Family Outing

Yesterday we were invited to join some of our friends for the day. We followed them up to Schöckel, which is a mountain getaway where many people choose to spend their free time year round. In the wintertime, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and trekking are all popular. In spring, summer and fall people enjoy activities such as hiking, mountain biking, paragliding and of course just soaking up the sun. They also have a playground for the kids, a Rodelbahn (rollercoaster on the side of the mountain that is driven by gravity) and eating establishments that offer home-cooked Steirisch (our province) meals. We chose to ride the cable car to the top of the mountain and go for a short hike. We couldn't do anything too strenuous because of Krista being in a motherly way. We hiked over to the side of the mountain where people paraglide and hang-glide from. It was really interesting to watch them take off. At one point we counted more than ten paragliders in the sky at one time. There were probably more but our view was blocked by the tall evergreens that cover the mountain. After watching the gliders for an hour or so we hiked back and ate at one of the local restaurants. I had Schweinsbraten and Krista and Nate had Schnitzel. By the end of the day we were all tuckered out. Nate slept most of the way home. All in all it was a very nice day. Have a great weekend!


Danny