Austrian Alps

TL;DR  -   Tyler still works for Memfault in Berlin. We are still pretending to live in Berlin (but also taking advantage of seeing other European destinations). We enjoyed a visit back to North Carolina and Colorado last spring. We just finished a month in Innsbruck, Austria. We are now separating for a R- and T-Solo Adventure…then back to Berlin in August.

Hello friends and family!! It has been far too long since our last update and for that I am terribly sorry. Just in case you were wondering where we’ve been and how we’ve been spending our time, here is an update:

(But first…here are our pics from Innsbruck, Austria in case that is all you’re here for) https://photos.app.goo.gl/1P53U8GrXtsr5jt97

For the last four weeks we have been enjoying the mountains in a small town just outside of Innsbruck, Austria. We rented a quiet, spacious apartment and have been greatly enjoying the ability to separately listen to youtube, in separate rooms, without headphones…that is how much space we have…it is glorious. The Innsbruck area is a large mountain valley with the dominating, dramatic Tyrolean Alps in every direction. Every walk and/or bike ride takes my breath away. It reminds me a lot of Vail Valley in Colorado.

The primary goal for this location was to enjoy a few Austrian hut-hiking trips. We were able to enjoy overnights in 6 huts across 3 hiking-trips. Each hut had a dramatically different personality, though there were many similarities. These huts were unlike anything we have experienced in mountain hiking. They are more like charming B&Bs with amazing food, large dining rooms (with fireplaces and board games), and the option to sleep in private rooms or shared dorm rooms (often with bunk beds). We opted to sleep in shared dorm rooms, which made for a frugal accommodation. But we did not skimp on food. We often enjoyed a glass of wine (Randi) or Radler (Tyler) and a hardy 3-course dinner. We enjoyed meeting the other hikers during meal time, playing cards, and learning the story of the Alpine hut stewards. Tyler found we seemed to meet more Germans in the Austrian huts than in Berlin. We particularly enjoyed the mountain views from the huts (inside and out).

In addition to our hut-hiking trips, Tyler found a local jiu jitsu gym to enjoy for the month. We found a rhythm in the week. Tyler worked, we would do a mid-day walk around the village or up the local hiking trail, and he would do jiu jitsu 3-4 nights a week. Then weekends were mostly filled with hut-hiking trips. I also filled my time with day hikes and bike rides around the region. We stumbled upon a used Brompton (folding bike) last month in Bratislava and have found it’s compactability suits our travels. We also started the latest season of Alone and followed a bit of the Eurocup (soccer). Tyler particularly enjoyed watching the raining days from our balcony and I enjoyed the opportunity to see mountains at every turn.  Here is a view from our street.

All in all, this has been one of my favorite locations we have ever visited. We are often asked where our favorite place has been. In truth, so many unplanned factors impact this answer: weather, accommodation, people one meets, general mental or physical health at the time, cost, or about 50 other dynamics. We have found everywhere has many redeeming qualities…and we have yet to visit a place we would never want to visit again (including New Harmony, Indiana). That being said, this feels like the first time I am a little sad to walk away from one location and start the next chapter. I could happily enjoy another month in this beautiful, mountainous corner of the world. There are still hundreds of trails to hike and more huts to experience.

So…what is next for the Merry’s? We are doing a little solo-adventuring for two weeks.

Tyler: Will head off to enjoy a few days with a co-worker in Munich, then he will train to Berlin for a week-long dog-sit. He is excited to return to his regular jiu jitsu gym in Berlin. He will also return to the Berlin office.

Randi: Taking advantage of recently acquired folding-bike, I will set off on a bike trip from Innsbruck, Austria through Salzburg and Linz, then across the Czech border into southern Bohemia and up to Prague, into Germany, near Dresden, and up to Berlin. Admittedly, I will use a few trains to help me along the way; we’ll see how many of the 750-miles I can manage on the Brompton.

We will rejoin together in early August at our new apartment in Berlin.

We always like to hear about how everyone else is spending their summer!! Please send us an email, call, or text…would love to see your pics too!!!**