A ski trip to Austria

Kitzbuhel, Austria

Our cozy mountain chalet.

As a 40th birthday gift to me and a once-in-a-lifetime splurge for each other, Travis and I took a trip to Austria to ski in the Alps. We flew into Salzburg, Austria, and then rode a train for two hours into Kitzbuhel. The train ride was really interesting. We went through several quaint Austrian towns and gradually made our way into the mountains. Eventually, our train rode along rails in a valley of very steep mountains that rose up on either side of the tracks. Having spent half a year in Denmark where there are no mountains or even real hills, the Alps were a very welcome sight! Once in the mountains, we could see that every town we stopped at or rode through had its own ski hill. The mountains seemed to be covered in chairlifts and ski runs. No wonder the Austrians are such great skiers! I asked the driver, who took us from the train station to our hotel, if he is a skier. He answered, somewhat incredulously, "Of course. If you live here, you ski."

We took this from the balcony of our hotel room. Not a bad view!

The little city of Kitzbuhel is a picture-perfect alpine village. I so loved walking through the streets to see the architecture of the unique buildings. Our hotel, too, was picturesque! It was a little chalet outside of town, and we had a beautiful view of the mountains off our back deck. All around our hotel, cross country ski trails cut through the open spaces and led into the forested areas. On our train ride we had also seen countless cross country skiers. The Austrians have definitely made a lifestyle out of playing in their snow.

We were so lucky with the weather! We enjoyed blue skies and sun every day we skied. The skiing was amazing! We even found areas of untouched powder that let us leave our mark on Austria. :) And the terrain was more than we could have covered if we had had an entire week to ski! Kitzbuhel has over 100 miles of terrain, and 53 chairlifts--most of which carry 9 skiers per chair and have seat warmers--and gondolas. It is absolutely immense. (And all of this cost us just 39 euros per day, which is about $41. Incredible.)

"Where to begin?"

The trail map.

Time for a ski-angel.

One of the many gondolas holds 30 passengers and carried us across a valley, more than 5,500 feet below, to another mountain peak which led to an entire ski area the size of most large resorts I've been too.

At the official start gate
for the Downhill.

The variety of terrain was really fun--especially for Trav, who can actually ski all of that terrain. Kitzbuhel has everything--super steep, moguls, powder. The annual World Cup Alpine Ski Races--including the Downhill, Super-G, and Slalom--are held in Kitzbuhel every January. (The hotel owner told us that 40,000 people come for the weekend!) The course for the Downhill is CRAZY steep in places. I skied off into different terrain where the course got super steep, but Trav had fun making his run down the world famous course. It was so fun to ski where the best in the world ski!

Looking down on the valley from the start gate.

Perhaps the most striking element of Kitzbuhel is the phenomenal view from the top. I wish the pictures could adequately portray how striking it is. I have never seen anything like it. Thanks to the gorgeous blue skies, we enjoyed panoramic views from the top of every peak. And it was INCREDIBLE--the kind of view that genuinely takes your breath away. The Alps are stunning. It felt like a privilege just to see them. Truly the most spectacular mountains I have ever seen.

Of course, we couldn't really experience Austria without trying new foods. Between not always being able to make sense of the menu and knowingly ordering foods like "cheeks of ox," we enjoyed some interesting and delicious Austrian cuisine. We tasted wiener schnitzel, beef broth soup with strips of pancake, something like blueberry crepes that were incredible, goulash, and delicious soufflet. We ate in everything from quaint to fancy restaurants--all with great Austrian ambiance. Probably my favorite meal was a simple one of goulash and pasta that we ate outside on the deck of one of the many ski lodges on the hill. The Austrian ski lodge nestled into the side of the mountain, the good food, the warm sun, the surrounding white mountain peaks, the variety of languages being spoken around me, and the company of my favorite skiing buddy made it perfect.

Enjoying my hot chocolate AND my whipped cream mustache.

Love Austrian ski lodges!

Lunch on the deck at the lodge.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         


We spent our last day in Austria exploring the city of Salzburg. Although without an alpine flare to its architecture, Salzburg has a very Austrian style. We covered miles on foot that day, so saw a great deal of the city. The old town is surprisingly full of churches. We went into a few, walked by a few, and climbed to the top of the old fortress and saw the steeples of many more. 

























Salzburg is also the birthplace of Mozart and where he lived for much of his life. Travis was a good sport and went with me to both the home where he was born and the one in which he was later raised. (As typical, though, Travis ended up spending more time reading museum plaques than I did!) It was really neat to see Mozart's own piano and violin, and even some of his original manuscripts. 

Home where Mozart was born.

Mozart's first violin.

    






 Salzburg is also where "The Sound of Music" was filmed. It may surprise some of you to know that I am NOT a big enough fan to pay an exorbitant price to ride the tour van painted with scenes from the movie and visit all the movie scene sites around the city. :) Trav did humor me, however, and we walked through the gardens where the Von Trapp children first learn to sing "Do Re Mi."

In front of the garden fountain in "The Sound of Music."

Salzburg

Loved these baked goods shaped
like snowmen and skiers.

Not sure why I always end up in the pictures of food,
but this apple pretzel was fantastic!

                                                                                                                                                             Austria was a great experience! Of course, I would have enjoyed time with Travis anywhere, but Austria was a treat. I find that the more countries, landscapes, and cultures I'm exposed to, the more I want to visit and learn about others. What a cool world!

Berlin, Norway, Sweden, Guatemala

Berlin

A mural painted on what Maurie
calls the 'artistic' portion of The Wall.

One of the best things about living in Europe is that when your daughter's history class studies World War II, they take a trip to Berlin. How cool is that!? Maurie and her class were only in Berlin for two days, but they were able to see several important sites.     

Part of the original Wall--without murals.

Maurie seemed most impressed by the Berlin Wall and the Jewish Memorial Museum.

Mural on The Wall

The Jewish Memorial Museum

This outdoor section of The Jewish Memorial Museum was impressive. Maurie explained that the number of these concrete slabs is vast and their size becomes towering, as the ground slopes down. Apparently, the memorial was designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere--representing a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason.

Maurie also had fun roaming and shopping with friends, eating out, and going to the top of the TV Tower.
  

The TV Tower, or Fernsehturm:
known to be a symbol of Berlin
and the tallest structure in Germany.

View from the tower

  

Flowers at the French Embassy in Berlin just after the terrorist attack in Paris.

  

Norway & Sweden

Travis and Kyle went on a fun ski trip in January. They flew into Trondheim, Norway and skied for two days in Are, Sweden (a two hour drive from the airport in Norway). They had a great time! They really had fun exploring a bit of Norway and Sweden. And skiing in Europe was a bucket-list item for both of them! 

All the Scandinavian flags--plus one for
the resort in Are, Sweden.

Trondheim Cathedral and site of the Norwegian Pilgrimage for Saint Olav,
king of Norway in the 11th century. 

Trondheim, Norway

Headed to church at the LDS chapel in Trondheim.

The most notable observation they made in Norway was that the Norwegians have no fear of the cold. Travis said on Sunday when they went to church and then walked around the city, it was almost blizzard-like conditions. It was windy, cold, and snowing, but there were people out everywhere! Families with small children and strollers, and even people on bikes were all over the parks and city as if it were a warm, spring day. The only difference, he said, was that they were bundled up with boots, snow pants, and etc., and riding their bikes across snow-packed, icy roads. Kyle added that, while he and Travis walked gingerly across the ice-packed roads covered by a thin layer of snow, these Nordic folks rode bikes and walked along as if there were no winter conditions at all--and for two boys from northern Idaho to be outdone in their winter adeptness, that's really saying something! I'm sure Norwegians have to be tough with such long, dark winters. 

While in Sweden, Travis and Kyle walked around on the frozen lake one evening watching the snowmobiles, and even dog-sleds cruising around. These Scandinavians have figured out how to enjoy the winter, for sure! 

This picture says it all!
These kayakers are just pulling out from the ocean.

Enjoying their afternoon walk through Trondheim, Norway.

Guatemala

Before Kyle left for his mission, we had a 'Guatemala Party' to celebrate with him. We had friends over to sample Guatemalan cuisine, play games, visit, and enjoy some hygge time with us. It was a really fun night that made us feel grateful to have a missionary and grateful for friends. 

Kyle chatting in front of the 'Guatemala Wall' complete
with flag, map, and fun facts. :)

Although initially leery of the
Guatemalan food choices, we were all pleasantly surprised
by how tasty dinner was! I'm
eager to hear from Kyle how authentic our recipes were.

Even a thumbs up on dinner from this crew!

Still not sure if this means a thumbs up from the peanut gallery or not!

The Guatemala Party was a night of fun, but things got serious when we pulled out our "Ligretto" card game. Casual chit-chat around the table was replaced by cutthroat intensity as the card game heated up. And all the usual courtesy of speaking English for the language-challenged Americans was replaced by Danish in an effort to tease and exchange banter as fast as the cards were flying. It was some really fun competition and a good reminder of how blessed we are to have found good friends here! 

The final days before Kyle's departure were emotional ones. Somehow we made it to the airport and said our final goodbyes. After we left the airport Ben asked, "Is there anything that can make you fall asleep for two years?" He articulated well the feeling we all share that we hope the time goes by quickly. Mixed with the really tough moments of tears throughout the last several days, though, there has been an abundance of wonderful moments of family fun and peace. I'm feeling very blessed and grateful.

The final 'look back.'