the hills are alive.

innsbruck, austria, is probably not on the top of most people's travel plans, but i loved it. quelle surprise?

the town is nestled in a valley in the middle of the alps. the view from everywhere in the town is mountains! so gorgeous. innsbruck tourism and local hotels have a sweet deal where they pay for a guide daily, coach transportation and a hike for anyone who wants to do it. so, off i went, hiking in the alps.

our guide, werner, made the hike. an interior designer by winter, and a wilderness leader by summer, he was witty, funny, and educated us on the various flora and fauna. i also loved him, because he said 'walley', rather than 'valley', which i found absolutely charming.

we hiked up to 2,200 metres, above the tree line, and had fantastic views of the valley below. and then, we ate a traditional meal of dumplings and shandi (i may have the spelling wrong, but it is a mixture of lemonade and beer), and hiked back down to about 1,200 metres, where a bus picked us up.

what struck me the most, was a 74 year old german man that i was hiking with. he was on his 527th innsbruck hike. every year for his vacation, he comes to austria and does the free hikes. before he dies, he wants to have walked 777 hikes! i did not understand a word he said, but i found him absolutely inspiring. at 74, being able to keep up with 20 year olds!

at 70, i hope i am still climbing mountains.