Ever feel this way? The other day, my friend, one of the loveliest and most even-keeled women I know, calmly said, “I feel enraged all the time.” She recounted a recent dream, in which she was offered two bottles of pills, one labeled “Sorrow” and the other “Aggression.” Were the pills meant to cure these afflictions, or pile on more? My friend’s antidote is knitting. Mine is hiking. So rest, weary doom-scroller, and enjoy vicariously–without the jet lag or record-breaking heat–my husband’s and my recent trip to the Austrian Tyrol. Knitting is optional.

We spent the first week in Achensee, its verdant green. lush wildflowers, and turquoise waters a welcome change from the sun-baked golden hills of California. After slipping and sliding down steep, gravelly trails, we sought refreshment from the many huttes along the way:

Next up was Innsbruck, which we had visited in September 2017, when it was under snow. The large peach hotel in the first photo is where we stayed then, but this time we were in the Old City, home of Innsbruck’s most famed sight, the Golden Roof, composed of 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles and completed in 1500 by Emperor Maximilian I in honor of his wedding.

We stayed in the Maximilian Hotel, which didn’t have old gilded tiles, but did have air conditioning, a rare and welcome treat to cool us off after our daily hikes in and around Innsbruck.

First we took a bus to the nearby town of Zirl, and hiked a long loop starting with the Ehnbeckklamm Gorge, enjoying the ants near the Hoch Zirl train station far more than the sugar ants that took up residence in our kitchen while we were away, and coming back down past some old castle ruins from the 13th century:

Next up was the Seefeld, pastoral with a posh town and nice church, and then a hike at Patscherkopfel with a great overview of Innsbruck:

Our very favorite hike was from the town of Grizens, to Kemater Alm and the valley beyond. The trail started by traversing a long, narrow cow pasture, and the cows, protective of their young ones, were not happy to see us. Polite but insistent, they walked alongside and behind us on the trail, mooing urgently to the next group of cows to take over as they ushered us through the territory. We hurried as best we could, but I was desperate to pee and had to stop. Soon I was encircled by cows, two of whom were real ass-lickers, as I quickly learned. But really, it was a gentle tickle, quite kind treatment for an invader. We hustled out of the pasture with their persuasive accompaniment as fast as we could (and returned on the road the cars take on the way down).

Our final week was in the Stubaital, a stunning valley with the beautiful Grawa Falls, a glacier, a hanging bridge, and many arduous hikes (one Gasthaus strategically placed painted stones along the steep and narrow trail to entice children onward, but our kids wouldn’t have fallen for it):

Hang gliders were everywhere, as were gorgeous wildflowers and vistas, and even some Stone Men, an art installation in the Pinnistal a bit more sophisticated though less charming than our sleeping frog:

Here’s the view from our balcony in Neustift and the town church.

Now it’s home, sweet, home, where I need only look at this picture of our two-month-old granddaughter whenever I need a break from the world: