Take a hat

A seat with the choir - 26th October 2013 In the cheap seats again Royal Albert Hall in October TW likes to make sure we have the occasional dose of Culture, bit like the winter flu jab. Where better to go than the iconic Royal Albert Hall. It is only an hour in the car, parking is easy and it is a keenly priced £18 for a comfy seat. Very reasonable when you have a top Orchestra, The Royal Philharmonic, and 500 singers to entertain you for the evening. I felt a bit under-dressed when we arrived as the seats next to us were occupied by elegant Ladies in posh frocks. When TW pointed out they were the choir and were the hired help for the evening I felt a lot more comfortable. Sitting alongside the choir is actually not too bad, have just to remember not to stand up when they do. Hearing them sing is also not a problem. Take your seats The programme contained familiar tunes. The warm up was the William Tell Overture. He was a Swiss chap he used to sit an Apple on his son...

Wrapping up in October Life at the top of the Kleine Scharte With the lifts closing for the short break before the ski season starts in December we made the most of the Schlossalm. The next time we will be at the top we will be lumbered with all the ski paraphernalia and will be nervously, or excitedly, making the first turns. A walk down the mountain today is a stroll through the seasons. From a foot of snow on high to sunny pastures below. And then to the village with people sitting out at coffee shops enjoying the warm sun. Its a hard life in the Mountains in October. Footsteps in the snow - walking down in the sunshine Valley Panorama - on the snow line Sitting comfortably to view the valley Untere Haitzinglam - closed until next Summer A circular walk from home to Angertal and back Which way now? Crossing a stream in Autumn Autumn Colours in Bad Hofgastein  A view to the Hohe Tauern On the hill - making the most of t...

 Views from the bike in October 2013  Stunning views on the way to Schwarzach Schwarzach is out of the Gastein Valley on the Salzach River. It's an easy ride down the valley on the cycle path and then through the tunnels at the end. Once out of the valley its an undulating ride through woods and past farms to the small town of Schwarzach. Luckily it has a few Bakerei so it was no trouble to find coffee and a cake. The route home is a little steeper as Schwarzach sits at around 600m Altitude and Bad Hofgastein at 850m but it is still a pleasant ride with great views. Before the tunnels were built at the mouth of the Gastein Valley, in the early seventies, the road took a perilous route high up on the edge of the river gorge. The road is not passable today because of a massive rock fall but it's possible to take a look at the narrow and steep track. It's very good for encouraging vertigo and not much else. There is little chapel about half way, I imagine everyone got ...

A walk from Gruner Baum (1000m) to Bad Hofgastein (850m) via Poserhohe (1505m)  - 17th October 2013 A welcome sight, the flag is raised at Poserhohe - our lunch stop Poserhohe is not a Mountain Restaurant we visit very often but we do enjoy it when we make the effort. We had decided on one of the less arduous routes so, after a bus ride to Gruner Baum, we walked down towards the Hohenweg and followed the Yellow signpost off and up to the right. The route up is mainly in the forest and seems wild and remote. The walking path is fairly steep and winding and we alternated between this and a rough tractor trail that also zig-zagged up the mountain. Pretty sure I would not want to cycle or drive up, particularly as its currently crossed by fallen trees. It took us about 90 minutes to reach Poserhohe, our lunch stop. It is a lovely old place and it probably has some of the best views in the valley from its outside tables. The views from inside are not bad either. Panoramic View...

Snowfalls in October  Bad Hofgastein - the clouds are lifting About 6 inches of wet snow fell in the valley. The Farmers were probably ready for it but the trees were not. Many have not yet lost their leaves and could not take the weight and a good number succumbed. It put paid to our walks at the top temporarily but there are plenty of low altitude walks to keep us busy. Autumn Colours Sheep Freeze Out and about on a Sunday Stag do's and dont's Camera shy cow - Hiding in the woods Bad Hofgastein - heading down from the Hohenweg Geraniums - a reminder of Summer