Hiking is a major sport. There are paved and unpaved hiking trails all over the area and in neighboring countries. Many people do what is called Nordic hiking where you walk with what look like two ski poles. I have asked what the poles really do for you and was told that they help you to walk faster, set a rhythmic pace, and then in steep terrain, help with balance. This past weekend, we went on our own hike as a family down to the Austrian Alps to a town called Mittelberg. The scenery was spectacular, and guest houses crop up in the least expected places. When we reached a good place to stop, we came upon one of these guest houses. We never did figure out how people who come to stay there overnight or who are unable to manage walking up the trails would get to this place, since it is out on an Alpine meadow in the middle of nothing, but somehow they do. We stopped for ice cream as they were still serving refreshments, food, and desserts when we arrived, but instead of continuing up to the top of the mountains, we had to turn back so that we would not run out of daylight. Below are some pictures of the scenery.
Many of these places are considered peak season all year round. In the winter and spring, these mountains would be covered with snow. The ski lifts are scattered across each of the mountains almost like ice cream sprinkles. They also have gondolas that take people to the tops of the mountainsides. These are less numerous, but there are still an impressive number of these. In summer and fall, people climb the mountains regularly with their Nordic poles. I expect we will become avid hikers before it is all said and done, as I do enjoy a beautiful walk.
The question for today is: Is the alphabet the same?
The word for today is: Österreich. This is the German word for Austria. It is pronounced Urst er rich (where the "u" is kinda like in fern and where the "i" is like in kite and the "ch" is like that cat coughing up a fur ball sound)
Auf Wiedersehen,
Frau Spitzer
