Austria - There is no place like Alm in Bad Hofgastein

Mountain Restaurants 
One of the great delights of a holiday in Austria is to drop in at a mountain restaurant. Put the gloves on the stove and warm up with a hot soup! Bad Hofgastein is well endowed with excellent eateries.

Baerstein Alm 

Summer view at the Baerstein

At the top of the Schlossalmbahn train at Kitzstein turn left and about 400m on the left is the Barstein Alm. Non-skiers can walk down. When the conditions are right you can also ski down on H4. In 2011 the lack of snow has meant that this has not been such a regular haunt.

Nice family run house with great food. Off the main routes so a bit quieter and well worth the diversion in high season. Friendly waitress service which, apart from anything else, avoids carrying a tray wearing ski boots on a wet floor! That's probably more risky than ski-ing. Deer is very good here when it is on the menu. The schnapps is a bit special, schh! secret recipe! Has accommodation. To us it almost feels like we are visiting someone's home. Particularly nice in Summer as it is on some of our favourite walking paths and on a regular bike circuit.

Kleine Scharte Lift station

A large restaurant with service and self service areas at the top of the cable car. There's a large sun terrace up there. Ideal if you are meeting a non-skier. There is also an outside bar. Open all year.

Hamburger Hutte

Just to the right of the 6 person Weitmoser chair, lots of character. Traditional food with good service. Can get busy when the large Scandinavian groups are in residence. On sunny days, there is often a queue outside, where there is a snow bar, but seats are available inside. Waitress service inside. Closed in summer. Has accommodation.

Weitmoser Schlossalm

Large self-service or waiter service restaurant on the busy ski junction just to the left of the Weitmoser chair as you take the ascent. Food is good with some interesting dishes. There is normally a special dish in a massive pot on the counter. Very comfortable inside, our favourite spot is a turret on the far left of the entrance that overlooks the chair-lift and town. Has a large sunny terrace. Closed in summer.

Feldinghutte

On the run down to Angertal on H31/H32  friendly family run spot with an Austrian feel. Often has music outside on the large terrace. Not a big menu but plenty of variety particularly for veggies. Great inside when there is a World Cup ski race on the telly. Easy walk up from Angertal for non-skiers or Langlaufers, there is path up from the top of the beginners T-bar. Has Apartments, closed in Summer.

Hirschenhutte

Just above Angertal on B20 and also easily reached from the cross-country loop. Very cosy and worth a look in. Food and service is good. Closed in Summer. There is a sister restaurant, the Waldgasthof across the piste that normally has more space but a little less atmosphere, open in Summer.

Hofgasteiner Haus

Simple food. Not pretty on the outside. Off the main route so it doesn't get too busy. To get there from the top of the Sendleiten chair just turn left and follow the signs. Waitress service. Mixed reports on the food this winter. Open all year. Stay overnight and get your baggage delivered by a piste basher.

Haitzingalm Hutte

At the bottom of the Kleine Scharte chair and the top of the Haitzingalmbahn chair so it is in a really good position at the side of the Piste. Large terrace, and can get busy in season. Now has a big conservatory on the side. Not a large menu but healthy portions. Spaghetti is particularly good. Service is fast, friendly and efficient. Favourite place for a coffee stop, it comes with a nutty chocolate and a glass of water. A good place to meet other skiers as all abilities can get here.  Run by a nice couple, Tom and Waltraud, lots of locals use the place. It is also the place where we go most often when we are skiing. Open during the summer when the weather is fine.

Brandnerbaur

Ski down to the farm! On the right turn at the bottom of the H2a run down from the Aeroplanstadl. Family run and friendly. It is not too busy and well worth taking time out. It's closed in summer but they also have a hut (Brandner Hochalm) high up in the summer pastures - love it. Has rooms.

Aeroplanstadl

On the junction of H2 and H3, the Aeroplan is busy throughout the day, particularly popular as an apres-ski place. Self-service food, they have pictures of all the dishes on the menu so avoids surprises. Bit of a food factory and needs to be to keep up with demand, particularly in High Season. Impressive Apple Strudel. Good draught beers.

Kitzsteinalm

Large middle station restaurant on the right of the Kitzstein train and cable car station. Popular with the ski schools but not a place we visit.

Berglift Restaurant

In the valley at the bottom of the Schlossalmbahn Train alongside the lift station. Very good value and service with excellent traditional Austrian food. Very wide selection on the menu. Tyroler Grostl is particularly good. They usually have a good value lunchtime special menu. Also has an outside bar. Waiter/waitress  service.

Austria - Bad Hofgastein - Langlauf - Cross-country skiing and the village in Winter 2012

A Day in Winter - 13th December 2012

All quiet at the Advent Market - Daytime in Bad Hofgastein

Winter in Bad Hofgastein

Bad Hofgastein Kur Park with the Stubnerkogel in the background

Bad Hofgastein Kur Park - across the frozen lake

Ducks to water

The current High Pressure system has brought low temperatures and clear blue skies. TW had the day off and took a few pictures as she walked into town through the Kur Park. In the evening the Advent Market is full of people enjoying a Gluwein or Hot Chestnuts and horse driven sleighs criss-cross the Park. During the day, all is quiet with just a few shoppers and some very hardy Mallard Ducks in the Kur Park.

Open Loop - 14th December 2012

On the tracks

We can see the Langlauf Loipe (cross-country loops) from our window and we noticed that they had put in some classic tracks. Had to give them a go. Slide and Glide, Slide and Glide.

Looking North in Gasteinertal

Looking South

No downhill today

No lift needed out here.

Austria - Bad Hofgastein - Real winter days, Bad Hofgastein - Skiing in December

Lovely snow with a cold wind - 11th December 2012

Heading down - leaving work early

A cold gusty wind drove us down the mountain early today. The new snow built into deep drifts near the start of H2. Did not see another soul on the way down to the middle station. When sheltered by the trees the conditions were excellent, when on the top and exposed to the wind things were a very different.

The Haitzingalm Lift on standby

A proper winters day

Linking Up  12/12/12

More lifts and runs opened today. We were able to ski from Bad Hofgastein to Bad Gastein via Angertal for the first time this season. Everything seemed fresh and new. The lift operators are always friendly at this time of year, they have yet to suffer the Christmas hordes. No feet stuck in the doors, no people trying to fit 9 skiers in a gondola built for 8. Nice to be welcomed back at the Hirschenhutte. They like it when people return year after year and we get to be treated as a Stammgaste (Regular). We like to see the same familiar faces. Servus!

The cross-country loop in Angertal is ready for business

The Hirschenhutte - today's lunch stop in Angertal

An icy corner on the Blue!

Overlooking Angertal

TW crossing the bridge near the Hirschenhutte

I'm off to lunch

Austria - blue skies in Bad Hofgastein on the first Sunday of the ski season 2012

Trying to keep up with the locals - 9th December

The Icing on the Cake - the Weitmoser Schlossalm 

Definitely an Austrian feel to today's proceedings. The locals were out in force for the first Sunday of the ski season so the standard of skiing was pretty high. The Scandinavian tourists were probably all at Sportgastein enjoying the sunshine. Not that the Swedes and Danes are bad skiers, but they do tend to either ski in large groups on the piste or form splinter groups on the most hair raising off piste sections. Most of the locals had lunch in the Weitmoser Schlossalm. It is self-service and offers a good selection of traditional soups and stews. I had a delicious Goulash Soup with a Weiss Beer and TW a Knodel Soup with an Almdudler. From the outside the place looked like the decoration on a Christmas Cake.

H3 heading down to the Valley

The lifts near the Haitzingalm are idle at the moment

TW wrapped up against the cold

Hamburger Skihutte - quiet today, the tourists are elsewhere

As you can see the lifts are not busy in December

What a difference a day makes - 10th December

Street View in Bad Hofgastein

It's not always sunny in Bad Hofgastein. Today there was about 40cm. of new snow and the blue skies were replaced by grey. No excuse not to give it a go on ski's though. A lot of the local school kids were taken up there, what a games lesson! They were not the only ones enjoying the deep snow. The snow was waist deep for the little ones but knee high for yours truly. Good fun though.

Bleak House

Climbing over the hill

Light snow falls on the Ice Rink

No room at the Inn? The stage is set for Christmas

The snow is building up around the Maurachalm 1607m on H2

TW has H3 to herself today

Austria - December 2012 in Bad Hofgastein - surviving Krampus and ski debut 2012/13

Back to snow business - 7th December 2012

The Schlossalm has its winter coat on

St Nick and his helpers

Krampus - doesn't frighten me

Krampus is a bit of a hoot, he is one of St. Nicholas helpers. He wears a fearsome mask and where St Nick is the good guy, on which our Santa Claus is based, Krampus doesn't give presents! His purpose seems to be to frighten the living daylights out of naughty children and a few adults as well!
So, if you are in Austria during the first week of December and you are chased down the road by a fearsome monster wielding a stick, it's probably not the wife. Krampus is a really big thing in the village with a number of groups wandering the streets. They do get very boisterous and noisy particularly when fuelled up with schnapps. On their waists they wear circular bells so you can hear them coming before you get hit by the birch twigs.

Having survived Krampus it was time to take to the ski's for the first time this Winter. Opening day was the 7th December and the bus driver welcomed me as the Erste Schifahrer ( first skier). Not all the lifts and runs were open but there were enough to have a good blow. Mind you, it was pretty nippy, at minus 14, so the balaclava came in handy. Felt very lucky, can't think of a better place to be on a European Winters Day than out in the fresh air doing battle on Austrian snow.

Day One on H2 from the Kleine Scharte to the middle station

Day 2 at Angertal and the Mustangs take a rest

The Waldgashof in Angertal

Walking in England - Swanage to Corfe Castle

Over the Purbeck Hills

Its been a wet Winter 

Swanage is a bit of an old fashioned seaside resort. It is a regular biking destination which normally means a ride over the Heath from the Sandbanks Ferry to Corfe and then a trip down Sandy Hill Lane to Swanage. Today the Sandbanks Ferry was closed for maintenance so I opted for the Number 50 bus from Bournemouth to Swanage, free with my bus pass, and then a walk to Corfe. The hilltop walk over the Purbeck Ridge is pretty special, wild, windswept and empty. To get there it is simply a matter of walking east along the beach until the steps near the end of the bay. From there you hug the coast to Ballard Point and then cut back North and follow the markers. On your right is Studland Bay and Poole Harbour, on your left Swanage Bay. Ahead is wonderful Dorset countryside and, even on a dull day, you can see for miles. A bit strange being back in UK after our recent travels, still feel bit of a tourist. Had lunch in my favourite bakery in Swanage before I set out, £4.20 for a pastie and a coffee. This is a walk that works both ways, if you walk from Corfe to Swanage in Summer you can have a paddle in the sea and get a Steam Train back to where you started.

Following the Coastal Path, hoping it stays dry

Looking Right - Studland Bay and Poole Harbour

Heading into Dorset and Thomas Hardy country

Looking left over Swanage

Approaching Corfe on Sandy Hill Lane 

Corfe Castle - the Village

Hong Kong Stopover Day 2 - Peak Time

Life at the top - 19th November 2012

Sky High -View from the Peak

Going up the slope to the peak

Safely to the top!

After a good sleep we jumped back into 'The Flying Pan', for eggs, bacon and beans before walking to the Peak Tram Station, about half an hour away.  The Peak Tram, like the Star Ferry, is a bit of an institution in Hong Kong. The tram cars take you up to the Peak via a ridiculously steep track in under 10 minutes. It costs about £5.50 return including the Sky Terrace.
All sense of perspective is lost on the way up and buildings look to have been built at ridiculous angles.  Could have done without the long queue, but it gave us time to read about the history and it was a really good ride up. In early colonial days the Tram had three classes. Third class was for non-resident civilians and animals - that would be us then!

Tourists - Peak performance

Nice View on the Peak

Nice humble abode on the Peak

The route to the panoramic viewing platform 'Sky Terrace 428', at the top, is reached via escalators that are surrounded by shops selling souvenirs and gadgets.  Bit like a vertical High Street.  Anyway, we reached the top eventually and took in the views of the harbour, the tall blocks on the Island and Kowloon.  You could also see the back of the Island with its Power Station Chimneys and also Repulse Bay.  Certainly a good deal fresher and cooler on the Peak which is, of course, why it appealed to the colonials in former times and rich expatriates today.  In former times the Governor used to have a seat on the Tram reserved for him until the last minute just in case he wanted to pop home to the Peak. We elected to spend the day up there, just watching and wandering.  We were just on a stop-over after all!
We had lunch at McDonalds on a lovely terrace over looking the tree clad Peak. That was followed by a beer the terrace at Spagetti 360, then a coffee the Pacific Coffee Company and a circular walk on Plantation Road. Our dinner was in 'Bubba Gump'.  That was appropriate as our first meal of the trip, eight weeks ago, was at the 'Bubba Gump' in Santa Monica.  Very boring I know, but Dim Sum is like a box of chocolates. You have no idea what you are going to get!

Hotel  bound  back in Hong Kong

Table - Night time from Bubba Gump

Back to sea level