Ellmau, we're here.

The alps here in Austria are magnificent, one of the ridges visible from the picturesque tourist town of Ellmau looks like monster teeth. All in a curved row, sort of crooked and hungry. I suppose its looking to eat us, as Bens got it in his head that we are going to walk through the gaps. Oma says its close to religion once you get up there. I may not yet be convinced. Perhaps its fangs outside our bedroom window will lure me.

Ben and I enjoyed a beer in the town square last night while fighting off our jet lag. Whilest sitting at an outdoor cafe, we witnessed (as the whole town did) a marching band! They were all wearing liederheusens and whatever the dress women wear is called. A woman in back of the band was playing a base drum in a wagon pulled by a small blonde child! Soon, they were playing in a public stage and the music surrounded us while a surprise brass section began echoing into the crowd from geranium covered balconies. From behind the stage a small church was perfectly lit on a grassy hill side pasture. (Cows roam everywhere here)

This morning I ate my first traditional austrian/german breakfast made up of cut meats, cheese, a hard boiled egg, pastry, bread that tastes sort of stake but isn't, and pate in a single serving plastic dish way better than the pate I attempted to make for Ben's birthday. If that sounds like a huge breakfast, that's because it was. And we needed all that energy for the hike we went on today up to some panoramic restaurant from which we could see all the way into the italian alps. The view was incredible making mother nature look ambitious. Peak after peak, covered in snow by late September, with no visible break between.

I cant figure out how to put pictures in between text on my phone, so y'all have to be smart enough.