Slept a bit better last night. The mattress is a bit hard, but I found a workaround - it's a double bed, but with two separate mattresses and two quilts. The quilts are quite soft.. so I just put one under me, the other over me, and I'm a bit cushioned from the mattress. In other happy news from this morning, there were no exciting deodorant incidents. The most exciting thing to happen before I left the hotel was that the landlady was stunned that I didn't want anything hot to drink with my breakfast!
Well, I had it in mind to head to Steg and assess the ease of the walks around there. And to head there by bus. The Lonely Planet guide said I could only get weekly tickets from the post office or tourist office, so along I went to the tourist office, first thing after breakfast. To be told that I could only get bus tickets - of any kind - on the bus. So, off I schlepped, up to the main square, where I sat and waited - there's only one bus per hour out of Malbun. My goodness, the temperature dropped today - my breath was misting hard, and my face was freezing by the time the bus arrived. Thankfully, it was early, and he let us on as soon as he got there. I got a weekly travel pass for all zones, so I'm covered for all travel for the duration of my stay.
And I hopped off the bus five minutes down the mountain, in Steg. (Pictures available on FB..) I had two main treks in mind, each of which leads out of Steg and down a valley. I thought I'd do the trek to Valuna first. It's said that walks in Liechtenstein are well marked - they are marked, but not consistently. It's easy to miss a turn. I had to retrace my steps a couple of times, but the walk was easy enough - just follow the river - and stunning. Now, my map said there was food at the end of this trip. Eh, yes there is - a hut, selling hot and cold drinks and snacks. I bought a couple of bars of chocolate and left. I could've continued down the valley to Waldboda, but figured I'd had enough of the valley by then, and retraced my steps to Steg.
I availed myself of some conveniently located toilet facilities at the head of the trail, and went in search of lunch. Steg, however, is not so well served as Malbun, and my search was fruitless. With some time still to go before the hourly bus back to Malbun, and since I wasn't that hungry, I decided to embark on hike #2, along the mountainside on the other side of Steg, to Mittlervalorsch.
I did so with some trepidation. I have a reasonably severe case of bathmophobia, which includes fear of slopes. Ironic that I love mountains.. so I was determined to continue as long as the walk didn't get too scary. By which I mean either a bit of the path that was too steep, or perhaps a too-narrow path on the edge of a steep slope.
I was utterly delighted with what I found. The path did climb, but gently, up the mountainside. I proceeded along it for about an hour before it got a bit steeper, and I was tired by that stage anyhow, and came back. In the meantime, however, I got unbelievably high up the mountain (again, see the above link for pictures). The views were fantastic. The path crossed two streams, and led to a house, perched high in the forest. Along the way, I came to a mountain hut. When I investigated, I discovered that it contained a wood-burning stove, piles of chopped wood, benches and a table. Walls and door were covered in graffiti of people who'd been there. Outside, facing the valley, was a ledge where you could sit - and I did, on the way back, to eat the Mars bar I'd bought in the Valunahutte.
The whole thing was utterly stunning, and yes, I did break into song on the way down (Sound of Music, natch). Well, there was no-one to hear, and something had to compete with the sound that the hills were alive with - cowbells. All the way up, and all the way down, nobody for miles, not even any cows - they were on the other side of the valley. But you could hear them, oh yes. Dang-a-dang-a-dong. You couldn't be elsewhere but in the Alps. Poor animals must be deafened, though..
And this evening, I ate in my hotel, where the lady of the house was all dressed up in a dirndl to serve customers. Indeed, the place seems busier tonight - even the bar was open, which it wasn't on Monday, when I arrived. But then I overheard a conversation she was having with the English guests at the table next to me, and it seems said bar closes at 8! Up to them, but doesn't seem good business.
This blog is quite late because I've been deliberating about what to do tomorrow. I've pretty much run out of accessible walks. Well, I still have to pay a visit to Malbun chapel. And then I might consider the road to Saas again. Failing that - or after that - I could pop by Triesenberg, with its fantastic views of the Rhine valley. Next accessible walk is Bendern to Schaan, along the Rhine dam. We shall see - after all, the country is my oyster!
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