I am sure you have been in this situation before: you definitely need to cut overtime hours before the end of the month; you are in between jobs and find out last minute that a few holidays are left; you have finished exams and want to take time off before you start a job.
But you have been extremely busy during the last weeks and months. Now you are suddenly faced with free time, and you have no idea what to do with it.
Family House in Tyrol; Foto l. und r.: Asli Bohane
Well, the long weekend, that came upon me out of nowhere, happened to be the first rainy and chilly time stretch all over Europe after weeks of sunshine and heat. No one around me felt inclined to join me on a spontaneous trip to no defined destination. Here is what I did.
Writing retreat in the mountains of Tyrol near Kitzbühel
During the spare moments I found time to plan this trip, all sorts of options popped up before my inner eye: I could spend last month´s salary on a huge shopping bash (Berlin or Milano); or spend the same amount of money in a wellness hotel; I could spend no money at all and finally discover all those great places next to home I always neglected while heading towards the next point on my bucket list.
I did none of this. Instead, I opted for a writing retreat in a place I have been before hundreds of times. It´s a family place near Kitzbühel, where I am surrounded by low flying fogs, wet cows standing in front of gates waiting to be finally fetched out of the rain, and a stove to warm up the kitchen where I am writing. A friend´s empty second home, a monastery renting rooms or simply an AirBNB will do the job as well.
Day 1: What to do when it rains?
I confess - I went on an extensive shopping tour in and around Kitzbühel as soon as I had settled in (on day 2). Kitzbühel and the neighboring villages have great furniture stores. They are a wonderful melange of fine handcraft (and will make almost anything fit to measure) and elegant, Italian inspired modern design. On a rainy day and off season most vendours will not only spend a lot of time recommending the right piece for your individual living environment, taste and needs. They also indulge in a nice chat giving you the latest gossip about luxury homes that will need a caretaker to show people in and out, because they might otherwise get lost in hundreds of underground square meters containing pools, gyms, and garages.
Day 2: A hike into the mountains
Cows are not happy about this weather either
Major floods are expected all over Austria. The rain didn´t stop for 48 hours and more is to come. Above 1200 meters it turns into snow. The Danube hasn´t faced a similar flood in 30 years, other parts of Austria didn´t see as much rain in ten years. Farmers are forced to quickly evacuate their cows from the alpine meadows. Often they are hastily shoved into trailers to be driven down to the valley. After two days of being more or less either in the car, in a shop or inside the house, I want to catch some fresh air and walk a few steps. So I put on my brother´s water proof jacket, my late father´s glencheck cap and my heavy leather boots. Then I go outside set on a short walk up the mountains. It turns into a fabulous two hours hike through wet forests, uprooted giant spruces, along swelling rivers, discovering freshly shooting mushrooms in all forms and colours.
Day 3: Time in the Spa
Having proved to myself that I am not a pussy, I opt for a relaxing spa the next day. I have only recently discovered that almost all luxury hotels in and around Kitzbühel are open to day guests. They even offer quite reasonable rates for half day spa visits (around 40 Euros). The pools and the spas are stunning: Incredible infinity pools offer amazing views into the alpine hills, there is enough space for serious swimming and a variety of relaxing saunas and steam rooms. While temperatures drop to 2 degrees Celsius outside, I feel thorougly warm and relaxed.
Day 4: Last words on writing
To be honest I haven´t done much writing. Four days didn´t give me enough time to pick up on a literary project I hadn´t been working on for more than two years. In addition, a wooden bench in a kitchen that is hot and cozy from logs burning in a tiled stove isn´t the right place to dive into deep work. It doesn´t matter. Writing has once again been a great excuse to allow myself go on a trip that doesn´t make sense to anybody else.
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