Hiking

Without a car here at the Haus, there aren't many options for the evening's entertainment. We can walk to the Stift for dessert or a drink, but we've done that, and frankly don't need any more desserts! So tonight we decided to go hiking with the Snells up into hills through Preinsfeld, a little village not far from us. It was a gorgeous hike, although it was straight up!

Preinsfeld is a very small little enclave of homes with a cute little chapel. There are rolling hills and farmland, horses, sheep, and barns. If you keep hiking straight through, there are woods above the village where there are the graves of five Nazi soldiers. These soldiers were reportedly killed vigilante style at the end of WWII and buried in the woods. We were losing light but decided to plunge into the woods to search for the graves, which are marked by iron crosses. Miraculously none of us were lost as we tramped through the woods off trail. Unfortunately, try as we might, we did not find the graves. But we did find beautiful views, a dark and moody forest, and a sprinkling of wildflowers in every meadow. What a GREAT end to the day. Oh, and I got to make baklava today - bonus!

I love seeing new things, and Vienna and Baden were certainly new, but hiking in the countryside may be my favorite thing so far, I think. The air is fresh, everything is green, the farms and farmhouses are immaculate . . . just wonderful. I hope people who visit the states from other countries take time to visit our countrysides and byways as well - not just the parks (although those are beautiful) but also the natural beauty around us every day.

Translation: Here I Watch!