jLife

I warn people who are going to Austria that they will leave their heart there. The human heart can resist quite a lot, but if you walk away from the home of Edelweiss without a smidge of attachment you prove only that you have no soul.

Austria is rightly named by both Europeans and non-Europeans as the most beautiful place on the continent. The friendly slopes of the Alps cry out to be hiked in the Spring, Summer, and Fall and invite skiers and snowboarders in the Winter.

And if the great outdoors don’t give you the warm woozies, the food will. I can’t talk about it for too long or I will start crying, so brief descriptions will have to do:

• Apfelstrudel: A delicious apple pastry comparable to apple danish but far less sweet and far more appley.
• Sachertorte: The ultimate cake for chocolate lovers. Picture this: two layers of rich, not oversweet chocolate, a smidge of apricot jam, and chocolate icing.
• Almdudler: A soft drink similar to Ginger Ale but with a fruitier flavor.

A surprising fact about the country may be that the song “Edelweiss” did not originate in Austria. It was written by Americans but has now been adopted by the natives. As an American who was once transplanted there, I envy the song. Everyone should have a chance to be adopted to that wonderful country.