Solden, Austria

Quote during my time of skiing: "do something that scares you every day".....

I got that of a lululemon shopping bag. 

Before I went to Austria you could have asked if I ski and I would have said 'I have tried it a number of times and can manage to get down a hill with some degree of ability'. I have changed my mind. I can NOT ski! I was terrified at times.  I had a couple of lessons, didn't break any bones and I can also say "I have skied a glacier in the alps of Austria!".

The reason I went to Austria is I was invited to join a group of 4 people from Waterloo who were skiing in Italy the week before. I am SO glad that I did it:) I tried something new that is certainly 'Bucket List' material and I understand that Solden has the best Apres Ski party in Europe. Yeah, it was pretty good....

  I am not going to be rushing off to buy ski's just yet, but it is a sport that I would do again just for the scenery. I have never felt so close to the mountains, 

completely surrounded by them.....jaw dropping, beautiful. 

At the ski rental shop.

During my lesson - my instructor hid my poles!

Views from the Glacier!

Part of the group, L to R: Paul, Me, Gaby, Bob.
Not shown is Brian who is taking the photo

There are bars and restaurants scattered all around the 
mountains in between the ski runs.
We had spectacular sunny, warm weather. We ate lunch outside in the alps everyday!

This is the coolest chick in all of Austria. Meet Kathatrina.
Her and some friends rented an RV last year and toured British Columbia and Alberta.
She is a bartender at one of the mountain bars and has made it like 
a little shrine to Canada.
You can see the I love Banff sticker just on the left.
She also helped with keeping me hydrated with water etc....:)

Day in Davos, Switzerland

Here are some photos from my day in Davos. 

In my previous blog I talked about the hike I did and the sledging. 

This Swiss Hotel entrance caught my eye

One of the gorgeous views from my hairpin hike

The gentleman that took this photo happened to be from Collingwood!
This is the sledge that I rented. There is a better view of one just behind me on the left.

View of the top of Rinerhorn Mountain.

Starting point of the sledge run.

The sun came out for a few hours and it was so warm at the top of the hill.
These loungers were way to inviting to pass up a chance to take in some winter rays!

Hiking in Davos

I have a brief moment of wifi and thought I should make a short post.
I am in the Swiss Alps of Davos, Switzerland today. I went for a 4km hike on the top of Schatzalp mountain (1861 m), then hiked to the bottom.
In the afternoon I took the train 2 stops to Reinhorn mountain (2053 m). I rented a sledge (toboggan) and ventured down the 3.5km run. A great work out for the arms! It is very warm in Switzerland and there isn't much snow. This is the only place that had a sledge run open!
So, I'm exhausted now from all the activity and alpine air. Thankfully my hotel in nearby Klosters has a very nice sauna, steam room and hot tub!
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

February in Zurich????

What a day! Its sunny and 12* C in Zurich. This afternoon I went to Utlieburg mountain and hiked through the forest to Felsnegg mountain. Here are some photos of the sunny skies with the Alps way in the background and beautiful lake Zurich.

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Wine!

A big part of the reason I wanted to go to Spain was to learn about the wine geography, varietals and soil types. In one of my wine courses my instructor spent only about an hour on Spain and it went right over my head. Take a look at the wine regions map below and the vast number or regions in the country......so yes, a trip to Spain was in order to get more familiar with the territory! 

I was able to visit 2 wineries when I finished with the bus tour. One in Utiel-Requena and the other in Ribiera Del Duero. 

I was in Valencia and Requena is a short train ride west. I was greeted at Pago De Tharsys by Alex, an english speaking Bulgarian that gave me a tour and tasting. I was there for 2 hours and learned about their unique wine making process. They produce a large amount of Cava (sparkling white) but they buy it from designated Cava regions that you can find on the map....if you look closely....

Alex, my guide

  

      Dianne in the wine Cave

My second winery visit was a bit of a chore to get to.  I took a train from Valencia to Madrid then rented a car (standard transmission) and drove almost 2 hours north to Ribiera Del Duero. I had driven a standard car a long time ago but have had no formal training. It was pretty stressful especially with the grinding of the gears and some stalling issues. But I made it! Even with through the massive round-about's with traffic lights in Madrid and the rush hour traffic......And the changes in the terrain on the drive to Ribiera was pretty wild too. I drove through mountains, snow, low visibility and then into normal conditions.  But it was all worth it! 

I visited with Maria from Abatia Retuerta and had another 2 hour visit. This winery mingles eco-friendly  and high tec wine making techniques. High quality stuff!

Tempranillo Vines

Wine tasting room

Granada, Spain & the Alhambra

Approximately 3 hours east of Seville is the town of Granada. Granada is know for its famous Moorish palace the "Alhambra" built in the 14th century.  In 1492 it was taken over by the Christians.  Eventually it fell into disrepair for centuries and the Alhambra was "discovered" in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers, and restoration began. It is now one of Spain's major attractions, exhibiting the country's most significant Islamic architecture. I am currently reading a book that helped in making the Alhambra famous again called "The Tales of the Alhambra" written around 1830. 

In the background is a building called the "Generalife". It was a cooler building than the Alhambra and was used by the royal family in the summer.

View of Alhambra from the Generalife

Entrance to the palace grounds
called the "wine gate":)

Gardens and landscape on the property

Alhambra palace translates to "the red one"
for the colour of its exterior

Royal Coat of Arms in the room of Justice

Photos of the architecture and more colourful tiles!

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Remains of the original floor

Reflection pool in a courtyard

View of Granada

More of the gardens and landscape