Anka's World - blogging at higher a(l)titude: adventure, journey, sport, inspiration, motivation : Zell am See - Maria Alm - Kronreith

I wrote here more about the Rocky Sea mountain range here in the area.

After I've read the results of my exams yesterday I decided to celebrate on my own way.

So, late in the afternoon I took the mountain bike and go for a ride from Schüttdorf to Maishofen.

I knew it was late as I started, about 4 p.m., but I said to me, I still have plenty of time for a 2-3 hours ride.

A gorgeous day to be outside. Not too warm, not windy, just perfect sunny with the proper protection.

I was going along the lake in Zell am See, the sunny part of it, having the entire well-known panorama of the Rocky Sea Range. Breathtaking, as always!

After about 7 km I reached the other end of the lake at Pielau Castle - now a restaurant - and took the road on the left to Maishofen.

Happy horses family resting in the green gras, touching image ...

I knew the route very well from my last August, as I had a short time job in Maishofen while looking for a living solution in this area. I also did the route to Maria Alm in January, on the snow, on a icy ground, even falling with the bike. Marvellous sceneries ..... I have tones of pictures of these mountains, so today I kept my camera for different surprises along the ride.

I combined riding with running and I stopped a lot just to admire and to breath all happyness molecules :-)

The route I did was about 85% asphalt. The Austrian infrastructure is simply amazing and this is a reason why this country developed at this level, being also blessed with a sensational landscape diversity.

I was running here for the first time in August 2017 and the mountains behind me give a special input to the pictures.

Then, in August, I felt here I could get the chance to re-start and re-find myself. I had no idea how long time it will still be needed ..... ten months with a lot of issues and shocks passed away since then. But I am here. But I am happy. But I enjoy and go my path, doing the best of everything I can.

I even was looking for the same bank where I meditate in August last year. The bank was taken from here during the winter, protection reason I can imagine.

After I left behind me Maishofen, Kammerschloß (where I worked last year and experienced one of the ugliest life experiences in my life related to human behaviour and cruelty) und Gerling I pointed to Almdorf and on the way I started to ask about a renting appartment in the area. Here are small communities of farmers, big farmer houses and rural hotels. They do not have rent appartments to rent on long term, they rent them per night, week, month or season, much more money to get and of course, much more work. But asking is still free of charge even in Austria.

From Almdorf I descended to the left, crossed the main road and the river and pointed uphill to the right, entering Rain (asking here too and having a very friendly talk with a local farmer, letting him my contact data in case he hears something), a very small farmers community with a huge, huge and beautifl golf terrain!!! I never saw something like that in my life, soooo beautiful!! What you see in the picture below is just a drop of the entire surface maintained for golf playing!!

The different green color nuances is so fascinating ..... isn't the Nature the Perfect Painter of this World or what?! Only green you might say .... but such a diversity .... and those fields of yellow flowers which bloom all over the country now in May.

Without any intention and having no map with me I decided to leave the asphalt and to take a road uphill which lead me to a path finally and so I had to walk and run along with my heavy bike. Good training, by the way! I was now along a segment where riding is not allowed, of course and I had to take and rise the bike twice over two fences until entering a forest and following the narrow path to the main forest road which theoretically I could ride if I would have been so strong to climb the mountain :-)

Then I rest for a while ........... looking back from where I was coming .....

and in front of me to where I was going: Kronreith

At this time of the year most of the cabs and pensions and hotels in Austria - at least this part of the country which is based on tourismus - are closed. Kronreith is a animal farm with a big building where you can drink and eat, they probably open end of May or so.

I was here on Sunday with a new friend, so I knew the place. He parked the car about 800 m below the place and we came on foot for the short distance. Hier stops the asphalt too. Now I was coming from a slighlty different direction and the entrance appeared suddenly spectacular from the forest:

I took a rest here not because I felt tired, but because .... just wanted to stay, watch and feel and taste the water.

Then I continued my journey uphill when the road curve entered the forest again and after about 10 minutes I reached a huge private domain with a small lake and a beautiful panorama.

I passed by the private domain going further steep uphill through the rich shadows of the forest.

No wind, no sound .... just the sound of the air and insects and trees and the sounds of my steps on the rolling ground. Feeling blessed to can choose being here, doing this, seeing all these. Yes, the place we live influence our life and life and thinking style, this is why I struggled so much, so hart and so long to change places. Loving each single place I lived in a different way and by different intensities and from different reasons.

From this point I had three options: going right to Fürstenbrünnl and I had no idea what that is or how long could it took and it was too late for prolongued adventures. To follow the descent narrow path through the forest back to Maria Alm - I started, but then it was much to crazy because having the bike with me. Or to ride back on the same road at least until the Kronreith and then to follow the asphalt back to Maria Alm.

I stopped and entered the private domain taking place on the bank beside the lake and enjoying the feeling of living in such of place, free of worries, writting my books and coaching. Dreams never may die or be ignored.

Such a domain needs a lot of perpetuum work and life and love .... I saw no sign of life today or on Sunday as we rest here for a while.

The descent to Maria Alm was steep, not very long and enjoyable. I returned then to the same forest road along the river and in Rain I found this good map. So I've got an idea where I am and where I was (blue point marked).

The way to Saalfelden is marvellous beautiful and almost suddenly I found myself in the town very close to Ritzensee and Ritzen Castle.

Now I started to look out for the way back to Maishofen over the fields, avoiding the main road, of course.

I thought, I find the way and in one hour I am back home before I loose the day light. I had no light with me, nothing at all.

My adventure prolongued for another three hours!!!! Oh yes .... incredible .... because I couldn't stop me to go there and there and there, to see, to take pictures ....

I was soooo lost in the scenery. The evening came slowly and I had some clothes with me, so I had no worries I could be cold.

I took just "by smelling" the open wide forest road to the left and wow ..... wow .... wow ....

I am speechless ..... so I took me time to stay here, I decided I find back home anyway, but he NOW moment was me soooo important ....

It was very windy here on the top and the sun began to take its path to the night sleep ........

Going back down from that hill .... isn't it magnificent?!

So, back to my bike, downhill, curve to the left, to the right, high speed, chilly evening coming .... entering a forest again, but not for long ....

And then .... then I saw a place and a house which could be one of my dreams in fullfilling :-)

Heavily hearted I left the spot, I took a wrong way, I lost a bit for a while and then I finally found the right road back to Maishofen wie Gerling, a very small place with few households and a small high church. About 12 kilometers still to ride .....

As I reached Kammerhof again - that wonderful old old domain with a castle and a church, but unfortunatelly my connection to that is fullfilled of suffering, humiliation and new aspects of cruely, rude, hearless human behaviour - it was about half past eight in the evening.