The Steiermark

I set off on a bright, sunny morning. I had my route all planned. There is no direct route from here to Graz. I started off on the autobahn in the direction of Innsbruck, got off a bit too early and got stuck in a small town, unable to find the road I wanted. It was Saturday morning and everyone was out shopping. The roads were clogged in Wörgl and it took me 45 minutes to get out of it. Europeans are wealthy, they all have cars, and they all want to go somewhere. The official travel season hasn't even begun yet. When the schools let out the roads will be even more congested. At times the traffic is really thick. Later on, in Kitzbühel, it was bumper to bumper through the whole bloody burg. I went over another pass, this one only half as high as Furka (again, thank god for that!) and bypassed the Grossglockner, the highest mountain in Austria. Gawd, these mountains are big. The OMG mantra continued for much of the day. This poor Skoda is really getting a workout. Eventually I crossed into the province of Salzburgerland, and then into the Steiermark (Styria in English), of which Graz is the capital. The landscape became less dramatic, the mountains not as imposing, the valleys wider. It reminded me of being in the Rockies, then the Catskills. The scenery was delightful. I didn't want to end up in Graz, so I got off the main road onto a really small country road. I had no idea where I was headed; I just wanted to find some bucolic country inn. And find one I did. I couldn't have found a more inviting place to stay. It was as if I were led to this place. There was a sign that read 'Kulturpension'. What in the world would that be, I wondered. It is an old farm house, recently remodeled and converted into an inn and art gallery by an enterprising local couple. The grounds are simple and lovely, with many fine old trees and open fields. It's hard to believe that we are only 30 kilometers (about 20 miles) outside of Graz. The couple who run the place are very friendly and hospitable. The place is officially called: Landhaus Feuerlöscher bei Deutschfeistritz. Isn't that a mouthful?
I bow to the Mother of the World, to Lord Manjushri and to Lord Shakyamuni Buddha for watching over me. I feel that I have been taken care of at every turn on this trip. Tomorrow I drive into Graz, return ye olde Skoda and begin the adventure of teaching at AIMS. I have already been purusing the brochures of the Steiermark, considering the weekend excursions I want to make...