Day 1.5 at Hohe Tauern National Park

Today, it rained, and rained, and then it rained some more, not a heavy downpour, but that annoying drizzle with a dampness and cold that sneaks up on you, and you don't notice it until it is deep inside your bones. I managed to make it out to the Krimmle Wasserfall, me and the three other hikers willing to brave the rain, and I tried to get some good photos, but mainly it was just gray and more shades of gray. It is always sad to me that a camera can never quite capture what the eye can, because even in its varying shades of gray, the park was beautiful.

Being that it is Europe, unlike many of the National & State Parks back in the United States, Hohe Tauern is fully populated. Almost everywhere you look, the dramatic landscape is spotted with big sprawling farms outlined by snow peaked Alps. The farms look like they come from a different time with their low sloping roofs and gingerbread balconies like the kind represented on Cuckoo clocks. Truthfully, most of these farms have been handed down from generation to generation, and instead of modernizing, most of the families have maintained the original architectural integrity. 

I'm staying on one such farm; many of the farmers have turned the extra space in their homes into apartments for travelers like me to rent for the prices of peanuts and a kiss. Just kidding about the kissing part. I'm pretty sure the matron of the farm wouldn't take too kindly to me kissing her, though she has been very friendly and gracious. I've seen her son and daughter, and I think she has a husband somewhere, but I've not seen heads or tails of him. I'm assuming he's busy working the farm. Come to think of it, today I didn't see anyone at the farm. The only human contact I've had at all today was the cashier at the supermarket. 

It's been an adjustment for me, not having any human contact, when I'm so used to having human contact all day long with the children. That used to one of the biggest arguments my ex and I used to have, my desire to have time alone. It was an adjustment for him. Before kids, he was used to getting all of my attention, but after having a baby, and then two babies, sometimes I just wanted NEEDED some time alone.  Time to write, read, anything really, just a few moments alone.

Now, I have loads of time to myself, and while I'm getting a lot of writing, reading and other things done, there are moments when I want to lean over to someone and point out the way the waterfall carves out the snow at its base, or show the kids the funny man carved into a tree trunk.