From the principal’s ‘office’…day three
Something happened that has likely never happened in recorded history: I overslept. Not talking about 5-10 minutes, talking almost 9 am. I probably wouldn’t have even woken up then had Kathryn not awakened me. It’s ok though because today my friends, was Principal’s Day Off. After another amazing and delicious breakfast of Meusli, (which I might add, I will probably have to go to the meusli store and get some to bring home…and yes, there is a store here entirely dedicated to this delicious food source that I have always avoided because of my fear of peanuts) and fresh fruit, we were off to hike in the lower Alps. Yes…actual hiking. My Arizona friends will know exactly what I am talking about. It’s like a robust walk, but up steep inclines over the course of several miles. Sometimes you have to dig your feet in, and grab hold of something to pull you up. My Michigan friends… well…there is always the U.P. where we have a few hills. Anyway, after a good hour of heart pumping, glute burning, sweaty hiking through some of the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen, we came to a snow melt creek. Clean, fresh, and freaking COLD. So cold it may as well have been still snow. Foot numbingly cold. We also passed by some alps horses, a tent suspended in the trees, and a field of strange singing grasshoppers that make me think of Jake’s hungry bearded dragon. We came down the mountain, and here is the thing about REAL hiking….going down is sometimes just as hard as going up!
We made it back to the parking area, and then proceeded to go down into the valley below to another lake that had a lake side restaurant. This is where I went to heaven. Eiskafe….oh yes… this is the stuff dreams are made of. Not too sweet, delicious coffee flavor with a nice vanilla cream blended together. Rich, delicious, buttery and just enough coffee. And then the apricot deliciousness. No words. Sweet, tart apricots with a nice sconey base and a crumby top. Worth the injection risk, but luckily unnecessary.
At this point my poor Fitbit probably thought I was being chased by wild animals, but I had cleared near,y 20,000 steps, we decided to go to the strarovski factory. This area is the headquarters and they have a museum and gallery here. What’s there to see you say? Well…just wow. Starting with the animatronic theater with Michael Jackson’s crystal encrusted jacket, some absolutely amazing crystal based sculpture installations, the glass slipper from Cinderella, a few crystal undergarments from various movies- none of which I have seen – an amazing Christmas tree, and then these crystal clouds over a fountain that you have to see to believe.
And then the gift shop. Lord help me, the gift shop. So many beautiful things. The struggle is real. I bought a moon shaped crystal, because moon ya know!
We returned home for a nice evening meal, downtime and conversation. After checking in with our kiddos and seeing all the fun they were having, we had time to just sit, relax and talk. Now, I will say this: Laura and her brother Phillip are very well educated, and so our conversations take many twists and turns as they have a lot of curiosity about the US. So, the conversation went something like this:
Phillip- so your president, he knows everything? [about current events, cultural climate and inter country issues]
Me- laughing hysterically
Phillip- well I mean he is supposed to know we everything…
Me- still laughing and wiping tears
Phillip-well yeah, should know some things…..
😂
Maybe you had to be there.
On to day four tomorrow.
