauty of the day – we even dozed off a time of two.  There is a small restaurant at the lake with white sand covering the floor– a Tiki Bar Austrian style.  The tables in the bar were built from solid slabs cut from a single huge tree.  All of the craftsmanship here is extra-ordinary, especially the woodwork.  After a pleasant afternoon at the lake, we came home and ate supper on the balcony – always a beautiful view.  We then walked into town for a wi-fi hookup.  The free wi-fi provided by the town sucks.  It is hard to find a good hotspot so we have to keep moving around.  Even when we get access, we keep losing the signal.  It’s very frustrating.  We have decided to hit one of the coffee shops that have “free” wi-fi.  For the price of a cup of coffee, we can get a good reliable wi-fi connection and Doris can enjoy a cup of excellent coffee - maybe we can even share a strudel - yummmy.   On the way home, we stopped at the free concert for a few minutes.  They have one every day from 4-5 pm and 8-9 pm.  Last night it was classical music – very lovely.   We then walked across the park, admiring the meditation garden on the way.  We stayed up until 11 pm watching the news and then off to bed – vacation in paradise.

Sunday in Gastein!

Life is good now but I feel caught between two worlds – my old life in Tallahassee and my new life in Ifrane.  There is so much that I can’t anticipate about Morocco since I have never been there.  It does not seem quite real yet.  Being in Germany and Austria gives me a taste of what Morocco might be like, but in may ways the culture here and in the US are very similar.  One similarity between here and Morocco is not being able to communicate effectively – I think this will be my biggest challenge and the source of my greatest frustration.  It’s like being a lost child (actually a lost idiot-child) who is dependent on the patience and kindness of strangers.  I know I can depend on Doris to smooth the path for me but I need to break that habit fast.  Otherwise, I will never be able to function independently and will become even more frustrated and isolated within a society that I don’t know and can’t understand. In order to make the “otherness” of Morocco “familiar” I need to immerse myself in Moroccan life, culture and language as quickly as I can.  I can’t allow myself to be a “fearful child” but I must be a “fearless and curious child” who is eager to seize every new experience – both the easy and the difficult.  I need to roll with the punches; and, in the best JuBu style, if I accept that life is full of ups and downs, successes and failures, joys and sorrows and it’s all part of the learning process, then I will survive and thrive.  If I don’t attach to the emotion of the moment, I can experience the reality of each moment and learn something new and accept that life is always a cycle of change from good to bad and from bad to good – an endless cycle of life experiences with opportunities for learning and change.   Or in hippie-speak – go with the flow dude!  I often think of what David Levenson, a friend and former professor, once told me – we learn more from our mistakes than our successes.  If that’s so, though, I must be smarter than I think I am – actually I must be a genius. 

It’s really amazing at 62 to be on this grand adventure with Doris.  Thank you Doris- without you this would never have happened.  I know that as long as I hang with you my life will be interesting. 

It’s lazy Sunday in Bad Hofgastein, we may take a hike to a waterfall later today or go sun at the lake.  But, who knows, we are on vacation.  I just checked in on Doris to let her know that I’m trekking to town for a wi-fi fix.  She is watching an hour long, commercial-free show on German TV where all they do is discuss books and this is the second such show she has watched this morning - only in Germany but never in America.  It makes TV worth watching.  I have left the intellectual wasteland of America and I am now in the intellectual Promised Land where education, ideas and culture are valued.

As I send this, I am sitting in the square in Bad Hofgastein, listening to the bells ring at the Catholic Church.  People as wandering through the square and I can hear the patrons at the coffee shop discussing whatever of their lives they find interesting at this moment.  The conversations are often punctuated with  laughter.   There is a languid sweetness to life here.  The sun is warm, the air is cool and a gentle breeze rustles through the leaves.  

In Gastein!

In Gastein:

We arrived in Bad Hofgastein late yesterday afternoon – Bad Hofgastein is located about an hour south of Salzburg in the Gastein valley.  The train ride from Frankfurt to Gastein is about 7 hours.  We took the direct train so we would not have to transfer in Munich.  It turned out that the direct train is direct but stops at every wide spot in the road from Frankfurt to Gastein.  Nevertheless, the train ride was pleasant even though the train was very full.  We had reserved seats so we did not have to stand like many others.  We did take a leisurely lunch in the dining car that was quiet and not crowded.  Doris and I shared a vegetable curry – it was good, especially for travel food, but not excellent as most of the other food that I have eaten in Germany. 

After arriving in Bad Hofgastein, we took the bus into town and got off in the village

Zentrum or center.  It’s a short walk to the apartment from there – everything is a short walk in Bad Hofgastein – and we wanted to stretch out legs and enjoy such a beautiful day after being on the train all day.  We dropped off our bags at the apartment and then walked back into town to the Billa, a local grocery store, where we bought some groceries for the week plus some fresh fruit and vegetables – all locally grown and delicious.  This is strawberry and cherry season in Gastein so we were sure to include then in our fruit selection.  Doris also wanted a small, very bitter red berry - Johannesbeere - which is, dispute it’s sharp, sour taste, addicting.  Back at the apartment we unpacked and then went out to dinner. 

We went to the Kraut and Rüben (cabbage and roots), our favorite vegetarian restaurant.  We took out computer since the Kraut and Rueben has free wi-fi since the apartment does not have wi-fi.  It turns out that all of downtown Bad Hofgastein is an internet “hot spot” with free wi-fi access.   We checked our email and found, to our delight, several emails from our friends which we answered.  Dinner was simple.  Doris had a cream of mushroom soup which was made form a local mushroom, pfifferling  - quite  delicious – which is now in season.  I had a mixed salad and we shared some garlic bread – a simple, but incredibly delicious, meal.  The staff there is extraordinarily friendly and helpful. 

After dinner, we took a long meandering stroll through the town.  We popped into the local Catholic Church.  This was Doris’ father’s favorite church.  It is not huge but is absolutely gorgeous.  Huge pillars support stone arches that sore upward to the heavens.  The church itself is full of ornately carved wood with bright painted statutes.  The stone floor has been worn from centuries of worship so it is rough and uneven.  We continued or wanderings and stopped at a local pastry shop for desert.  We share a Heidelebeer strudel – it’s to die for.  Baked with no sugar, it allows the tart sweetness of the berry to flavor the strudel.  The only sugar is a light dusting of powdered sugar that is added just before it is served which adds just a touch of additional sweetness to the strudel but it would be perfect without it.  We finally completed our stroll by walking through the residential area of the town where we admired the “urban gardens” full of flowers, fruit trees and vegetables.  This took us across the bridge and along the river back to our apartment.  We ended the night by watching the news on Al Jazeera (English version).  I first watch Al Jazeera in Ghana. I was amazed at how good it was.  It was very balanced and professional in its presentation.  Its reporters are from diverse ethnic backgrounds and I was surprised at the number of women reporters, anchors, commentators, etc. It does give a different perspective from the American news services, especially Fox News.  After the news, we went to bed and slept this incredibly long, deep sleep.  The apartment is on the second floor and has a covered balcony that runs the length of the apartment.  The wall adjacent to the balcony is almost all glass so at night we open the windows and doors and let the fresh alpine air lull us into deep slumber.  We are looking forward to our two weeks here – we can sleep, eat, hike and no schedule other than our own. 

This morning I walked into town for Brötchen (rolls) and a newspaper for Doris.  This is out usual routine in Gastein.  Doris usually likes to sleep on later than I do and I like to get out and enjoy the early morning air.  The walk to town from the apartment is quite lovely.  There is this beautiful park between the apartment and the town.  It is unusually large for such a “village”.  It is like an alpine meadow full of wild flowers and trees.  There is a pond near the apartment, a river to the left, three fountains and a formal garden near the town side.  One fountain has five jets of water that shoot up into the air.  There is one central jet that shoots straight up. The other four jets also shoot straight up into the air but from a rotating nozzle that creates this very dynamic, interlocking water sculpture in the air.  The water then falls into an oval pond with an almost asymmetrical rhythm.  It is quite enchanting. 

The park is nestled between two mountain ranges – the Gastein valley here is probably less than a half of a mile wide.  I am surrounded wherever I walk with the most beautiful views. It was cool enough this morning to wear a sweater for the walk into town – eat your heart out Tallahassee.

Doris and I have just finished our breakfast out on the balcony.  We eat all of our meals here unless we go out.  There are no bad views from the balcony  - no matter where you sit, you can see the mountains and the river that flows through the valley.

Doris has finished her newspaper and we are off to whatever adventures the day may bring.

Doris and I went for a hike along the Hohen Weg (imagine an umlaut over the o).  We walked up through the village, past the church and cemetery about a third of the way up the mountain.  We then walked for 2 ½ hours through mountain farms, meadows and woods until we reached Bad Gastein.  Bad Gastein is the last and highest town in the Gastein valley.  Bad Hofgastein is lower and the there is Dorfgastein, etc.  Bad Gastein is an old spa town where the Kaiser Wilhelm would vacation and do his spa thing.  Bad Gastein is built on terraces carved into the stone face of the mountain and as you walked along the Hohen Weg, it appears from the distance to be a some magical city out of an ancient fairy tale suspended in the sky.  We walked down through Bad Gastein to the hiking trail along the Achen River – it is an 1 ½ hour walk to Bad Hofgastein.  We stopped at the Billa and bought some Pfifferling mushrooms and had a simple supper of mushroons sautéed in olive oil with onions and garlic with a touch of pepper for seasoning, a green salad with tomatoes and homemade dressing (Doris) and fresh local strawberries (so sweet I thought Doris had sprinkled them with sugar).  Then a short walk into town for wi-fi access, email check and a little blogging.

A big thanks to everyone who has commented.  As beautiful as it is here, I miss family and friends.  Being able to stay in touch is great.  Love you all -- Mike!