Karthaus

Karthaus is a beautiful village in northern Italy in a region called the Sud Tirol. The village is situated in a steep valley at the foot of the Oetztal Alps. The language (german dialect) and the architecture are both a reflection of the village's history. Around the turn of the century it was still a part of Austria.

I was there to attend a summer course in glaciology. The lectures were a comfortable mix of review and new material. The instructors were from Austria, Great Britain, Holland, and Sweden and brought with them a wealth of knowledge. I met many students from all over Europe and made a number of good friends. It was a wonderful place to network and to gain a better foundation for my research. I stayed in an apartment with two other girls, one from Russia and one from Majorca (Spain). We formed a great trio, having late night conversations and trips to the sauna.

The hotel served us an unbelievable amount of food with five course dinners every evening. On several occasions, we were treated to musical entertainment by several of the students and professors playing violin, guitar, piano, tin whistle, and trumpet. A few times after class and before dinner, several of us ventured to the local climbing area (klettergarten). We were greeted with both friendly rock and friendly cows. I also found a climb that made me think of a certain grandmother.