Butter, Flies

Krimml has a bit of a fly problem, it seems. First I was attacked by them in the Tauernhaus in my pre-Brettljausen life (2010). Last Sunday I was surrounded by flies at Gletscherblickalm. Now Sölln Alm made me face the toughest fly experience so far. The tiny room of the hut (it was too cold to sit outside) had only two tables in it and about a hundred flies, not counting the dead ones that decorated the floors and, in some cases, the tables. It was a recognized problem, too, since the only other visitors sharing the table next to mine were given a flyswatter, which they used, with a loud clap, every 20 seconds or so. It was my luck that my neighbors had ordered some sort of a cake that attracted more flies than my Brettljause. Still, I had to put on my rain jacket just to prevent the bastards from landing on my arms. I could not stop thinking of the children’s story that I had read when I was six about a fly landing on a child’s bread and the subsequent lecture from the child’s mother on why that bread was dangerous to eat afterwards. If that story were true, I should have died a horrible death before stepping out of the hut. I do understand that alpine farms have cows, and cows attract flies. Still, there must be a solution – a spray or something. Next time I am going to buy one and take it with me. Perhaps the hut’s owner has never seen one and will be eternally grateful and give me a free beer.

Flies aside, the Jause was great. The thick slice of something salami-like was not particularly impressive, but the dry, spicy Speck and especially the bitter-sour cheese were almost screaming “we are from here!” The places with home-made cheese usually have home-made butter as well, and the one of Sölln Alm was fantastic. Apparently, those too lazy to walk up to the Achental can also taste the produce of Sölln Alm at the Burgeck hotel in Krimml. I would strongly advice though to walk up to the valley (or take a taxi in the worst case) and try the Brettljause at the Alm itself, preferably sitting outside and not forgetting your fly spray. You can even watch the little pigs running in the hut’s yard, adding to the unique WYSIWYE (what you see is what you eat) experience.