Christine in Kronplatz, Italy

I love Italy.  Gelato.  My favorite word.  And one of my favorite foods.

I also love pizza, risotto, spaghetti, gnocchi, prosciutto, mozzarella, and everything else.  But not espresso.  I just can't bring myself to drink coffee.  Yes, I am the only adult that feels this way.  Oh well.

And now my next favorite topic:  skiing!  Sunny skies for the first 2 days of skiing.  If you can't have powder, sun is the next best thing.  I did a 7km, about 4.3 miles, run (it was number 16).  I'm not sure it was that long, but the trail map says so.  I'll take their word for it.  The mountain had black runs, that were actually open.  A couple were pretty steep.  Something I have not experienced over here.  I enjoyed the runs.  This resort actually reinvested in the mountain.  It mostly used gondolas to move people.  It had 2 gondolas up to the top of the mountain.  No lines to begin skiing.  Loved that.  Also, it had an indoor storage area, so you could rent a locker and leave your skis and gear overnight.  What a brilliant idea.  Way to take care of the little people.

The pictures of the mountains look fake.  But they are that beautiful.

My World Cup downhill run (the large white area on the left):

The hotel was by a castle, which I crossed this wiry looking bridge to visit.  But the thing did not move.  As I ran as fast as I was willing over a snowy/icy bridge.

And a church:

Christine

Christine at Fasching

Think Mardi Gras.  In Germany.  Cause that is what Fasching is.  A big ole' parade with lots of costumes. And people throwing candy.  Or giving you other food.  Germans like any reason to party.  That's what I've determined.  Even if the temperature is single digits.  Cause it was.  (Drinking Gluhwein afterwards did help a bit.  Cause I was inside and my toes defrosted.)  Today, I attended the Fasching parade in Weil der Stadt, which is a 45 minute S-bahn trip from my apartment.

Interestingly, the town has a fountain of the characters in Fasching:

Christine

Christine in Zell am See, Austria

Stay on top of the mountain.  Yes.  Great idea.  Ski out in the morning.  No lines for lifts up the mountain.  Until you have to take your skis, boots, and luggage on a gondola to the top.  And then you ride the gondola and start at 100 and subtract 7 from the last number to keep your mind off of the fact that you are afraid of how high you are.  And sometimes you do the math wrong and have to figure out where you left off.  And this actually happens 4 or 5 times, trying to subtract 7 from the last number.  Completing subtraction in your head does not help you forget you hate heights.  Just sayin'.

Looking down the gondola line.

The map states that Schmittehohe is 2000m (6561 feet) high.  But not really.  Based on some scientific instrument, the top of the mountain was actually 1982m (6502 feet) high.  The hotel reminds me of a 007 movie.  Someplace James Bond went.  I think this picture proves it.

The hotel Berg

The hotel price includes breakfast and dinner.  Because where else are you going to eat?  Since the gondola's last run up the mountain is at 4:30pm.  But fear not, dinner is tasty.  You receive 3 courses.  I loved the soup, as usual.  Oddly, or maybe not, they served minestrone soup one evening.  Usually there are creme or tomato soups in Europe, or at least the ski countries.  I recommend the roast beef main course.  Hotel people-keep working on the desserts.  The bar upstairs serves better hot chocolate.  Well, they give you way more whipped creme.  That counts as better in my world.  

Staying on top of the world, er mountain, has its perks.  The best being ski out.  Yes, you put on your gear and you are ready to go.  It snowed Saturday evening.  So the skiing was amazing on Sunday.  Not lots of powder, really 2 or 3 inches of new snow, but enough.  There is no better feeling then just flying down, making fresh tracks, and going.  The blacks were not difficult in these perfect conditions.  Well, it was freezing cold.  Like your fingers and toes may fall off cold.  But you can't have everything.  Can you?  Sunday morning I had the best runs of my life.  Run 13.  So far.  I'll get the chance to duplicate the feeling.  One day.  I'm sure.

Run 13

A view from the mountain.  Run 11 I believe.  That's the lake back there.  Frozen over.  People walk between the 2 towns over it.  I wonder if I am that brave?  I was too busy skiing to find out.

A church on top of the mountain:

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