Skiing the Alps

During the week of the President’s Day holiday we headed to the Alps in Austria to get in some skiing.   Such a trip is not only the MAIN reason we chose to live in Europe for a few years, but it has also been the life-long dream to ski the Alps for Jason……a bucket wish list item # 1 if you will. 

Our destination was St. Anton, Austria. The venue for the ski world championships in 2001, St. Anton in Arlberg is considered the ski capital of Austria and one of Europe's best ski resorts.  It has also become one of the world's Mecca’s for ski bums. That's a reflection of the wonderful, tough off-slope runs available in the bowls below the Valluga - the best that Austria allegedly has to offer.  There are actually five different ski areas to explore: St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stuben, Zürs, and Lech (the last three a short bus-ride away…..that can be an adventure in itself).  

Driving down to Austria we were a bit anxious toward the conditions that awaited us. In spite of the heavy snow that had blessed the slopes in most of December and January, most of the areas in the Alps had received zero accumulation since January 25^th.   Three solid weeks of sun and cold temperatures at 6,000 feet……sounds like a vertical ice skating rink more than anything else.  There was a low pressure forecasted for the weekend….maybe we would get lucky for a few fresh centimeters. 

We arrived late Sunday night after surviving an interesting commute through long tunnels and hours of heavy snow storms.  Skiing the first day on fresh accumulation looked promising.  When the alarm went off in the early morning our hopes were confirmed, but there was a price to pay: heavy clouds and continued snow storms.  Not a problem, we have all week, so we thought this would be good for us to enjoy the lack of crowds and explore the different areas and find a few good runs for when the visibility improved. 

The plan was working great and Monday was a good day to get the ski legs back.  A little difficult to see, but still manageable.  Tuesday was a completely different story.  Visibility was limited to less than 5 meters…..maybe 20 feet in front of you.  Not a big deal if you know the terrain and are familiar with the runs.  We were neither so we created a routine of skiing to the next trail marker.  Seriously….we could not see the next trail marker less than 50 meters away..…the clouds were that thick.  So Tuesday was deemed “work on your form” day on the intermediates. 

On Wednesday the clouds moved on and we awoke to a perfect sun-filled blue sky.  Not only this, but the snow storms of the past few days had left behind a good 12 inches of un-touched powder.  Yummy.  The downside of St. Anton is that it can get crowded when the conditions are just right.  Uh, yeah….we can confirm this.  The line waiting for the Gondola to open was crazy…….much like the lines the night before Black Friday.  The first tracks were worth it though and we had one of the best ski days ever.  The views were not that bad as well.

 





We are all smiles.....a natural side effect when skiing powder in the Alps.  

On this very run the day before (Tuesday) we could not see far enough ahead to spot the next trail markers....nor enjoy the amazing views.

I nearly skied into this "sculpture" half-buried in the middle of the run.  We found many more of this figures later in the week and learned this was a month-long "art exihibit".  Good thing we opted to not ski off-piste the day before....these things were made of iron.  Ouch. 

After a long day skiing at Stuben, we were in the process of skiing back to the main village of St. Anton.  Part of this route requires taking a very short lift to the next chair lift.  In addition to the infamous T-bar, they have created a covered tunnel equiped with a moving belt that will take the skier to the same destination.  The covered tunnel was quickly referred to as "the tunnel of shame"........ 

....and one of us opted to "enjoy" this magical ride.  I'm above calling people out on not taking the T-bar when available though....so no names. 

The view near the top towards the end of the day. 

The best part of skiing: enjoying a nice warm beverage after a long day on the slopes.  Apre's skiing was top notch here with the most popular places located on the hill.  Andrea enjoying a warm tasty beverage while people watching.

Our view from the balcony....hours of endless entertainment watching skiers navigate heavily skied-out slopes on the last run of the day. 

Thursday.  The weather was just as good as Wednesday.  Another perfect day in the Alps. 

One of the best powder runs I found during the week.  In spite of the crowds, finding un-touched powder was incredibly easy.  In the states the fresh stuff is gone before noon.  Not here......it lasted days.  What am I missing?!??  Some might wonder what it is like to ski powder in the Alps.  I liken it to the Rockies: very light, but not "champagne powder" that can be found in Colorado or Utah.  I'll take it though.....way better than the "northwest cement". 

The views never got old. 

Our view from the deck as we enjoyed a lunch break.  Not a bad view.....

A great find: a long un-touched powder run void of any skiers or snowboarders.  What a dream....... 

Looking down on the village of St. Christoph.

A hopeful wish: Andrea's future business in the heart of the Alps.  Milch is German for Milk, Andrea's nickname by many friends....and husband. 

The only mass transit that I look forward to taking each morning: the Gondola.  This was no ordinary Gondola.....the two massive wheels lift the car from the cable down to the loading platform and then back up again to the cable before it rushes people up the mountain. 

At Zürs you will find an old school Gondola......like the 60's old school.

The car comes equipped with handles and is operated by a person inside the car. 

The view looking down from the car as we rode to the top.

Skiing down about half way to enjoy the view. 

A map showing two of the five ski areas.....

With the week of skiing over we left feeling satisified and a bit sore.  For our route home we opted to take the local pass versus the 15 kilometer long tunnel.  The views were amazing.....so I grabbed the camera and began clicking away as we drove down the pass. 

The last picture I took before the co-pilot, who doubles as the CEO of our relationship, ordered me to surrender the camera and focus on driving. 

The pass that connects the ski areas of St. Christoph with Zürs and Lech.  A narrow, one-lane road cut into the side of the mountain.  Earlier in the week when our bus "met" a large truck coming the opposite direction I thought we were done.  However, both drivers knew what they were doing and everyone made it to their destination safely.  Impressive......

One of many avalanche tunnels that we encountered on our drive down the pass.

 

Our first ski vacation to the Alps and I have to say that it was nearly perfect.  Great conditions, excellent food, and really fun people from all over Europe.  So how many vacations can we take to the Alps before it gets old?  We intend to find that answer.........

New Year, New Place, Same Country

2010 ended with some exciting news for us: we found a great apartment within our village to move into.  Why were we looking for a new apartment?  Well, our first apartment was intended to be a stepping stone that would allow us to get settled in and see some sights.  The plan was to take our time finding the right place to live....perhaps a few months. We didn't plan on the process taking 10 months but this new place was certainly worth the wait.  Not only is it over 35 square meters larger, it comes with a garage (rare to find here in Germany) and a his and hers bathroom ("his" being the smaller of the two, of course).

With limited furniture our move was a breeze.  Well, except for the larger than life Shrank (portable closet) that refused to leave the former apartment quietly.  Should have known that assembling a massive piece of furniture in a small room would result in trouble down the road.  I'm happy to report that thanks to the ingenious window designs here in Germany, the Shrank came with us.  The windows open either with a tilt from the top, or swing all the way out....which is quite convenient when moving furniture. 

After a marathon day of back and forth between the two places (the distance between the two is about 1 block), we quickly cleaned up, grabbed something to eat, and prepared to bring in the New Year Germany style. 

New Year's Eve, or Silvester as it is called throughout many countries in Europe including Germany, is not all that different from the states.  Well, there is one key difference: the fireworks.  Now, when I say fireworks, I mean the kind you find at typical 4th of July celebrations in the States.  During the week leading up to Silvester the local stores here will sell these massive fireworks to anyone that wants to bring in the New Year with a bang....a very large bang.  As the magical hour approached, everyone at our party headed outside to watch the shows.  It was incredible to see so many people throughout our village celebrate the bringing in of the new year by taking almost the entire HOUR to put on an impressive firework show. 

So it is the beginning of February....why did it take this long to post events that took place over a month ago?  Well the internet connection to the new place was a bit of a process to establish.  Far from what you would find in the good ol' US of A, some things such as internet connection move at a slower pace here.  We were happy to finally receive internet connection in mid-January only to have it disrupted a few days later.  So after some interesting phone calls to the internet company, I am proud to say that we are now officially back up and on-line. 

We will leave you with a few views from the deck on the new place.  It's not that we minded the view of the cow pasture at the old place, but I think we moved up in the scenery category with this move.  I think it is safe to say that when the warm weather arrives you will certainly find us out on the deck working on some serious tan lines. 

The view from our living room.

Christmas Markets

Since our arrival to Germany last February we have been told by many people to set aside the weekends of December for the annual Christmas Markets (or Weihnachtsmarkt in German).   These annual markets take place in nearly every village and city throughout Germany and typically run from the last week of November through Christmas Eve (or the weekend before).   

The origin of Christmas Markets dates back several centuries to the time when regular seasonal markets were held throughout the year.  A festive meeting place for the locals and a market for homemade Christmas ornaments and decorations, the Christmas Market was a nice change of pace during the cold winter months and became an event welcomed by the weary villagers. 

Today you will find all kinds of Christmas merchandise and gifts: wood-carved toys, marionettes, candles, nutcrackers, cookie tins, glass balls, and tin tree ornaments.  Of course with so much to see, proper nutrition is important.  Grilled sausages, roasted nuts, gingerbread biscuits (known as 'Lebkuchen'), and the traditional gluhwein wine are found throughout every market. 

Our plan heading into the Christmas Market season was to visit a few local markets while also venturing out to the larger cities within a few hours drive from our village.  Our first market fell on the weekend of Thanksgiving and was held in the village just over the hill from us in Dudeldorf.  This market has the reputation as being one not to miss and after attending we agreed.  This particular market takes place over one weekend, which is a bit different than traditional markets, but the setting is spectacular.  The narrow cobblestoned streets that make up the heart of Dudeldorf transform into a busy stream of market-goers.  While most stands are temporary and sitting along the road, some of the homes and garages are transformed into a temporary showcase.  Very intimate to say the least. 

The next weekend we made our way back to one of our favorite cities: Cologne.  The market takes place in the shadow of the famous Dom Cathedral, making it one of the more popular markets in Germany.

Immediately the reputation for being very popular was confirmed.  A good thick crowd meandering in between the hundreds of stands and I became thankful for the tall towers of the Dom: you will never get lost in this market. This picture reminds me of the fun favorite book: Where is Waldo?  Can you spot Andrea and our friend Gretchen in this crowd?  

Even through the cold and wind we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the Cologne Christmas Market.  When it started to snow lightly we were very excited by the prospect of a white Christmas.  Yeah, little did we know how much snow was to come (more on that later). 

Leaving the Cologne market and looking back, it is easy to see why this particular venue is so popular.  

The following weekend we planned on visiting the Christmas Market in the city of Trier, Germany (a short 30 minute drive or train ride from our village).  That was before the "once in a 20 year snow storm" rolled in and dropped 12 inches, or 30.5 centimeters, of fluffy white powder.  Instead of heading to Treir, we enjoyed getting to know our neighbors better as we worked to remove the snow from our village roads.  Oh well.  We are grateful that we experienced two fantastic markets during our first Holiday season and look forward to next December. 

A White Christmas in Germany

The snow that fell in Germany and throughout Europe the week before Christmas was quite something.  The initial snow storm dropped around 8 inches or so, making driving and walking around manageable.  However two days later the second act arrived delivering another 6 inches in the span of a few hours on a Sunday afternoon that resulted in a fun-filled day of snow shoveling, if one considers shoveling snow "fun". 

The recycle canister on the right was not disturbed from the intial snow storm while the one on the left reflects only the second act of the snow fall. 

To help provide prospective, my glove measures in at 11 inches. 

This is not the 'knee deep in powder' that I prefer.  For those fellow skiers in the audience, yes, this was one of those times where every hill looked like a few good turns waiting to happen.  I wonder how the local farmers would feel if they awoke one day and found 'S' turns carved into their snow-covered fields? 

Andrea looking down our snow-covered street. 

On Christmas morning we decided to take advantage of the historical storm by grabbing our snow shoes and explore the surrounding hills and forests.  The combination of bitter cold (around 25 Fahrenheit or -4 Celsius) and clear skies made for a "refreshing" walk.  Right away the views were worth the cold nose and cheeks.

A few minutes later and we were greeted by a flock of sheep enjoying their morning breakfast.

Andrea is of course all smiles.  Snowshoeing in fresh powder and animals are some of her favorite things. This Christmas was out to a great start. 

Looking back to our village on top of the ridge.  It's amazing how quickly you can travel a far distance when you are having a great time. 

More animals, only this time it is deer.  The curious stares made me wonder: which has them more confused....our snow shoes or the fact that people are willingly out in this bitter cold?  Probably both. 

Heading into the woods and capturing one of the thousand picture-perfect views.

A short distance later and Andreas notes some peculiar tracks in the snow followed by a mysterious sound in the woods.  I jokingly comment that perhaps it is a hungry wild Boar that is happy to see his breakfast walking through the woods.  Not a smart comment to make when one of us has no interest in EVER seeing a wild Boar in the woods.  So being the Mighty Mountain Man, I take the standard "look around". 

First to the left.

Next to the right.

And finally behind us.  Nothing spotted other than beautiful forest covered in fresh snow. 

Heading out of the woods and looking through the trees to the valley below and hill on the other side.

We stopped to take in the view.  Wow. 

The blue skies was a welcomed sight and we enjoyed this break taking in the moment.  Then again, Andrea might have been wondering why I failed to bring along the thermos filled with hot chocolate that would have been perfect at about this time.  Oops. 

Looking out to the village of Erdorf. 

After climbing up the hill out of Erdorf, we stopped to catch our breath and enjoyed the first stages of what would be an amazing sunset.

Almost to our village and we stopped to say 'seasons greetings' to our "wild neighbors" the Sika Deer.

The next stage of the amazing sunset.  This picture was taken on the hill just on the outside of our village. 

Our village in sight and the promise of once again feeling our noses and faces motivates us to a faster pace.

We climbed the last hill, caught our breath, and thoroughly enjoyed the final acts of the amazing sunset. 

This was our first Christmas in Germany, meaning it was the opportunity to begin new traditions.  We had such an incredible time snowshoeing that I believe we have discovered a new tradition to be repeated for as long as we are here.....and maybe beyond that.  After all, what is more peaceful and in the spirit of Christmas than spending time outdoors with sheep?