| At 9:30 am I went to visit Klaudia, one | | | | stretching out, looking east and right |
| of my best friends from high school, at | | | | saw the foothills of Eastern and Western |
| her parent's house. Our other school | | | | Styria, and to the north we took in the |
| mate Doris was already there and it was | | | | panorama of the more imposing mountains |
| great to see both of them again, more | | | | of the Styrian Alps. We also saw several |
| than 23 years after we graduated from | | | | ramps for hang-gliders, a popular |
| high school. After the initial hugs and | | | | activity in this region. We walked |
| kisses and how-are-yous we started | | | | past some peaceful cows that were |
| walking onto the local hill, the | | | | grazing on the mountain pastures and |
| Weizberg. Our stroll took us through the | | | | reached the summit area which is the |
| local cemetery where we admired a very | | | | location of the upper station of the |
| famous grave: the last resting place of | | | | cable 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 father | | | | serious hikers, mountain bikers and |
| happened to encounter Mrs. | | | | tourists were congregating at the |
| Schwarzenegger at the cemetery a number | | | | mountain top. We were quite fascinated |
| of years ago, but she had collapsed due | | | | by the summer tobogganing and Doris |
| to a heart attack. My friend's father | | | | suggested that I should try it. Well, |
| called the ambulance which gave her | | | | I have always been a bit of a daredevil |
| emergency treatment and took her to the | | | | and she did not have to say it twice. |
| hospital. She passed away shortly after | | | | She even sprang for my Euro 2.50 round, |
| and Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a thank | | | | and a couple of minutes later I was |
| you letter to the ambulance employees as | | | | sitting in the steel "buggy of death", |
| well as to Klaudia's father, to thank | | | | ready 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 celebrity | | | | Actually, the ride was a lot tamer than |
| connections are just steps away... Right | | | | I expected, and I only occasionally |
| next to the church is the so-called | | | | pulled the brakes, but it was still an |
| "Kräutergarten" (herb garden) that was | | | | very entertaining experience. I figured |
| created by a group of local residents | | | | if I did it again I would probably try |
| (including Klaudia's mom) that features | | | | to go down the course without breaking |
| a wide variety of local herbs, many of | | | | at 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 down | | | | started walking past the Stubenberghaus, |
| the hill, a pathway that we had walked | | | | a large mountain restaurant and inn, |
| many times as children. Our local stroll | | | | towards the summit cross which provides |
| took us past our former high school, | | | | a beautiful view northwards into the |
| where we discussed fond memories of our | | | | mountainous area of Upper Styria. I have |
| school years. One of the highlights of | | | | always loved mountains, and to see peak |
| our high school careers were two choir | | | | after peak after peak was just a great |
| trips to Germany, to our partner school | | | | experience. We then started hiking back |
| in Offenburg, where the two school | | | | to the car and our trek back down was |
| choirs jointly performed classical | | | | considerably easier than the torturous |
| songs. We most fondly recalled the | | | | climb up. We stopped at Doris' beautiful |
| actual concert where for the finale both | | | | country house on the way back where we |
| school choirs appeared together to | | | | admired her recently created garden pond |
| jointly sing the last song. Screaming | | | | and her new dog. Equipped with some |
| our lungs out among 120 singers from two | | | | gorgeous ripe Styrian peaches from |
| different countries was an exhilarating | | | | Doris' family's farm we returned to Weiz |
| experience, and not surprisingly my | | | | and I dropped Klaudia off. About an |
| passions for cross-cultural exchanges | | | | hour later we reunited when Klaudia, her |
| were kindled at an early age. After our | | | | husband and two children, her parents, |
| return to Klaudia's parents Doris left | | | | her sister Andrea and her daughters Nina |
| and the rest of us started preparing a | | | | and Katja arrived at my brother's place. |
| hearty meal, and I, by no means gifted | | | | Tonight we would all get together for a |
| in the kitchen, donned the apron and | | | | great barbecue, and my brother Ewald, |
| started cutting and chopping whatever | | | | the passionate chef, had a few special |
| needed to be done. (Good thing I was not | | | | treats waiting for us. Anneliese, my |
| in charge of any really important | | | | sister-in-law, had been helping all |
| tasks...) Klaudia's mom whipped up a | | | | afternoon with the preparations. After |
| delicious meal for 10+ people in next to | | | | some initial chit-chatting we started |
| no time and we soon sat down in the | | | | off with a savoury vegetable soup, and |
| garden to have some Austrian | | | | then my brother started preparing the |
| specialties: we savoured a | | | | main course: 13 whole artic chars were |
| "Bröselknödelsuppe" (breadcrumb | | | | waiting 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 delicious | | | | marinating the fish in a special blend |
| mashed potatoes with caramelized onions. | | | | of herbs and spices the whole day. |
| Given this delicious yet substantial | | | | Tender young potatoes were to accompany |
| calory injection, we had to do a | | | | the fish, and a solid Styrian salad with |
| work-out and decided to do a hike up | | | | pumpkin seed oil rounded out the main |
| onto the Schöckel, at over 1400 m the | | | | course. A scrumptious raspberry parfait |
| highest local mountain. Around 2 pm we | | | | provided the sweet final note to our |
| met up with Doris again and all three of | | | | culinary symphony. So despite a bit of |
| us broke out our Nordic walking poles | | | | rainy weather yesterday, I had had a |
| and we attacked the mountain from its | | | | fantastic couple of days which included |
| steepest side. Doris, an experienced | | | | classical music, hiking, a reunion with |
| hiker, led the group at a rather hellish | | | | good friends and an amazing array of |
| pace, and the two of us clambered behind | | | | gastronomic delicacies. Now there is |
| her. Some areas were so steep we had to | | | | only one more full day left of my trip |
| use our hands to brace ourselves | | | | to Austria, and tomorrow we will explore |
| climbing up between the rocks. But our | | | | one of the medieval treasures of Styria: |
| walking sticks definitely aided in the | | | | the Riegersburg, a massive fortress on a |
| ascent and about an hour later we were | | | | basaltic outcrop dating back to the 10th |
| rewarded with an astounding 360 degree | | | | century, often referred to as the |
| view over the Styrian hills and | | | | "strongest fortress of Christianity" |
| mountains. The Schöckel is also | | | | because it was never conquered. |
| referred to as the "Grazer Hausberg" or | | | | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a |
| local mountain of Graz, and we had great | | | | web portal for unconventional travel & |
| views down into the Styrian capital and | | | | cross-cultural connections. Check out |
| the Mur Valley. To the south the | | | | our FREE ebooks about travel. |
| Austrian and Slovenian plains were | | | | |