Fine Alpine Day

While visiting Graz Schumpeter Centre for three months, I got this one rare chance to visit Tamsweg, a small town in Salzburg land. Up in the Alpine area, there was this small lake in the middle of the mountain, just like many other small lakes that formed during the ice age. A 70th birthday celebration of a retired professor from Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz was held at the lake's shooting club. It's called 'water mirror shooting' in Deutsch if I'm not mistaken.

What is so interesting about this party is that everyone, including young children and teenagers, dressed up in a traditional costume which looks more or less alike in any Alpine regions. Not only that, but arriving at the shooting club itself, I could smell nice wood from the building. Inside, it was decorated with old wooden targets, including one of the birthday guy's target on his birthday celebration 20 years ago.

It's not an ordinary shooting, of course. You have to shoot into the water, and reflect to the target. THAT is something you don't find too often and definitely not easy. Seems like everyone was having a lot of fun. Whoever got the 10 point-center will be honored with a small target paper pin, which appeared to be such a pride.

It's also my first time eating deer meat in a quite nice deer gulasch. A bread dumpling, sweet peer in a syrup, some fresh cranberry sauce, and definitely kraut (aged cabbage) added a lot to the flavor. It was a fine meal, compared with other Austrian dishes I have had. Definitely a lot of alcohol! Can't go without beer and wine in this region. Unfortunately, too much smoke put a damper to the party. It seemed not to bother the locals so I occasionally walked out. It felt so much better with the fresh cool air and a slight scent of pine trees.

At the end, there is no place as cozy as places with a nice company. Thanks to Professor Kurz and Gabi who took me there!

More about the shooting club