www.wilderkaiser.info Archives - Jim Murty’s TravelTravelTravel

Hungry and Thursday – Schnapps

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When it came to breakfast on our Oktoberfest booze bus in Munich https://www.muenchen.de/int/en/tourism.html it had to be schnapps.

We all had to take turns at cooking.

But Rambo, a New Zealander with a party trick of putting his false tooth in his beer when he went to the loo, was having none of it.

And he led a revolt of fellow heavy bevvy merchants… with this the result.

Slovenian life

All of which nostalgic meanderings are because of a Zoom meeting with Slovenia https://www.slovenia.info/en.

We were tempted by some culinary guides and one speaker who was extolling the virtues of all things pumpkin seed oil.

While one Slovenian with an unpronounceable name showed us hay lofts we could book.

But, of course, it was the booze experts who drew me in, the Pale Ales and sparkling wines.

And especially the man with the pear schnapps.

We’ll leave Slovenia there and thank them for making nary a mention of the most famous Slovenian of all, Melania Trump.

Schnapps ja

And return to Germany where the schnapps is drunk like water.

As chasers with beer.

And coming in all fruits and with whole apples and pears in bottles soaking up the alcohol what’s not to love.

Central Europe is home to the best schnapps so a shout-out to Switzerland and hiking in the hills www.myswitzerland.com and Swhisskey on the rocks.

Apres-ski

Or apres-ski in the Whiskey Mühle in Söll in Kaiser Welder https://www.wilderkaiser.info/en/soell/info/whiskey-muehle.html in Austria with www.topflight.ie Soll Mates.

Schnapps bottles too are works of art.

And you can marvel at the designs in the Ehrwald in the Tyrol www.tyrol.com with Top Flight for Schools www.topflightforschools.ie.

Of course Austria specialises in eccentricities https://www.google.ie/amp/s/jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2019/10/01/austrian-toilet-humour/amp/ and https://www.google.ie/amp/s/jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2019/10/03/__trashed/amp/.

But it all starts with the food and drink and with water so damned expensive I’d always recommend the sausages, beer… and schnapps.

MEET YOU AT THE BAR

Asia, Countries, Europe

Give us this Day – the wee chapel

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Our places of worship have shrunk with the lockdown but we can still give thanks to Our God from here in our homes.

Our forebears did during the days of repression in the Catholic and Protestant wars.

And the oppression of the Jews and discrimination against Muslims.

I saw evidence for it myself in Ann Boleyn’s Hever Castle in Kent in the south of England, through a hidden door behind a closet.

Where they boasted what was one of the smallest chapels and where, on occasion, they celebrated Mass clandestinely

Point towards Mecca

While Christians rely on their set Sunday services Muslims who cannot get to mosques can build their own places of worship.

With stones and a keen sense of direction for Mecca.

Set yourself up a mosque

Which I found in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan www.visitjordan.com.

With my ethically-responsible tour providers www.gadventures.com The water of life, Petra, and the sands of time

Small churches too can be found just around the corner when you go walkabout in a city.

Prague Protestants

As in Prague https://www.czechtourism.com/home/ and Hope springs eternal from where Jan Hus and the first Protestants http://Give us this Day – The First Protestants (of Prague) hailed.

And the holy man stands with his back to you.

Again on Mount Lycabettus where stands the highest church in Athens, https://athensattica.com St George and My Greek odyssey.

Athena herself is said to have built the hill herself so she could inspect the erection of the Parthenon herself.

Ice love you

Small churches can be found anywhere really.

That they can put up a cross and one of the funkier churches was an ice one.

In Soll in Austria Soll Mates and https://www.wilderkaiser.info/en/destination-austria/region-wilder-kaiser-skiing-tyrol.html with Top Flight www.topflight.ie.

While in Italy it helps if you’ve got your own chapel with your hotel.

Which I discovered on my Via Francigena www.ViaFrancigena.com and Small roads lead to Rome.

While in The Vatican http://m.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani-mobile/en/visita-i-musei.html itself you can always find a small chapel.

In one of the alcoves of St Paul’s Basilica.

Where my own Scary One disturbed my peace at the end of my Via Francigena by phoning me up to give out about my phone bills!

Me, I’m off down to my own carefully created Wee Chapel in my back garden.

Where sits a wooden grotto with a holy water bottle from Lourdes and http://www.lourdes-france.org The Lourdes prayer.

MEET YOU IN THE AISLES

Countries, Europe, Flying

Holidos and Don’ts – saunas

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Saunas are definitely a Holido… the best fun you can have with your clothes on, or off.

Us Brits, or Irish like to take our togs. trunks, bathers, bikinis with us to the sauna.

So here’s my sweltering saunas to relax in.

Aviemore

No, not that hut

Not, what you might expect but my first sauna experience, in the Scottish Highlands, left its mark on me.

And Clare, my then-girlfriend, who I ran over on the nursery slopes.

And whose thigh swelled up into a lovely rainbow colour.

I ended up spending the rest of the holiday on my own. Still the sauna was a great hiding place.

See www.visitaviemore.com.

Soll, Austria

I moved on, and thankfully had learned my lesson, when myself and my Snow Queen went to Soll on a Topflight trip a few years ago.

Sarah didn’t fancy the sauna so I went myself and decided to go au naturel with the other Austrians.

Though I kept my eyes front and centre (honest!).

The next day I was sorely tempted to say to the handsome dude at the next table at breakfast (and within earshot of Sarah): ‘I didn’t recognise you with your clothes off’

Visit https://www.wilderkaiser.info/en/destination-tyrol/region-villages/soell-winter.html and www.topflight.ie.

And visit Soll Mates.

Czech Republic

The pick of my Czech saunas has to be in Marianske Lazhny with Czech Tourism www.czechtourism.com.

When I took a Japanese woman’s bathrobe (and they’re small) by mistake, and she called me out.

Then there was Prague last week in my Aspen Hotel, the Golden Key… https://goldenkey.astenhotels.com/en?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9azstJHy5wIVzbHtCh3vZQmYEAAYASAAEgI6GvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds and the Hotel Beethoven, Teplice.

Where the sauna, massages and medical treatments take years off you.

Some of the ninetysomethings looked like octogenarians.

Istanbul, Turkey

Well, if it’s good enough for Florence Nightingale, Rudolf Nureyev, John Travolta, Kate Moss and East 17.

The 300-year-old Cagaloglu Hamam https://www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr is ornate and also offers trained assassins with karate chop hands for massage.

And then there’s the Turkish tea, or stronger. See www.visitistanbul.com and Wham bam, thank you Hamam.

Finland

It’s blowy outside

Kuusamo, where even Santa sheds his big red suit… don’t worry, he puts a towel over his lap.

At Kuusamo Airport, eight to ten people can sit comfortably on its U-shaped benches.

And while cooling down on the terrace, you can admire the views of the runway and the tiny Kolvanki Lake.

The basic fee is €50 (for two hours) + €10pp.. Extra hours are €15.

How to book? At . You can also call +358 (0)20 708 8810 or send an email to ania.murtovaara@finavia.fi .

You can also check out the saunas at Helsinki and Kittila. Visit https://www.finavia.fi/en/newsroom/2016/would-you-enjoy-sauna-airport

Uncategorized

Rock and Soll

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Alex Thomas belts out a mean tune in the Whiskymuhle in Soll, Austria…

As après ski punters throw shorts of Jagermeister down his throat to lubricate him.

He claims ‘You to me are everything’ as the greatest song of all time, accuses Paolo Nutini of cribbing ‘Losing My Religion’ for ‘Candy’ and refuses to sing Neil Diamond.

B know what ut nhe’s a diamond himself.

And you can give him a cheer on the slopes the next day… https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/soll-mates/

I don’t know what rock groups Bressie’s The Blizzards and The Academic, who supported the Rolling Stones at Croke Park, are like and the first of those bands certainly have the name for it.

These two Irish favourites will headline the Soll Ski and Rock festival from January 15-18.

Braveheart spirit

Gordon and the Bravehearts (Scottish perhaps?) will play on the Wednesday, The Academic on the Thursday and The Blizzards on the Friday.

The festival will be run in conjunction with Ireland’s 2FM station http://www.rte.2fm.ie.

We all love a gig but of course you won’t be able to resist the lure of the skiing…

Soll will have a Ski Safari on the Wednesday, back to ski classes on the Thursday and a Hexen Challenge on the Friday.

Now I know Hexen from our Soll adventure but also from a previous drinking expedition, an adjunct to my much storied Oktoberfests in Munich in the Eighties…

Burning it up

It means witch and Hexengeist is something like witch ghost which sounds better in German.

You burn off the top of the schnapps and then drink it, a bit like Sambucca. It has some kick on it.

And I’m rather more adept at that than flying down the slopes, although in both cases I end up on my arse.

Fly to Munich, Salzburg or Innsbruck, all with easy access to Soll.

Book with http://www.wilderkaiser.info and http://wwwskiandrock.tirol.