Day 6: Vigiljoch / Lana & a hotel fire in the evening

October 14, 2021

The muscle soreness this morning is limitless - but it doesn't help, as today we want to go hiking with our friends from South Tyrol.

At 9 o'clock we meet in Lana at the cable car "Vigiljoch".

The cable car is of an older model and according to the sign it can accommodate 20 people. It was originally announced that due to Corona, cable cars would not be operated at full capacity or only half of the passengers would be transported.

That's the theory - here's the practice:

I am the last one in our group and the turnstile closes in front of me because the maximum number of 20 people has been reached. Shrugging, I stop and prepare to take the next gondola. However, the gondola employee seems to see it differently, opens the turnstile and sends me into the gondola with a "it fits". Ok - so much for the corona measures….

With masks on, we stand closely together in the old small gondola and slowly ascend towards Vigiljoch.

When we arrive at the top, you can take a single chairlift to go up and walk down (which we would love to do now), but our South Tyrolean friends just laugh and say that the chairlift is for lazy people, we will walk up 🥴

Ok, so let's grab the trekking poles and off we go. The path is not very steep, but it stretches out.

We feel every step from yesterday in our bones, and the unfamiliar horseback riding is now taking its toll on my legs. My son is already in a bad mood when we finally reach a small animal park. Here the mood suddenly brightens, because with so many rabbits we don't know where to start feeding them grass through the fence. In no time, we are all (including the adults) busy plucking grass and feeding the hungry rabbit mouths.

Next to the animal park is a small playground and an enclosure with 3 donkeys (parents and a young one), which we also provide with caresses.

Eventually, we manage to tear the kids away from the animals and continue hiking. The hut where we were supposed to have lunch is unfortunately closed today, but we simply decide to take a different hiking trail and go to a different hut (with allegedly less incline 😇😁

The weather today is again picture perfect! Blue sky, sunshine, and pleasant t-shirt temperatures (at least when you're moving).

At around 12:30 we stop at the Seespitz Inn and have lunch. From goulash soup, dumplings, baked potatoes to Kaiserschmarrn, everything is delicious.

After an extensive lunch break, we continue with delicious chestnut cake and latte macchiato.

The path leads past a great mountain panorama and we enjoy every view to the fullest. In the distance, we can even see the Meran 2000 station and the small Mittager.

By 4 pm, we have arrived back at the valley with the gondola and say goodbye to our friends, but we will meet them again in Lana tonight. We have a date for "Törggelen" 🤩

But before that, we go back to Hafling, the kids don't feel like "Törggelen" and would rather relax in the vacation apartment tonight.

We want to be back in Lana by 7 pm, so we plan to leave around 6:30 pm. But just before that, I see a huge column of smoke in the distance from the living room window in Hafling.

At first, I make jokes that someone must have thrown something bad into the chimney, when suddenly sirens are heard all around. We all stand at the window or outside on the terrace.

It's on fire - and it's big! But what's on fire!? A hotel!? I think I remember that it's exactly where one of the huge modern hotels is located. Shortly afterwards, 2 helicopters come flying in - oh boy - things are really heating up now!!!

I quickly write to our friends that we might be late, as I don't know if we can pass the main road to Hafling.

We set off and meet Peter at the farm, who confirms that it's a hotel: the 5***** luxury hotel Mirabell is on fire! 😱😱😱

There was apparently an explosion, we don't know more at this point.

As we pass the roundabout in Hafling, where the road up to Hotel Mirabell branches off, there is only a police car parked next to the road, but we can drive past Hafling. So lucky!

The next shock comes 2 curves later. It is already quite dark when I come out of a curve and see 4 (!) lights shining in my direction on 2 lanes. I am in shock, my husband yells "Brake!", I briefly hit the brakes, and then the horn of the car with the trailer screams, which is being overtaken at full speed by an absolute maniac just before the curve. I manage to flash the high beam and hit the brakes hard. In the end, it's centimeters that prevent a head-on collision here.

WHAT AN IDIOT!!!!!

Wow, I'm shaking like a leaf, because now I realize how close that was…

Two curves later, a procession of emergency vehicles follows, rushing past us with flashing lights. They probably also want to go to Hotel Mirabell. Crazy…

I drive down the serpentine road at a snail's pace, pass through Hafling, and continue to Lana to the "Glögglkeller".

Now I need a drink first!!!

The hotel fire has already spread and is already the number one topic of conversation among the locals at the entrance to the "Glögglkeller".

With a bottle of wine, the shock is quickly forgotten (I stick to just one glass, as I still have to drive). We also have Tyrolean flatbread and donuts as appetizers, mixed meat platters for the men, and for us ladies, we stick to the vegetarian dishes such as "Schlupfkrapfen" with herb and cheese filling. For dessert, there are chestnuts fresh from the oven. Delicious!

We say goodbye around 11 pm - it got pretty late....

On the way back - by now I naturally know all the local speed cameras along the route - the "Carabinieri", the local police, signal us to stop in front of Trauttmansdorff Castle.

Oh crap, I forgot my ID and driver's license in the vacation apartment, as I left without a purse 😱

I try to stay as cool as possible and open the window with a friendly "Good evening". The Italian policeman looks at me briefly and waves me on without saying a word.

Phew - whatever they are looking for or testing, I don't seem to fit the profile 😅

What an exciting evening....🙈