Quite a lot is up in the air around our campground Rosental Roz in the very south of Carinthia. Bees, for instance, known well across the borders for their special type of Carnica bee honey. Paragliding enthusiasts, too: The Radsberg right across is a perfect jumping site for the adventurously inclined. As well as a certain type of pioneering spirit, led by researchers at the close-by Expi Science Centre, the talented craftswoman Maria and her bee-keeping husband Michael, as well as the environmental facilities at the campground itself. I take a deep breath and let my thoughts wander, across the mountains, hills and valleys of Sankt Margareten im Rosental, whose peaceful campground Rosental Roz offers this sweet little detail: It is right upon the international Way of St James! My eyes light up: I could just as well, start another Camino from here all the way to Santiago de Compostela … or simply take on the local mountain right across the valley.
Last but not least, because of my happy travel mates, I do opt for the latter. Once more, we all find ourselves …
… happily doing “nothing”, which in blogging terms still equates publishing the odd picture about our “happiness of being”..
Soon after arriving at Camping Rosental Roz, local host Katharina Wernig offers to take us around …
… on a walk exploring the local small town Gotschuchen …
… where art historian and super talented craftswoman Maria Mlečnik-Olinowetz …
… and her husband Michael welcome us, Michael who is the Carnica honey bee’s best friend really.
This charming local couple wins our hearts in no time. Maria, for instance, has dedicated her life to creating art of a kind I have rarely seen before, such as painting on glass, eggs, wood, canvas, ceramics, and what have you – literally nothing “is spared” by her. Timid at first, she blossoms like a flower (at well over 70 years!) over our praise of her exceptional oeuvre. Trust me, it’s definitely her and Katharina’s campground that are well worth the while (and your journey) into the Rosental in Carinthia.
Something Maria is especially proud of, is her fine work in creating those beautifully painted egg shells …
… or this truly outstanding vase …
… as well as painting angels with a rich colour variety on display – surprisingly fresh and modern, too.
Our dear Sabine even has an angel offered by Maria, as it is her birthday that day: What a special thing to happen, this unspoken union between the two women here.
Maria’s husband Michael then takes care to introduce us to “his” bees, who he calms down with a bit of hashish just before opening the hive (!) …
… like this, the furry little creatures quietly come to a rest on Sabine’s camera, or Michael’s ear – wherever comfortable, really.
All the locals here seem to be pretty special and well in shape (perhaps it’s the good air?): The next morning ,we meet Katharina’s mum on the campground, having just turned 80 (!) and fresh at work as ever.
Let’s take a leap of faith, then: Reading a book doing nothing is just as well as jumping from a cliffside near our campground Rosental Roz.
“From our campground, it is only three kilometres to the entrance of the hiking trail up the Radsberg mountain. We usually send our guests off walking by themselves, it is really very easy to find.” I can’t wait to spend the day with you and hear more of your stories, Katharina seems to add silently, and smiles. She is eager to listen to our stories, the many travel adventures we share, as well as the constant lookout for great photo spots and opportunities: Neither her nor her sweet little labrador dog ever tire of walking up the mountain next to us. Here’s the picture story of what this family day together looked like:
Off we go in those beautiful weather conditions …
… including short breaks …
… and magic views down and across the river Drau valley …
… until we are rewarded with a better view of the paragliding people.
Like “chicken on a bar”, we watch the world (as well as the sunny paragliding boys) pass us by …
If you decide to just stay at Camping Rosental Roz, you also win. There is a lawn just for dogs there, a swimming pond, lots of green (also in terms of environmental care), delicious food as well as the Expi Science Centre waiting for you!
This, my dear Angelika, truly has me think of you and Coffee the dog! Dogs having their own little private swim, separate from the lake for us people. Lucia uses the latter to do some early morning Yoga, whereas we all get together for some of the most cheerful breakfast platters we have ever seen (Katharina’s modest explanation: “Well, you have to be able to make yourselves some snacks for the hike, too ..!”). And then, there is the Expi Science Centre, a “house full of experiments” where Katharina’s husband, a particle physicist, has found a home. It is also him, she muses, who regularly proves the technician wrong: “Of course, we can implement this machine / wire / facility, I calculated it. It is possible.!”
Well, here’s one who has to know. And us, thinking: No way you can ever get bored here.
From the world of particle physics at the nearby EXPI research centre …
… to the most colourful breakfast buffet, made with so much love!, we have ever seen …
… all the way to the happy spring green here at the Camping Rosental Roz …
… and their clever little children / family bathrooms …
… we wish to congratulate Katharina and her team for such a heartfelt welcome !!
Want to know how the journey continues? Follow us as we keep visiting two more campgrounds during our trip in early June: “Glamping at the AlpenCamp Carinthia” as well as the “Fairytale like fun fair on Lake Millstatt & SeeCamping Mössler“.
Disclaimer: We have been invited by the campgrounds AlpenCamp, Camping Rosental Roz as well as Camping Mössler on our trip to Carinthia. All opinions are my own.