Austria - Start of the ski season 2015 - 2016

First Day on Snow - 2nd December 2015

Webcam views from home over the previous few days engendered real optimism that the conditions would be the best for several years and that the slopes would be opening on time.

Unhappily, Tuesday 1st December was wet and warm so, next day,our first day of skiing was on slippery and crusty snow. On the positive side the rain had disappeared and there was no wind. There were also enough runs open to keep us interested.

It was one of those glorious days when the lift took us up through the ceiling of cloud into bright warm sunshine. Sitting outside for Lunch at the Gipfel Restaurant was exceedingly pleasant and the first Weiss Beer of the trip was well earned and very refreshing. TW's first Strudel on the hill also hit the spot. Just a few dozen skiers were out and about. The Scandinavians were out and about. Their yellow topped Alpresor guides, usually followed by a horde of competent skiers, are easy to spot. Most of them stay in Bad Gastein in the nice hotels so we often share the same bus. 

Views on the South Side

Cloud in the valley

TW likes the sunny weather

First day in Dorfgastein

TW down through the cloud

And the sunshine continues

Ready to go on H2

Nice bright days for some great pre-Christmas skiing. Not much natural snow and it gets a bit polished as the day goes on.

Austria in October

Walking on the Schlossalm in October

TW in the frame

The early snow has melted and it looks a bit bare on the Schlossalm. The cows have gone, the wild flowers have ceased to bloom and the tourists are now few and far between. A nice time for a circular walk.

Austria in Summer 2015 #2

September in Austria

A cold friend on the hill

A bit of snow is not unusual in September but it came as a bit of a shock to us. We were told before we came that it had been wonderful weather all Summer. When we turned up the weather turned as well.
No matter though, the cows don't mind the cold. Even so, they have to be taken down the mountain because with 40cm of snow they cannot get at the grass.

TW gets into ski gear

A really cold and wintry scene presented itself at the top of the Cable Car. No matter, it soon warmed up.

Wintry scene in the Park

Get stuffed - Short of staff at the Alte Post?

There are some pretty elaborate Autumn displays outside Hostelries and Farms.

 Imagine that people have a lot of fun making up their Herbst displays.

Pedalling upwards at Dorfgastein on my 29er.

A favourite ride in Dorfgastein takes me up to the Grubner Alm. Ham and Eggs with a beer is a welcome reward for a hard climb. Always a good welcome the most favoured hut.

Reward for a long climb, ham & eggs at the Grubner Alm

Gretel - the resident pig at the Grubner Alm

Gretel is famous in the Valley. She is a mini pig that thinks she is a cat.  She roams the surrounding hill but comes running when the boss lady whistles.

Chocolate dipped Goats on the way up to Biberlm?

Not sure why these goats have such distinct front and rear ends. Will have to Google it one day.

The unspoiled scene near the Wiedneralm 

TW stops for a decaff at the Cafe Sonnberg above Bad Hofgastein

A walk around the Schlossalm See - snow making reservoir in Winter

Austria in Summer 2015 #1

Trips to Austria in the Summer of 2015. 

Walking on Graukogel

Walking Rule 1 - never look at a map

The first trip was in June/July and involved the usual mix of walking, cycling and eating.

The most memorable walk was to the Palfner See. A lovely sunny day made for a pleasant ride up on Graukogel chair-lift and then a wander on a fairly level track to Palfner See. We planned to head back on the same path to the lift for a bit of lunch but AG consulted a map! An alternative lower path proved to much lower than it looked on the map and was probably only appropriate for Mountain Goats. So the rest of the day was spent walking downhill to the village.

Walking Rule 2 - take food if you are not going to pass a Hut

We walked on in an advanced state of famine.

Walking Rule 3 - don't walk downhill it ruins your knees.

Walking Rule 4 - take water - at least we got that right.

Not always Summer

Spain- Canary Islands - Tenerife - Life on a package

The Easy Life in the Canaries

Nice black sand at Playa La Arena

Bit of a last minute booking found us on the way to Tenerife. To be honest, neither of us could quite understand why. I suppose the reasoning included the fact that our little Apartment in Bad Hofgastein was rented out, Bournemouth airport is only 15 minutes from our new home, we benefited from a bit of a discount and it was my Birthday. I always like to be away on my Birthday. Anyway the climate in Southern Tenerife is lovely and the food superb. We had a delightful self-catering apartment in the, not so nice, Playa De Las Americas courtesy of Thomson Holidays. It is some time since we have been on a package holiday but they have not changed! We went to the welcome party where they try to sell excursions but I fell asleep. We did ask the chap if we could hire bikes but the price he quoted was far more than if we booked through the hotel. I do remember him saying that he wanted us to give him full marks in the post holiday questionnaire and that we should speak to him if we did not think he was worth a perfect score?

Easy biking on the Costa Adeje coastal path

We booked our bikes and car through the hotel. Have to say everything is made really easy with the minimum of fuss and paperwork. We hired bikes for the whole week but the car for just one day. Our day in the car was fun. They give you the car empty of fuel and tell you to put juice in as soon as possible. We could not find the local BP Station and it took about 3 increasingly anxious circuits of Las Americas before we stumbled upon it. You are supposed to just buy enough fuel for your needs but we had no idea how much we would need and where we would find another station so we put far too much in the tank. At least we did not run out on our circuit of the island.

Our little car for the circular tour

We started our clockwise tour in a Spanish Summer and passed through an English Autumn before returning to Summer again when we reached Las Americas. First we had a swim in La Arena, then had a wander around a stiflingly hot cliff dwelling Los Gigantes.
Then things got interesting, a long winding climb took us into the mist and the much greener Northern part of the Island. We found a very good place for Lunch in San Marcos, we both had delicious fish, before a quick tour of Puerto de La Cruz and the drive home via Santa Cruz. Can imagine a walking holiday in the less touristy North would be very pleasant indeed.

Birthday Boy

What we had planned for this trip was cycling along the coastal path around Americas, Adeje and Los Christianos with dips in the sea and a few games of tennis thrown in.
We really ate well in some lovely restaurants. I particularly liked the Celso Restaurant in La Caleta, the fish was lovely and it was a good cycle ride along the seafront to get there. My birthday meal was in a very nice Chinese, the Imperial Taipan. The guy on the table behind was also a Birthday Boy as was the chap on the adjacent table. It sounds a bit odd going to a Chinese in Tenerife but hey-ho.

Our little private garden in Las Americas

There seems to be two main categories of South Tenerife Tourists. The more mature types who like chillin' by the pool or beach, enjoying good food and drink and then there are the heavily inked 'others'.
Not an area we will rush back to but it does have a lot going for it in terms of year round climate and nice hotels and restaurants.
We have decided we are not good package tourists now. We managed to miss the transfer back to the Airport. When we complained that we were outside the Hotel at the appointed time we were told by Thompson that we should have been there 10 minutes earlier. Anyway, they would not pay for our Taxi. We then had a four hour delay at the Airport.

San Marcos for late lunch

TW enjoyed her Fish Dinner in San Marcos

Not all black sand - The beach North of La Caleta

Not all concrete by the shore - yet

England - Castleman Cycle Ride

Castleman Trailway

The Castleman Trailway is based upon a disused Railway Line that originally linked Southampton with Dorchester. It is well worth a day in anyone's cycling life.
We started in Poole and ended up in Brockenhurst, ready for a beer and the train back to Bournemouth.
On the way we passed through Broadstone, Wimborne and Ringwood plus The New Forest.

Austria - March 2015 Ski Trip

Back to Work again!

Somehow we managed to successfully move house between the ski holidays so the final ski tripof the winter was a bit more relaxed than usual. Bad Hofgastein had its best winter coat on. Plenty of friends were around and TBIL was over for the week that coincided with TW's birthday.

First Beer of the trip - on the train from Salzburg

Happy Days at the Aeoplanstadl

A smart snowman above Angertal

TW lunching in Grossarl

London - February 2015 - Royal Festival Hall

Irving in London

A trip to London and a visit to the Royal Festival Hall beckoned in February. A quick trip to the Tate Modern and a coffee at the top was a good way to fill in time. The concert was good too - from Rags to Ritzes - the Irving Berlin Songbook. Lots of interesting biographical details between the songs. Amazingly Irving could not read music or play the piano properly. Did pretty well regardless.

Thames from the Tate Modern

I was probably reading the Sports pages

TW ready for Dinner

In the Royal Festival Hall

Austria - January 2015 Ski Trip

Back to Work

After the Christmas trip home it was back on BA to Salzburg. The snow conditions were much improved and the sun was shining. Not much snow in the valley so only the man-made langlauf was open.

TW ready to go

A lot of the Langlauf was still closed in the valley - time for a stretch

Balls without snow in the village

The Haitzingalm open for business