Day 3- Higher Ground

Monday morning and I was so ready to go. I've wanted to do a real "Sommerroedelbahn" (Luge) for ages and we just happen to be an hour away from Tirol's longest. There was definitely a slower pace having breakfast and getting around- the reality of vacation setting in... The drive took us past a 150 year old stone bridge suspended hundreds of feet above us as well as down tight, winding, two-lane mountain roads. I thought of any number of 80's drama series' where nearly every week someone would drive over a cliff after the brake lines were cut. I stuck my head into Rick Steves and tried to lose myself... As we neared our destination Klaus started talking about "die Zugspitze." I really wasn't paying attention- my mind was on the 18 wheeler in front of us willing it to stay on the steep road. Finally, I listened to him long enough to hear that the "Zugspitze" is the highest point in Germany and a border between the two countries. We'd taken a wrong turn and now were right at the base of this mega-mountain... "We should go up, I had no idea we were so close..." Klaus sounded like a ten-year-old girl who'd stumbled on Hannah Montana's tour bus at a rest stop. I abandoned my bob-sledding dream for the time being. Klaus doesn't ask for much- it was going to be great. We were both a little surprised at the cost of riding to the top but this qualified as a "once-in-a-lifetime-experience." We waited to board the enclosed lift with around 40 other people. The ride up was splendid and quick; it left our ears popping. 9,718 ft later we were headed to the panoramic restaurant for an Austrian lunch complete with schnitzel and Knoedel. Later, we strolled around the weather station and tourist exhibits. Crossing the mile-high border we took advantage of being back in Germany and called Klaus's folks (no roaming fees). While the boys talked to Oma and Opa and regaled them with stories about our apartment and the long drive I found an empty corner and took a minute to enjoy the peace and quiet. Standing there, on top of the world, it was impossible to not think of all that's happened over the past year and a half. Such an abundance of loss... I felt very close to my dad and Mikey there, under the wide blue sky. I cried because I would never be able to hike through the Alps with my dad, and because the boys wouldn't be able to tell their Grampy about the gliders flying below us... But I savored the moment, too- alone among hundreds of people from all around the world and right in the middle of everything. By nature of my incurable romanticism I searched the sky for "a sign" that they were there- some sort of definitive proof... They were both with us. We would keepthem with us. By the time Sebastian ran up to inform me that we were going to eat a "Dampfnudel" at the cosy outdoor cafe I'd dried my eyes. There we met a Finnish father and his 11-year-old son who had just climbed the highest point of the mountain in seven hours- very impressive especially considering that the father was smoking Marlboro Menthols.... An Asian family asked us to take their picture and offered to take ours. We took off our jackets in the afternoon sun and listened to all of the languages around us... The confident Americans discussing European beer and the smug Germans complaining about the smog over Munich. French, Italian, Japanese- everyone sharing the view and the moment. Before we headed down we stopped in the Zugspitze museum. Small and very imformative, it was a definite highlight of the trip so far. On the lift ride down we spotted our car alone on the grass. Then I got my sign- a song I hadn't heard in years. If the boys noticed me crying behind my sunglasses they didn't mention it. We headed back to Kappl stopping along the way at a chic little grocery store. We got everything we needed for dinner and breakfast the following morning. After a simple meal we played a couple of card games and shared some chocolate- we went to bed early and slept without troubles.

Up, Up, and...Further up

Day 2- July 26, 2009

Everyone got up early. It was a sunny Sunday and the first real day of vacation. We had a cozy breakfast and the boys managed to get ready without too much drama. We decided to head into town for a couple of kitchen necessities and we knew that the bakery would be open in the morning...like their neighbors to the North, Austrians apparently can't go without their daily bread. I had the fabulous idea that we should walk... it's only about a mile and the sun was shining, and the river was rolling, and the edelweiss blooming... Boots on, and los geht's! So, without overstating the obvious (in retrospect) a mile on flatland is a little different than a mile uphill. Obstacles aside, there were highlights to our first trek; the boys finding gooey snails and a gorgeous wildflower bouquet that's still in the kitchen. We stopped frequently to enjoy the view and catch our breath, I guess it takes awhile to adjust to an altitude of 4,000 ft. The hike down was a lot more enjoyable- we followed the river. Sebastian went hunting for four-leaf clovers and Christopher threw any loose stones within sight into the river.
This was the only day thus far that we had a real plan. A "local" (on top of the mountain) amusement park- Sunny Mountain- was having their annual Summerfest with all sorts of special events. We took the lift up to the park and were once again gobsmacked at the view. We were greeted by the clearest lake- reflecting blue sky and green pine trees surrounded by a big playground, a tubing track, kett-car rally, and mountain huts. The boys were ready to go but Klaus was eyeing the next lift up. He said that he just wanted to see the view from "the top." OK, how long could that take? Again, we boarded the lift and up we went. This time, as we were transported upwards there was a new sound to break the unbelievable silence.... Bells- cowbells. The cows WAY up there (around 6,000 ft) really wear them- who knew? As much as I loved the peacefulness I was also terrified that Christo was going to take off over the edge- he is my insane grumpy Staff Sergeant and it was a real possibility. We took off our jackets and sat down far from any steep ledges to a small picnic lunch with fresh rolls baked with Caraway seeds and apples. The peak was calling to Klaus- another 1,000 ft- but I was skeptical. It was early and I didn't want to turn the boys off of hiking on the first day out- especially after the morning's escapades. We decided that we will return to in a few days to tackle the peak after we all get a bit more acquainted with the rhythms and demands of climbing.
The four of us spent the rest of the afternoon playing in a mountain stream, racing kettcars, hopping on kitschy inflatables, and people watching. Several hours later we traveled back down the mountain exhausted, smiling, and a little sunburned. We treated the kids to an ice cream (the lady at the shop was so excited to speak English- she'd just returned from a month long California adventure) and headed back to Kappl. We explored the church in its full baroque glory and the surrounding cemetary, where not a single inch of space goes to waste. Later, we returned to the apartment where K-dog made a delicious Austrian dinner and we headed to bed wondering what adventures the next days would bring.....

Pix from Day 1

A few pix from the drive down