In the depths of winter, I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer. -Albert Camus, French novelist, 1957 Nobel Prize for Literature

A few weeks ago, we spent time in the Alps skiing. And, on our way home to Prague, we plugged in our Garmin, set the destination to HOME, and started the journey. We didn’t look at the route the Garmin suggested … which we soon found out was different than the Autobahn quick drive home. Instead, we took the LONG road home to Prague, through the high country of north-central Austria, into the National Park in Germany, and crossed the mountains into the Sumava region of Czech Republic. That route meant we got to cross some sizeable mountains in a heavy snowstorm. It was quite the adventure!

Winter Wonderland in Czech Republic Sumava

Now, in January, looking out at a blanket of snow, I’m reminded of the photographs I took during that drive. And since I’m working heavily on rewriting and editing for my work-in-progress novel, I’m taking the chance to save words for the novel and post stunning photographs instead. I hope you enjoy them!

The Austrian Alps in Winter

Austrian Castle in the Alps

The Stunning Snow-capped Alps

German Winter Wonderland

Powdered Sugar Trees, Czech Republic

Starting the Conversation: What off-the-beaten path adventure have you taken lately? Have you experienced a time recently of unexpected beauty?