Day 87 - Snowfall, Setbacks & Schnitzels in Austria

Day 87 was meant to be a rest day.

Instead, we woke up to white. Proper white.

After days of green rolling hills around Scharnstein, the world had flipped overnight. Snow everywhere. Thick on the car. Layered across the fields. Draped over the trees. The road out front completely covered. It would have been close to 100 millimetres deep in places and it was still snowing steadily.

Maddie was out of bed and into her snow gear immediately. No breakfast negotiations. No easing into the morning. Just let’s go.

We all rugged up and raced outside. Snow angels. Snowball fights. Throwing snow into the air and letting it fall back over us. Running through the yard just because we could. It was easily the best wake up and run outside snow we have had so far. The car was buried. The trees were heavy with white. Even the mountains in the distance were completely covered again. It felt like winter had officially arrived.

We must have been out there for a solid hour before we finally came back inside, wet, cold and buzzing.

After breakfast, I had a decent chunk of work to get through, so I buried myself in that until lunchtime. I also called Mum and Dad to let them know where we are and what we are up to. It still feels surreal describing snowy Austrian mornings to them while they are back home in Australia.

Lunch was leftover spaghetti. Nothing glamorous.

Then the kids started looking at me. Fresh snow. School holidays here. The slopes would be unreal.

So that was the end of the rest day.

Kia stayed home to work on YouTube edits while Maddie, Emmett and I headed up the mountain. The car park was packed. Every man and his dog had the same idea. School groups everywhere. Visibility up top was foggy and short.

The snow conditions were tricky. Because it had snowed on top of frozen, lumpy base snow, you would carve through a nice soft patch and then suddenly hit icy ridges underneath. Then sticky fresh snow that slowed you right down. Then hard again. The flatter section into the T hook was so slow you almost needed to straight line it just to make the lift.

Maddie took off as soon as we got up top. No hesitation.

Emmett and I cruised down together.

The line for the T hook was huge. I sent Emmett up first. About five metres in he tipped over. The ruts were deep and uneven. His board caught, he twisted awkwardly and hurt his ankle. Tears.

We reset. Tried again. Fell again.

Eventually, with a bit of guidance through the worst section, he made it up. Even I found it tricky. The frozen grooves made the board bounce and drift unpredictably.

At the top he looked at me and said, that was scary. I did not like it.

Fair enough.

He decided to sit out while Maddie and I did another run. By the time we got back up, the line had tripled in size. It was nearly a thirty minute round trip.

When we returned, Emmett was upset. He thought we had gone without him. That one stung a bit. We reassured him we would never leave him. We did one final run all together. It was actually a great run. Good turns. Good energy.

Then reality hit. Maddie’s gloves were soaked from the morning snow play and her hands were freezing. Emmett was terrified of the T hook. The surface was getting scraped and choppy from the crowds.

Three runs. Done.

On the drive down we had a good chat. Sometimes you fall. Sometimes it is hard. That does not mean you quit. If he steps back onto that T hook next time, that is the real win.

We forgot it was Sunday again. In Austria, Sundays are sacred. Supermarkets closed. Shops closed. Plan ahead or eat out.

We had not planned.

So we drove about twenty minutes toward a bigger town looking for options. Just before getting there we spotted a classic looking Austrian pub. Timber exterior, warm lights glowing inside. It looked properly local, so we pulled in.

Inside was buzzing. Big family tables. Locals chatting. We were led into a smaller side room that was packed with other groups. The menu was entirely in German, so out came the phone translator. We scanned the menu and translated everything so we actually knew what we were ordering.

The kids found the Kinder section and both ordered Wiener schnitzel with chips. Classic crumbed pork schnitzel with French fries. They were very happy.

I ordered the adult Wiener schnitzel which came with potato wedges and cranberry jam on the side. Absolute winner.

Kia ordered a beef bourguignon style dish. Roast beef in gravy, mixed vegetables, and these tiny gnocchi style pieces that looked almost like little rice sized dumplings. We also got a small bowl of salad for the table.

Kia had a wine. I grabbed a beer. The kids had iced teas.

It was really good food. Proper hearty Austrian fare. It was also expensive. About seventy five euros all up. I cannot do the quick Australian dollar conversion in my head, but it was not cheap. Still, it felt worth it. Warm pub. Traditional food. Snowy countryside outside.

The drive there and back was part of the magic. Snow covered fields. Little villages glowing under streetlights. Proper alpine countryside.

By the time we got home it was around eight or eight thirty. Kids straight into bed. Long day.

Snow angels in the morning. Hard lessons on a lumpy T hook in the afternoon. Traditional Austrian schnitzels at night.

Exhausting. Expensive. Emotional.

And absolutely worth it.