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Hello From Austria - Classical Music, Hiking & Summer Tobogganing & Two Delicious Backyard Feasts II

At 9:30 am I went to visit Klaudia, onestretching out, looking east and right
of my best friends from high school, atsaw the foothills of Eastern and Western
her parent's house. Our other schoolStyria, and to the north we took in the
mate Doris was already there and it waspanorama of the more imposing mountains
great to see both of them again, moreof the Styrian Alps. We also saw several
than 23 years after we graduated fromramps for hang-gliders, a popular
high school. After the initial hugs andactivity in this region. We walked
kisses and how-are-yous we startedpast some peaceful cows that were
walking onto the local hill, thegrazing on the mountain pastures and
Weizberg. Our stroll took us through thereached the summit area which is the
local cemetery where we admired a verylocation of the upper station of the
famous grave: the last resting place ofcable car, of a couple of restaurants
Aurelia Schwarzenegger, Arnold's mother,and a summer tobogganing course. The
who was a long-time resident of Weiz.weather today was brilliant and many
Klaudia even mentioned that her fatherserious hikers, mountain bikers and
happened to encounter Mrs.tourists were congregating at the
Schwarzenegger at the cemetery a numbermountain top. We were quite fascinated
of years ago, but she had collapsed dueby the summer tobogganing and Doris
to a heart attack. My friend's fathersuggested that I should try it. Well,
called the ambulance which gave herI have always been a bit of a daredevil
emergency treatment and took her to theand she did not have to say it twice.
hospital. She passed away shortly afterShe even sprang for my Euro 2.50 round,
and Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a thankand a couple of minutes later I was
you letter to the ambulance employees assitting in the steel "buggy of death",
well as to Klaudia's father, to thankready for my hair-raising descent down
him for getting help for his mother.the serpentine curves of the course.
Proof that in this town real celebrityActually, the ride was a lot tamer than
connections are just steps away... RightI expected, and I only occasionally
next to the church is the so-calledpulled the brakes, but it was still an
"Kräutergarten" (herb garden) that wasvery entertaining experience. I figured
created by a group of local residentsif I did it again I would probably try
(including Klaudia's mom) that featuresto go down the course without breaking
a wide variety of local herbs, many ofat all. Once the lift had pulled my
which are used in the regional cuisine.buggy back up to the summit plateau we
Then we took the romantic stairs downstarted walking past the Stubenberghaus,
the hill, a pathway that we had walkeda large mountain restaurant and inn,
many times as children. Our local strolltowards the summit cross which provides
took us past our former high school,a beautiful view northwards into the
where we discussed fond memories of ourmountainous area of Upper Styria. I have
school years. One of the highlights ofalways loved mountains, and to see peak
our high school careers were two choirafter peak after peak was just a great
trips to Germany, to our partner schoolexperience. We then started hiking back
in Offenburg, where the two schoolto the car and our trek back down was
choirs jointly performed classicalconsiderably easier than the torturous
songs. We most fondly recalled theclimb up. We stopped at Doris' beautiful
actual concert where for the finale bothcountry house on the way back where we
school choirs appeared together toadmired her recently created garden pond
jointly sing the last song. Screamingand her new dog. Equipped with some
our lungs out among 120 singers from twogorgeous ripe Styrian peaches from
different countries was an exhilaratingDoris' family's farm we returned to Weiz
experience, and not surprisingly myand I dropped Klaudia off. About an
passions for cross-cultural exchangeshour later we reunited when Klaudia, her
were kindled at an early age. After ourhusband and two children, her parents,
return to Klaudia's parents Doris lefther sister Andrea and her daughters Nina
and the rest of us started preparing aand Katja arrived at my brother's place.
hearty meal, and I, by no means giftedTonight we would all get together for a
in the kitchen, donned the apron andgreat barbecue, and my brother Ewald,
started cutting and chopping whateverthe passionate chef, had a few special
needed to be done. (Good thing I was nottreats waiting for us. Anneliese, my
in charge of any really importantsister-in-law, had been helping all
tasks...) Klaudia's mom whipped up aafternoon with the preparations. After
delicious meal for 10+ people in next tosome initial chit-chatting we started
no time and we soon sat down in theoff with a savoury vegetable soup, and
garden to have some Austrianthen my brother started preparing the
specialties: we savoured amain course: 13 whole artic chars were
"Bröselknödelsuppe" (breadcrumbwaiting to be grilled in a large pan on
dumplings in a clear beef broth),an open fire. Ewald had already been
stuffed green peppers and deliciousmarinating the fish in a special blend
mashed potatoes with caramelized onions.of herbs and spices the whole day.
Given this delicious yet substantialTender young potatoes were to accompany
calory injection, we had to do athe fish, and a solid Styrian salad with
work-out and decided to do a hike uppumpkin seed oil rounded out the main
onto the Schöckel, at over 1400 m thecourse. A scrumptious raspberry parfait
highest local mountain. Around 2 pm weprovided the sweet final note to our
met up with Doris again and all three ofculinary symphony. So despite a bit of
us broke out our Nordic walking polesrainy weather yesterday, I had had a
and we attacked the mountain from itsfantastic couple of days which included
steepest side. Doris, an experiencedclassical music, hiking, a reunion with
hiker, led the group at a rather hellishgood friends and an amazing array of
pace, and the two of us clambered behindgastronomic delicacies. Now there is
her. Some areas were so steep we had toonly one more full day left of my trip
use our hands to brace ourselvesto Austria, and tomorrow we will explore
climbing up between the rocks. But ourone of the medieval treasures of Styria:
walking sticks definitely aided in thethe Riegersburg, a massive fortress on a
ascent and about an hour later we werebasaltic outcrop dating back to the 10th
rewarded with an astounding 360 degreecentury, often referred to as the
view over the Styrian hills and"strongest fortress of Christianity"
mountains. The Schöckel is alsobecause it was never conquered.
referred to as the "Grazer Hausberg" orSusanne Pacher is the publisher of a
local mountain of Graz, and we had greatweb portal for unconventional travel &
views down into the Styrian capital andcross-cultural connections. Check out
the Mur Valley. To the south theour FREE ebooks about travel.
Austrian and Slovenian plains were



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