Austrian Alps and Memories of "Alpine" Milk

As we approached Tyrol, in the heart of the Austrian Alps, I felt like yodeling. We were headed to Innsbruck and our long drive was right smack in the Alpine region.

When I was growing up in the Philippines, there was this instant milk product called “Alpine Milk” that was introduced in the market to compete with the more popular “Birch Tree Dutch Milk.” I have memories of my mom forcing me to drink "Birch Tree" milk every, single night before bedtime and I used to dread the moment. (I hated milk when I was a kid…most especially, powdered milk stirred in boiling water…the awful smell made me gag.)

I joked with my mom that we should switch to “Alpine Milk” because they had a nicer TV commercial. Their ad campaign featured a little blond boy in lederhosen, happily drinking his milk after frolicking around the hills with the cows. The milk was so delicious that he couldn't help but dance and yodel. I said to my mom, “Maybe we should buy this brand instead. Maybe it tastes better. It also seems more authentic.”

I guess at a young age, I was already aware of the merits of production value. While this commercial was probably filmed at a local hill that was styled to look like an Alpine hill, at least they did it in a real location...and with real cows! In contrast, the “Birch Tree” commercial was cheaply done in a studio with two kids, a boy and a girl, dressed in Dutch costumes, drinking milk against a background of fake windmills made out of painted wooden panels that oozed with a 70s-style sitcom vibe. Beside them was a cow puppet that gave this already-sitcom-style set a Sesame Street-like twist. Unfortunately, their bovine character was not as cute as Gladys the Cow. It did not impress six-year-old me. Besides, the Alpine boy’s “Yodoleihee-hoo!” in sing-song tone sounded more convincing than the Dutch children’s “Hmmm…it’s heerlijk (delicious)!”

My mom did buy this other brand due to insistent kiddie demand (I persuaded my brother to work with me on this one, because he, too, hated milk). But our plan backfired because we found out that “Alpine Milk” was not at all better tasting than “Birch Tree Milk.” Powdered milk, no matter what the brand, is just nasty.

Fake Alpine milk and fake Alpine cows aside, all I wanted to say is that I truly enjoyed the drive around the real Alps...and yes, I saw real Alpine cows as well. Outside our window was a tranquil view of verdant rolling hills and story-book villages with timbered chalets that have window boxes brimming with colourful flowers. Everywhere around us were towering mountains casting their images onto turquoise lakes, verdant fields dotted with wild flowers, cows and sheep contentedly grazing, gigantic trees that almost looked like they were hugging each other, and a bit of a fog. It was magical. This was my favorite place in Europe, so far.

Our drive along the zigzag mountain roads was also quite amusing. Since we were skirting mountain ranges, our route took us from Germany to Austria, then back to Germany and then Austria again. Our Tour Director cheerfully announced where we were, each time we switched countries, as if she knew exactly where the demarcation lines were.

But even without the announcements, our cellphones gave us constant updates on which side we were at. The roaming signal would switch from the German service provider (Vodafone) to the Austrian service provider (Orange) and vice-versa. "Vodafone welcomes you to Germany,” my screen would say and then, “Orange welcomes you to Austria” and so on. It was like being in some kind of limbo where you were neither at this place or that.

We drove past Zugspitze Mountain both on the German and the Austrian side. Our Tour Director was sure to point that out. She explained that the border between Germany and Austria goes right over this mountain. In fact, there used to be a border checkpoint at the summit. But since both countries are now part of the Schengen zone, the border crossing is no longer manned.

Each country, however, has its own terrace on top of the mountain, connected by a narrow walkway. A golden cross also sits on its highest point and there is a museum and a restaurant as well. It's a popular skiing and hiking spot, but unfortunately, not a part of our tour. We just admired its peaks from a distance.