Thinking back to my childhood, a few memories instantly pop up.

One is Austria and the beautiful holidays we used to have there.

Filled with trips into nature.

An ordinary walk through the woods or a day trip into the mountains.

All equally special.

Why special?

Because you spent those moments with family.

While walking, stories were told, jokes cracked, and games played.

And in the meantime, wonderful nature was enjoyed.

My father had always planned a walk so that we had reached a mountain hut around noon.

We could enjoy delicious soup, usually goulash soup, in which the spoon stood upright because it was filled with vegetables and meat. (This is what it looks like in my memory, which could be slightly exaggerated.) And delicious fresh bread to dip in the soup. My mouth is already watering when I think about it.

Now that I am a parent, I want to pass those golden memories on to my children.

This starts with the moment you look out the window in the morning. From our holiday home in Ramsau, im Zillertal, we look down into the valley and are greeted by the mountains shrouded in clouds.

In the distance, you can see the gondola already going up to the mountain's peak and a brave paraglider smoothly sailing down. Now just waiting for the sun to show itself from behind the hills, a beautiful new day is just around the corner.

We decided to take the same gondola this morning and the train from Ramsau im Zillertal to Mayrhofen. Trains in Austria run regularly and make frequent stops. So unnecessary to use your car for everything.

No hikes up the mountain today; I will slowly build this up with my kids. They are not experienced hikers, so walking straight up the hill on the first day is not wise. Instead, we take the gondola (Penkenbahn) to the top today. The Penkenbahn originates from 1953 but was completely renovated in 2015.

It brings you up the mountain (1790 m) in 8 minutes.

But going up requires some persuasion because my youngest slightly fears heights. But just like the Romans of old, someone is soon persuaded by the promise of "Panem et circenses," food and entertainment.

The clouds still linger a bit, and the sun is missing behind the mountains, but that doesn't spoil the view at the top.

My kids were also amazed. It's beautiful to see that sparkle in their eyes. Finally, we arrived at the Funsportstation Penken, and my children soon saw something they wanted to try.

Funballs.

And a promise is a promise. Entertainment……. check!

So I had two kids floating around in giant rubber balls on a mountain lake high up on an alp in no time.

While my children have the most fantastic fun on the water, I also see a lot of children having the most fabulous fun in the water. Hundreds of tadpoles swarm around in this mountain lake; I would like to be there when they grow up and treat everyone to a frog concert.

After their adventure on the water, my kids ran to the playground. And I had some time to look around. Still as fantastic as in my childhood. The tranquillity it radiates the simplicity and splendor. I could sit here for hours.

Just one more promise to fulfill. That's why we walk on to the Lärchwaldhütte. The closest restaurant here on the mountain. And, of course, a delicious plate of goulash soup and the local dish Kaiserschmarrn is ordered.

Delightful.

These are highly recommended if you ever end up on a mountain in Austria. And so another beautiful and tasty memory was made.

While sitting outside on the terrace, we see the weather changing quickly.

Dark clouds are drifting over the mountain, and visibility is worsening. Finally, we get the message that we still have half an hour to go down with the Penkenbahn because of the coming bad weather. Otherwise, we will be descending the mountain on foot, and a hike of a couple of hours is something I need to be into now. So we decide to drop back to the valley. Our mountain adventure for today is over. My kids enjoyed it, and that was my goal.

A memorable day.

Making more memories

After a day's rest, I took my children up the mountain again.

Today I planned to go up with the gondola and walk down the hill instead of taking the gondola. Going down is slightly less tiring than going up the mountain, but it can leave you with muscle soreness the next day. So I don't plan anything for tomorrow, maybe a lovely day at the pool. They told me the swimming pool is very nice in the neighboring village, Hippach.

But we'll see about that tomorrow.

I have two wishes for today.

First, I would like to reach the cross atop the mountain and see real alpine cows. Those are also part of my fond memories of the past. My mother was always terrified when my father set out with my brother and me to reach the highest point. We were gone all day and unreachable.

Mobile phones did not exist yet.

Today the kids and I drove to Fügen by car. There we took the Fügen Bergbahn up the mountain, the Spieljoch.

This gondola lift was built in 1973, but a new one was built in 2017. When you get in, you will be taken to an altitude of 1865 m in about 7 minutes.

And again treated to a stunning view.

When you step off the gondola, it immediately becomes clear that everything is focused on tourism: a large restaurant, a beautiful playground, trampolines, a climbing course, etc. Yet, everything was beautifully maintained and very clean.

In my childhood, it was very different. Then you would be happy if you came across a mountain hut for a drink or something to eat. But you won't hear me complain.

Only the tension is a bit gone.

Back then, climbing to the cross on the mountain was still a challenge with acceptable risk. Now it is a beautifully laid path that everyone can walk up easily. This has the advantage that this pleasure can be shared by many now.

In the distance, I see my next goal, a proud upright cross, which indicates the highest point of the Spieljoch. One thousand eight hundred fifty-eight meters above sea level. Okay, it's not Mount Everest with its 8850 meters that sticks head and shoulders above it, but a good start for a beginner like my children and me.

Via a winding road, we start our way to the top. And soon, we see the gondola station getting smaller below us.

And the people below look like little lego dolls who happily walk back and forth.

The climb goes well, and because of the perfectly laid out path, it is a piece of cake.

When we get to the ridge of the mountain, we can look around 360 degrees.

What a view.

Speechless.

Occasionally our view is obstructed, but those beautiful white clouds make for some nice pictures.

This is precisely why I fell in love with this country. Standing on top of such a mountain makes you feel so insignificant, so small. And that makes me appreciate everything given to me all the more. And here I am with my children, enjoying the view, a beautiful holiday, and each other in silence.

And finally, my goal comes into view. I get a lump in my throat because this reminds me of all the times I did this with my father and brother. Those were good times, and now I create them with my children.

Unfortunately, the bench was occupied, but we had not come for that.

Finally, all three of us touched the cross, the finish line, which we achieved together. We stopped for a while, breathing in the fresh mountain air, and started the descent again.

On the way back, we came across another bench. But my kids were too scared to take a seat. So you need to see clearly in the photo that there is only a narrow path leading up to it. And just before the bench, the ground disappears hundreds of meters into the depth.

So you are literally on the edge of the mountain.

That's why you only see one pair of shoes in the next photo. The other two pairs of feet are safely behind the bench waiting for me to stand next to them again. Yet I enjoy nature for a while, the beautiful purple flowers that bring exquisite color to the green oasis.

When we are safe and sound back at the playground and gondola station, I hear a sound that makes me very happy.

Luck smiles at me.

I follow the sound and, in no time, find myself face-to-face with a beautiful herd of cows. The bells they have around their necks tinkle soothingly in the meadow.

First, we are greeted by two beautiful brown and black cows. Because I don't work in livestock breeding, I had to look up which breed this is. This is probably the Tux-Zillertal breed, but I am not 100% sure.

So please forgive me if I'm wrong.

A little further on, several cows are quietly meditating in the grass. You can notice that they are used to people around them because I can approach them very closely.

Of course, I keep an appropriate distance to avoid disturbing their peace. I greatly respect flora and fauna and try not to scare them. These cows have different drawings on their body. White spots are visible between the brown tones. This is another breed. I also had to check this, and I suspect this variety is called Fleckvieh.

Yet again, please don't shoot me when I'm wrong.