Jason's Card Blog

We stand in the car park, squinting at the sun and the deep blue sky, with an excited mind and a large portion of anticipation. It is a little strange - suddenly walking past lush green meadows, past a - still - empty reservoir; anything but winter, which I associate with this place. Annaberg, where I learned to ski a few decades ago and where we whizzed down the slopes at least once a year. That would be in store for us now, too, albeit in a slightly different way. And so we set off, marvelling at the modern Arial prepared for summer, while showing off our Niederösterreich-CARD and redeeming it for a ride on the Annaberg 4-seater chairlift.After we've hiked down the first little slope - where I've done many a race in the past - and the wildflowers beside us poking their heads in the wind, I notice how much is new here and am delighted to be here once again. Numerous hiking trails await, then a small bike facility as well, and finally we hear the zipline facility before we can...

Tobacco was first discovered by the native people of Mesoamerica and South America and later introduced to Europe and the rest of the world. Archeological finds indicate that humans in the Americas began using tobacco as far back as 12,300 years ago, thousands of years earlier than previously documented. Tobacco had already long been used in the Americas by the time European settlers arrived and took the practice to Europe, where it became popular. Eastern North American tribes have historically carried tobacco in pouches as a readily accepted trade item, as well as smoking it in pipe ceremonies, whether for sacred ceremonies or those to seal a treaty or agreement. In addition to its use in spiritual and religious ceremonies, tobacco is also used for medical treatment of physical conditions. As a pain killer it has been used for earache and toothache and occasionally as a poultice. Some indigenous peoples in California have used tobacco as one ingredient in smoking mixtures for trea...