We all met up here in Amlach this morning for a walk up the mountain and over to the Tristacher See (Lake Tristach). It was great to see Veronika and Jürgen again, and we set off slowly up the street, talking more than walking.
It continued like this all morning; we would break up into groups of two or three and catch up on the news, then split up into new groups again. By the end of the day we chatted an easy seven miles, the distance flowing beneath our feet.
Walking through Amlach village we were dismayed to find the cool little beer garden we relied on was out of business. The owner left and moved on a year ago, and the place has been for sale since, but no one is in a buying mood.
So we have no food store and now no place to eat in the village. But Lienz and the market is an easy two kilometers down the river from us, so it’s not like we are stranded.
Looking up a helicopter passed overhead, carrying a sling bucket of water. The fire siren went off in the town yesterday afternoon, echoing up and down the entire valley. I knew right away it was a fire (Having grown up in small town America, I know this is how you call in the volunteer fire department in the pre-cell phone days.) but I assumed it was a house fire.
But no. High up on the ridge a stand of trees caught fire, probably a lightning strike from yesterday’s storm. It is pretty wet and green here, but they don’t rake the forests, so poof! A fire.
But the helicopter was right on it, dropping bucket after bucket until nothing was left.
At the edge of Amlach the trails start. Go right and you are soon in the high peaks, go right and you rise to the lower hills above Lienz. We went left.
We were in the forest but the day was warm. The sun came in and out of the clouds, and we were hit by scattered raindrops as the clouds built up.
I learned a new-to-me euphemism when one of the women went off the trail to “Take care of the mushrooms.” I just had to laugh at that one.
I think that might be my favorite new expression.
We came to a clearing in the trees and looked way down on the Lienz Valley. We could see the castle over the town, the church steeples rising here and there, and up the valley the massive form of Großglockner loomed grey and jagged, a forbidding (yet drawing me on) snow covered peak. And at 3798 meters (12,460 feet) it is the highest peak in Austria.
*CORRECTION* My bad. We are looking up valley at Grossvenediger (3666 meters - 12.028 feet).
Großglockner is the next peak to the right. We could see it if we were just a little higher up.
We came across the mountain side and found the little Altes See tucked into a grassy meadow. It is what is left of a lake that was here long ago, but the land is slowly being reclaimed as the grasses and trees creep out, until one day the lake will disappear.
Further down we came to our goal, the Tristacher See. There is the required mountain hut/hotel and restaurant on the shores of the lake, and it is really impressive.
You can swim in the lake but not fish, so the trout are huge. The hotel uses the lake as a sort of fish hatchery to feed its patrons. The trout are large enough I could clearly see them in the middle of the lake, from the shore.
It is certainly not a wilderness lake, but it is pretty, and very popular in the summer.
On the way down Gail noticed a small patch of wild strawberries, so I fell pretty far behind the group for a while.
Oh Look! Shiny little red things!
When we got back Angelika and Ralph gave us a lift to the store, where we stocked up of food for the next few days. We returned and made a lunch of pasta with fresh mushrooms, ham and pesto.
Tonight we are watching the US Womens’ team play England in the semi-final match. I am really the only one interested in the game, but a couple bottles of beer and the promise of good ham and cheese to snack on was enough to lure some German support over to our apartment to cheer for team USA.
Yup.
I bribed them.
Well, the Women's Team won the game, a really great match, 2-1 over England.
Even Ralph had to admit that it was a really well played, even match at a level that perhaps the German team wouldn't be able to match. And Angelika was on the edge of her seat the whole game.
So we are all looking forward to the final on Sunday.
And I don't think I'll have to bribe them to watch it this time!
And Mark L. - see you at the game Sunday!