| #ffffff;" /> | | | | over the Styrian hills and mountains. |
| At 9:30 am I went to visit Klaudia, one of my | | | | The Schöckel is also referred to as the |
| best friends from high school, at her | | | | “Grazer Hausberg” or local |
| parent’s house. Our other school mate | | | | mountain of Graz, and we had great views down |
| Doris was already there and it was great to see | | | | into the Styrian capital and the Mur Valley. To the |
| both of them again, more than 23 years after we | | | | south the Austrian and Slovenian plains were |
| graduated from high school. After the initial hugs | | | | stretching out, looking east and right saw the |
| and kisses and how-are-yous we started walking | | | | foothills of Eastern and Western Styria, and to |
| onto the local hill, the Weizberg. Our stroll took us | | | | the north we took in the panorama of the more |
| through the local cemetery where we admired a | | | | imposing mountains of the Styrian Alps. We also |
| very famous grave: the last resting place of | | | | saw several ramps for hang-gliders, a popular |
| Aurelia Schwarzenegger, Arnold’s mother, | | | | activity in this region. |
| who was a long-time resident of Weiz. | | | | We walked past some peaceful cows that were |
| Klaudia even mentioned that her father happened | | | | grazing on the mountain pastures and reached the |
| to encounter Mrs. Schwarzenegger at the | | | | summit area which is the location of the upper |
| cemetery a number of years ago, but she had | | | | station of the cable car, of a couple of |
| collapsed due to a heart attack. My | | | | restaurants and a summer tobogganing course. |
| friend’s father called the ambulance which | | | | The weather today was brilliant and many serious |
| gave her emergency treatment and took her to | | | | hikers, mountain bikers and tourists were |
| the hospital. She passed away shortly after and | | | | congregating at the mountain top. We were quite |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a thank you letter | | | | fascinated by the summer tobogganing and Doris |
| to the ambulance employees as well as to | | | | suggested that I should try it. |
| Klaudia’s father, to thank him for getting | | | | Well, I have always been a bit of a daredevil and |
| help for his mother. Proof that in this town real | | | | she did not have to say it twice. She even sprang |
| celebrity connections are just steps | | | | for my Euro 2.50 round, and a couple of minutes |
| away… | | | | later I was sitting in the steel “buggy of |
| Right next to the church is the so-called | | | | death”, ready for my hair-raising descent |
| “Kräutergarten” (herb | | | | down the serpentine curves of the course. |
| garden) that was created by a group of local | | | | Actually, the ride was a lot tamer than I |
| residents (including Klaudia’s mom) that | | | | expected, and I only occasionally pulled the |
| features a wide variety of local herbs, many of | | | | brakes, but it was still an very entertaining |
| which are used in the regional cuisine. Then we | | | | experience. I figured if I did it again I would |
| took the romantic stairs down the hill, a pathway | | | | probably try to go down the course without |
| that we had walked many times as children. Our | | | | breaking at all. |
| local stroll took us past our former high school, | | | | Once the lift had pulled my buggy back up to the |
| where we discussed fond memories of our school | | | | summit plateau we started walking past the |
| years. | | | | Stubenberghaus, a large mountain restaurant and |
| One of the highlights of our high school careers | | | | inn, towards the summit cross which provides a |
| were two choir trips to Germany, to our partner | | | | beautiful view northwards into the mountainous |
| school in Offenburg, where the two school choirs | | | | area of Upper Styria. I have always loved |
| jointly performed classical songs. We most fondly | | | | mountains, and to see peak after peak after |
| recalled the actual concert where for the finale | | | | peak was just a great experience. We then |
| both school choirs appeared together to jointly | | | | started hiking back to the car and our trek back |
| sing the last song. Screaming our lungs out among | | | | down was considerably easier than the torturous |
| 120 singers from two different countries was an | | | | climb up. We stopped at Doris’ beautiful |
| exhilarating experience, and not surprisingly my | | | | country house on the way back where we |
| passions for cross-cultural exchanges were kindled | | | | admired her recently created garden pond and |
| at an early age. | | | | her new dog. Equipped with some gorgeous ripe |
| After our return to Klaudia’s parents Doris | | | | Styrian peaches from Doris’ |
| left and the rest of us started preparing a hearty | | | | family’s farm we returned to Weiz and I |
| meal, and I, by no means gifted in the kitchen, | | | | dropped Klaudia off. |
| donned the apron and started cutting and | | | | About an hour later we reunited when Klaudia, her |
| chopping whatever needed to be done. (Good | | | | husband and two children, her parents, her sister |
| thing I was not in charge of any really important | | | | Andrea and her daughters Nina and Katja arrived |
| tasks…) Klaudia’s mom whipped up | | | | at my brother’s place. Tonight we would |
| a delicious meal for 10+ people in next to no time | | | | all get together for a great barbecue, and my |
| and we soon sat down in the garden to have | | | | brother Ewald, the passionate chef, had a few |
| some Austrian specialties: we savoured a | | | | special treats waiting for us. Anneliese, my |
| “Bröselknödelsuppe” | | | | sister-in-law, had been helping all afternoon with |
| (breadcrumb dumplings in a clear beef broth), | | | | the preparations. |
| stuffed green peppers and delicious mashed | | | | After some initial chit-chatting we started off with |
| potatoes with caramelized onions. | | | | a savoury vegetable soup, and then my brother |
| Given this delicious yet substantial calory injection, | | | | started preparing the main course: 13 whole artic |
| we had to do a work-out and decided to do a | | | | chars were waiting to be grilled in a large pan on |
| hike up onto the Schöckel, at over 1400 m | | | | an open fire. Ewald had already been marinating |
| the highest local mountain. Around 2 pm we met | | | | the fish in a special blend of herbs and spices the |
| up with Doris again and all three of us broke out | | | | whole day. Tender young potatoes were to |
| our Nordic walking poles and we attacked the | | | | accompany the fish, and a solid Styrian salad with |
| mountain from its steepest side. Doris, an | | | | pumpkin seed oil rounded out the main course. A |
| experienced hiker, led the group at a rather hellish | | | | scrumptious raspberry parfait provided the sweet |
| pace, and the two of us clambered behind her. | | | | final note to our culinary symphony. |
| Some areas were so steep we had to use our | | | | So despite a bit of rainy weather yesterday, I |
| hands to brace ourselves climbing up between the | | | | had had a fantastic couple of days which included |
| rocks. But our walking sticks definitely aided in the | | | | classical music, hiking, a reunion with good friends |
| ascent and about an hour later we were | | | | and an amazing array of gastronomic delicacies. |
| rewarded with an astounding 360 degree view | | | | |