TAUPLITZ

Todays trip was up to the Tauplitzalm which is a high altitude alpine meadow at a height of 5,200ft.

You drive up a very steep road full of hairpin bends to the car park and then you are on foot. There were still pockets of snow which is incredible when you think how hot it was (94F) and they weren't even in the shade! We started off going up quite a steady incline, the next bit though was downhill and very steep and mainly shale and only about a foot wide with a drop on one side! John had to keep holding my hand whilst I negotiated the worse bits, boy was I relieved when we got to the bottom, only to find we then had to cross a little bridge which didn't have a handrail and was just one plank wide. We started going up hill again and eventually came to a little hut where we stopped for a drink. It was about a 6 mile walk and I didn't realise John had taken that photo of me looking knackered after negotiating another steep incline; but I managed it and felt better for it. It was a beautiful place to walk though and everywhere was full of wild flowers, there were actually 4 lakes of varying sizes but we only walked as far as 3 of them, the 4th is the one shown in picture 5. I had made a packed lunch to take with us and as it was about 2pm when we ate it we didn't feel like a cake - sorry. The house was boiling hot when we got home and promptly unravelled the awning. I had started with a really bad headache so after having a couple of tables went for a lie down, John came as well after the walk, the heat and the packed lunch he was shattered. Anway we were woken by thunder and lightening and as it sounded like the wind was getting up John got up to wind the awning in, the storm had caused a power cut so none of the lights were working then there was an almighty gust of wind and by the time John got downstairs the awning was hanging down at a very funny angle, we managed to get it wound up but one of the arms is obviously damaged.

Alpine Gentians, aren't they the most gorgeous blue.


I don't know what these little flowers are but they were in clumps everywhere and were the most gorgeous lilac blue colour, unfortunately the sun has bleached the colour out,

This is the little family of cats from next door. The Mother cat was the first to pay us a visit and started coming every time she was us in the garden, of course, I had to feed her didn't I. Anyway, a couple of days later I saw two kittens chasing each other and one of them is in the photograph with it's mum, the other kitten looks just like his dad, but is very shy. Anyway after that the Dad turned up wanting to be fed as well, they made such a lovely family and I will really miss them when we have to leave. It isn't as if they aren't being fed he is a really heavy boy but like most animals they don't turn their nose up at free food. The kitten is such a live wire and his mum and dad are so lovely and gentle with him, even when he is jumping on them and generally being a nuisance.