On the Noble Art of Doing Absolutely Nothing

"We decided, in the interest of our health, to do absolutely nothing. Nothing, that is, in the scientific sense — a deliberate, studied absence of action. The most strenuous activity undertaken was the lifting of a pint glass, and even then we agreed that such exertions should be kept to the bare minimum."

Of course, there are moments when life interrupts even the most meticulously scheduled idleness — such as my recent, meteoric visit to Munich. […] It was also, in no small part, about meeting and reconnecting with wonderful people whom I had not seen in quite some time — the sort of encounters that remind you that geography may keep you apart, but a good beer and an unhurried conversation will stitch the years back together in an instant.

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What I can say for now is that the trip contained all the classic elements of an Alpine interlude. We also took the unholy H1 trail to the Heimgartenhütte — a “difficult” route marked in black, which in Bavarian terms translates roughly to: If you slip, it’s a helicopter ride, but do enjoy the view.