17.06.2019 Monday

After a cozy start to the day and breakfast in the room, because it is quite cool up here, we explored the path to the Algund irrigation canal. Ingrid was handed the map and the adventurous mountain valley ride began. The way from up here to the main road is 9 kilometers and 20 minutes. You can't imagine how narrow the road is and how blind you have to feel your way through the hairpin bends. My car arrived safely down below with us and we're still alive.

But finding the irrigation canal path wasn't so easy, because first we drove towards Algund, where there is certainly an irrigation canal path, but no access is possible. For safety reasons, I stopped at a farm and asked a young man standing there if he was familiar with the area. He replied in Tyrolean German that he believed he was. He explained to me that I had to drive back and the parking lot for the irrigation canal path would be about two kilometers away on the right side. That was correct and I recognized it again. Ingrid suggested that I should choose a shady spot, but apparently so many people had come up with the idea of hiking the path that only one parking space was available on the large area, and it was in full sun!!!

As we got out of the car, the oppressive heat of the valley hit us. It's fortunate that we had both brought water for the dogs. We set off with our backpacks. And finally, I saw what I had been missing, a lizard! The regenerated tail stump suggested that it had escaped from an enemy and it sat calmly and still for a star photo on a stone. We walked with determination, past the dry water channels that were built earlier to irrigate the vineyards and apple orchards. The water was diverted from the Adige River here with imperial permission. The path offered a lot of variety. There was the hollowed-out, ancient tree that still carried a proud crown, grapevines that provided shade from the sun as a pergola. HnH

Imposing boulders lay over the water trenches where the dry water channel ran. In another tree, a small loving altar had formed in a natural hollow, with a Madonna, plants, small dolls, stones, shells, hearts, bells, angels, and a child's iron beadwork.

And I was delighted that we encountered lizards on our path again and again, many of which I captured on camera.

Then a yellow butterfly fluttered restlessly around, and despite chasing the animal for a while, I couldn't take a photo. Meanwhile, Ingrid patiently waited and Louis had found a shaded spot far away because even though our dogs had drunk water, they already seemed quite exhausted in the heat. Various breaks didn't change that, so after two kilometers and an hour, we started the return journey because of the dogs. The view over the plantations down into the Adige Valley was beautiful, and the mountains framing the panorama were the icing on the cake for us. We got into conversation with many others, and a grandpa told his two grandchildren that Ayko would eat two children for breakfast. I quickly agreed with the grandma by saying jokingly, "Men!" In the end, the two boys dared to pet Ayko.

On the way back, we stopped at a restaurant, and when Ayko encountered another dog here, just like on the irrigation canal path, his aggressive behavior attracted attention. Whenever Ayko is on a leash, he still thinks he has to eat other dogs, and I doubt that he will give up this behavior at some point. I indulged in an ice cream, and we had a drink of water before embarking on the rest of the return journey in good spirits.

Now suddenly the water rushed in the water channels, and Louis was tempted to jump in again, which he only did in one spot due to the depth of the ditch.

Later, I finally passed by a house again that could be a possible "object". It belonged, as I realized a bit later, to a larger vineyard and may have been something like a coachman's house. And then a yellow butterfly really flew in front of my camera again. Admittedly, it's not a good photo, but at least I could research that this butterfly was a brimstone butterfly. Another new specimen for my butterfly photo collection! Yippee!

The heated car awaited us, but thanks to the air conditioning, it quickly became cooler. We had prepared a shopping list, and I quickly found the store in Algund. We did the shopping quickly and looked forward to a coffee at home. But the path uphill still separated us from this idea. But even though I encountered a car several times, we arrived in one piece. Shortly before our accommodation, there is a rise where you drive into nothingness because for a moment you can't see a road.

Arriving in the apartment, the dogs were exhausted at first, but Ayko didn't miss the opportunity to sit next to me for coffee and wait for a treat before lying down again.

Ingrid and I talked a lot again. This includes experiences with family, of course with men (laughs), as well as our childhood stories. So it's never boring, especially since we both sit and read. The evening ended calmly, and we had already vaguely discussed the plans for the next day.

A short walk with the dogs allowed us to admire the moon again, large and yellow in the sky, and repeatedly crowned by a streak of clouds.