Bergen, Blumen und Backerein (Mountains, Flowers and Bakeries....oh my!)

If these are the ingredients for a good vacation, my time in Europe definitely qualifies as one! The last two weeks I’ve been blessed to spend time hiking in the Alps with my mom and our good friend Jo Carol, as well as spend some time in Austria with my relatives as we gathered together for my cousin’s wedding. In Switzerland, we stayed in a small mountain town and did several hikes right from our cabin/chalet, as well as a few trips to the bakery and back again! In Austria, after recovering from an all-day and late-into-the- night wedding, we toured some local salt mines, went hiking, visited Vienna and ate lots of good Austrian food. Here are a few pictures from my time in Europe:



After hiking around these mountains, my mom and I stopped at this lake to cook up the bratwurst we’d brought along for lunch. The glaciers in this area were gorgeous!



All the green meadows were filled with colorful wildflowers!





I’ve never been one to pass up a stop at the bakery! After a long day of hiking, we enjoyed relaxing on our porch while tasting locally baked treats!





Dressed for the salt mine tour, we rode a “train” into the middle of the mountain and learned all about the history of salt production in this part of Austria.



A typical Austrian hike:
Climb the mountain, stop at the restaurant at the top for coffee and apple strudel and enjoy the view before scampering down again.