Over breakfast, I noticed the cloud lifting. A continental breakfast isn't the best preparation for physical exertion, but what can you do. Anyway, the view from my room was restored..
Note the cranes. There's building work all over Malbun! And today I went off exploring it. Found a shop - half sports gear, half whatever else you might need. Actually, it's housed in that building whose first floor is white, second floor brown. The tourist office is just across from it, but nothing great. Mind you, that's where you'd get travel tickets - I must look into whether that'd be worthwhile.
Now, I wanted to explore my environs today, and had a couple of options. I didn't fancy the chair lift - not today, anyway - which left the walks around town. I had this vague yen to walk towards Steg - I could see paths heading in that direction, which appealed more than the main road, which doesn't have provision for walkers. As I meandered through town, looking for the way onto one of these paths, I had to agree with the description I've read of Malbun as a rural idyll..
The first two show my hotel - the first, the restaurant terrace with the mountain behind: the second, the entrance. I only noticed those fellas today (second chairlift in the background of that shot). The third shows the small petting zoo down the road. The sheep wear cowbells - you can hear them from afar. They all livened up when some kids came to visit. It occurred to me later that, while I was traipsing around, I should have taken some shots of some of the spectacular houses hereabouts - some holiday homes, for sure, but some beautiful buildings. Well, I am here for a week.. plenty of time.
Finally, I decided the easiest way onto the path I wanted was just to cut across a field, and that's what I did. I proceeded smugly down the road - only to find my way barred by an electric fence. Now, I could see it was in two parts, so I was probably entitled to pass through - a fence meant to deter animals, not people. But I wasn't sure of the procedure. Looking back, I saw two hikers approaching. Ah, I thought, I'll wait and see what they do. So I nonchalantly pretended to be doing stuff as they passed, and watched as they used their walking sticks to brush the fence out of the way as they passed through. I figured I could use my bag to do the same, but said I'd wait till they were out of sight. Of course, one of them, further down, decided he needed to relieve himself.. so all this took much longer than it needed to, but I got through eventually.
Happily, I trotted down the road. Until I saw what probably made them turn back, as they did, towards town. Further down, the road was completely roped off. Not for hikers, that way! So all you could do was go down as far as the base of the second chairlift (and, apparently, an outpost of Radio Liechtenstein). I thought about proceeding along the main road, but there are no footpaths, and I was reluctant. I did come to another hiking sign, pointing along the road to Saas, up the mountain. Now, I'd love to go that way, and one of these days I well may. But when I saw the gradient, and considered how tired my legs were by now.. I cried off and returned to the hotel for a rest. Honestly, I'm not used to this much walking.. must pace myself.
For lunch, I thought I'd try somewhere else in town - there are eight hotels, after all. I thought the Hotel Restaurant Walserhof looked appealing, but when I went in, people were only drinking and I didn't fancy it (I had left it late to eat). I ended up in Hotel Restaurant Turna, whose entrance is upstairs from the hotel. It was practically empty, and service was.. relaxed, but very friendly. I'm not having much luck with the German - it doesn't help when you can't understand what someone just said to you - but the waiter was happy to speak English. And I had the most delicious schnitzel in a cream and mushroom sauce - you had a choice of pork or veal, noodles or something I hadn't heard of (and, as usual, my phrasebook couldn't help). Pork was cheaper, so I had that, and the noodles - which turned out to be tagliatelle. And this time I made sure to ask for a LARGE glass of wine! They don't seem to be great wine drinkers here, and last night I was given a pitiful measure. I fancied dessert, and got myself a moreish ice cream and caramel sundae from the ice cream menu. Very well fed - and obviously very much envied by the large, persistent fly that buzzed around me for the whole meal. Until dessert - he obviously didn't have a sweet tooth.
As I waited for the relaxed waiter to get back to me, I mused that there were a couple of photos I should take when I left - views I caught a glimpse of through the restaurant windows. Sadly, by the time I did leave, the cloud had descended again and there was no point. I'm sure I'll get another chance. There wasn't much point in doing any more walking either, so I stopped by the shop, picked up some (roll-on) deodorant and a bottle of Liechtenstein Riesling, and I've been chillin' ever since. From my current position, I can see the cloud has continued its descent. The chairlift is still working though, despite the fact that it's headed into a cloudbank now - and a couple of paragraphs ago, I actually saw some mad people heading up the slope in one of the chairs. Straight into dense mist. And it must be freezing - it was pretty nippy when I got back, some hours ago! People are strange.
Here's a shot of what I can see from my position..
You can just see a post of the chairlift, in the mist. Oh, and also the offending deodorant bottle, just outside.
Tomorrow, I think I'll head to Steg. By bus. The walks down there are supposed to be flatter! And I must decide whether a bus pass would be good value..
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