We’re back in Austria after a few days in Italy. This time, we’re in the Zillertal (just east of Innsbruck, overlooking a river that flows into the Inn). The scenery is stunning, the hospitality marvelous. The Dutch have discovered it; Americans seem not to have, at least not as a summer destination (though one can ski in Hintertux at the end of the valley even now).

Met one of the many maternal cousins in the valley at dinner tonight; she presented us with a bottle of homemade schnapps (Obstler, made from apples and pears). Sehr schmackhaft. Our Hungarian waiter insisted, however, that they do it still better in Hungary. Our Bosnian waiter didn’t offer an opinion.

The only thing disturbing the local scene is an establishment my son has taken to calling the American embassy: McDonalds. But it’s at the beginning of the valley, and it’s quite overwhelmed by the mountains.