December 31, 2005

Indeed, we’re waiting for dinner and then either we will go out or stay here. Kim and I have hooked up, sort of, with the British contingent. This is after all an all British organized vacation. We’re just tagging along.

Today, the weather and the snow was California perfect. It was around 28 degrees F, between -5 and -2 C. (I think it actually got above freezing today.) Much better than yesterday. We took a lesson, ach, there goes the British, ;-), today and then went skiing. The snow was so soft that it slowed everything down, making the blue trails (green cicle in the US) bunny trails and the red (US = blue square) trails blue (US = green circle) and the blacks more reddish etc. I got to practice my parallel stop, read hockey stop.

We´re having a good time in the inn we are in. The innkeepers are very nice a speak a little bit of English. My German is much better and so I can do more than get by.

All over the trails, there are lodges cum cafes cum restaurants, called Alms, usually with Hütte or hut, in the name. So, we have not had to use our water bottles or the camelbak. Today, we stopped in a picture perfect, sun beating down, winter wonderland, with wait service and outside chairs and chaise lounges. That beats California all to heck and gone. Had lunch and a couple of drinks (Jagatee) and then went out a skiied for another 2 hours. I also practiced and got my hockez stop working, kind of, and really got my glide going. (Remember we’re doing XC skiing here.)

Vienna was fantastic. However, I gained a ton of weight, even though yes we were walking everywhere. We had a great time and the advent markets, though more commercial and we thought they’d be, were fun with lots of Glühwien (glög) and Maroni (chesnuts) roasting on an open fire. I was ready to get out of vienna and start traveling. Salzburg was great but too citified for me. Innsbruck was a nice change but again, city and no skiinig. However, this is in the middle of basically no where or at least no where-esque and it’s beautiful.

Manni, our instructor, is pretty good. Now as good as some of our Aussie instructors but good. This place gives Royal gorge a run for it’s money even though no real ski in or ski out from this hotel. However, it’s cheaper and we get our own room. Though at Royal Gorge they give dinner every night.

We had a nice torch lit walk to an Alm for dinner last night. Real torches, not flash lights, and up the side of the moutain to Möserersee Alm. Mösern is the town’s name and See means lake. Möserersee. Good food. Real good. Pork roast. We’ve been happy with the food. Breakfast is coldcuts and müseli and you can order a perfect soft boiled egg for extra money.

There is only one or two beers here in this country. I ain’t kidding people. We’ve see Steigl and a Dunkles or Malz, a dark beer and maybe one or two more. Vienna had a couple more but that’s a big city. Here it’s a bleedin’ wonder when we get the Dunkles. (Oops, the English are rubbing off on me. 🙂 America has surpassed Europe, excepting Belgium, in beer manifacturing and has surpased all of Europe in variety. Yeah, we rock.

Having said that, this is a wonderful place to ski, eat, drink beer or just look at the beautiful scenery. Even when it’s -20 C, 2 or 5 F, it’s beautiful. We’re spoiled with the California temp and Royal Gorge has it’s gorge but that’s just one view while the views here never stop.

Dinner is coming. More later. Oh, and we no longer hurt. Yesterday, we were kaput but today, we rocked. Feelin’ good. Ja, the snow was slow but it was still happening.