A few steps into nature and towards good music

Last Sunday I had a strangely intensive day. Actually I'm taking advantage of my new big passion for hiking and go any time I can and find some willing friends following me in some improvised excursions. By now I manage to go up to the mountains once a week on Sundays :) This time it was the turn of the "Meraner Hütte". We started from Merano, drove 20 min. till Falzeben and went up by walking. As we reached the "Rotwand" we decided to go further to reach the Meraner Hütte, it took us another hour. Close to our destination we met a group of blond horses, quietly browsing among people caressing them gently. I liked to see them, even if I'm deadly scared about hourses - and they know it...! After these 12 km we could enjoy a South Tyrolean meal, the climate - approx. 15 degrees - permitted us to eat dumplings even in summer ;)
As I came back home I was quite wrecked, I rasted a bit and then got ready for a jazz concert in the Puccini Theatre: it was the last night of the Merano Jazz Festival. My sweet mum and I could enjoy the Dave Douglas Brass Ecstasy. Funny, entertaining and affecting, just as good jazz music can be :)

Old beauties touring in Merano

The last but not least rally of veteran cars - touring through Merano - planed for this year, took place this week. On Thursday the old beauties from all over Europe drove through the "Lauben" in all their elegance. The drivers - friends or couples - had a colourful cap and seemed to enjoy it a lot. Fortunately the weather contributed too, unless the major part of the participants should have droven with the top closed over their heads ;) From time to time there was one of them driving too fast and the organizers had to make any kind of gesture to make them slow down in order to give them a little present :)
I could watch some of them just a few steps away from my office :) Despite of the strong smell of gasoline, it has been an emotion :)

Hot, hot Merano - escape in the fresh Pfossental

2day it was just so hot in Merano, that I didn't even want to go to the pool...! Who knows me, also knows that's pretty uncommon ;) I wanted to escape somewhere I could breathe fresh, healthy air. Called up some friends and went to the Pfossental, a small valley reachable from the Schnalstal. It took us 50 min. by car from Merano. In the car we already felt the temperature changing :) How good! We parked the car and started hiking up from alp cottage to alp cottage, along the way we saw many goats and cows on the steep slopes. As usual the cows enjoyed their time without bothering about our discrete passage.
Just a moment before it started raining we could make halt at the Rableidalm. There we could enjoy some nice speck and alp cheese with homemade paarl bread. A fresh ender juice accompanied the biggest cheese omelette I've seen in my life! I couldn't finish it off, even though it was absolutely delicious! On the way back we saw some ibexes far up on the mountain and we went to the Gasthof Jägerrast to have some beautiful strudel and rolade... Yummy!!!
Guess what? In the meantime Merano got a bit fresher and I didn't have any dinner :)

Jazzy time in Merano

Sunday will be the last concert day of the Südtirol Jazz Festival Alto Adige. The series of jazz concerts boasts a long tradition and brings the beloved genre all over South Tyrol.
Last Tuesday I could enjoy the travelling concert just outside of my office. Funny, delightful, jazzy notes in Merano...! The next appointment is the Merano Jazz Festival, July jazzes!

Serenely losing my way in the labyrinth garden Kränzel

Wednesday I had the chance to visit the fascinating labyrinth garden Kränzel in Tscherms, a few minutes by car from Merano. After an exquisite glass of Cabernet-Lagrein and some lovefully prepared appetisers, the rain stopped and we could make our way barfoot into the fresh garden.

We went through some small labyrinths decorated with amazing artworks and reached the horizontal labyrinth - which origin goes back to the ancient Greek culture - representing the personal development of people, making their way to the center of it. There we could experience a deep meditation moment.
In the small lake next to it we could hear the toads quacking - some people love them, some do really not, it's funny...!
Then we proceeded to the 30 m long tasting table, the only unsailable artwork in the whole garden.
A bit of emotion mixed to fear cought me as I entered alone in the last, big labyrinth. I decided it to be a moment for me only, in order to live an intense experience with myself. A nice guide told me some details of the project, then she met another girl and I continued alone. As I finally got out of the labyrinth I could reach the others up the grassy amphitheatre, from where I could see what I passed through.
Two hours passed in a blink, some very well invested time indeed :)

Elegant musical end of June

What could be a better end for June, if not colourful performances of the Cambridge Morris Men on the Promenade and the exhibition of veteran Citroens all through the town center?
Despite of the rainy weather the 11 dancers who came to Merano from the UK found the energy and the joy for dancing in front of the public, enjoying the performance with a bit of curiosity for the colourful costumes dedicated to the celebration of spring.
The Citroen veteran cars had the pleasure to be well received in Merano for the 5th time last week-end and bore the thick raindrops elegantly.
Oh, I nearly forgot...if you take a closer look at the picture, you will see a green pianist in the background... It is one of the extraordinary creations of the Municipal Nursery Merano. :)

Fine eating delights

Last Saturday I wanted to celebrate my birthday the whole day. A gorgeous breakfast with a tasty cake with redcurrants and a delicious lunch in a place I always wanted to try. The Kallmünz Restaurant in Meranos town center. We had a lovely weather, it was sunny and mild and could sit in the small court of the castle. Fish, vegetables and meat are proposed with a very special, gentle touch of Asia and they suggest wonderful wines, which blend perfectly with the dishes.
We had king prawns and tagliata and some beautiful dessert. As we went back home, we were very, very happy ;)
The night was dedicated to my family and my dearest friends, we went to the Brauerei Forst, in its beautiful Biergarten. Nice wine, lovely fish, veggies and a lot of joy :) Last but not least, a gorgeous, enormous cake by Mignon, one of the best pastry shops in Merano...! You could live at their chocolate icing! Well at least I could...! :)