Badgastein / Austria Settling into a villa in the heart of the Austrian Alps, a writer hopes to find solitude and inspiration in idyllic surroundings. However, the thin mountain air soon takes its toll on his health as he struggles with an environment entirely foreign to him. Set against towering snow-covered peaks, Alpina explores the birth of a novel during the cycle of the seasons. Bronte Pech was born and educated in Australia. At the age of thirteen he left home to attend a private boarding school in Adelaide and later graduated from the state university with degrees in history and education. Since moving to Germany in 1971, the author has devoted his time to travel, lecturing and writing. Having journeyed widely through Europe with extensive stays in the Scandinavian countries, France, Italy and Greece, he has set about laying the groundwork for his books. In his novels, short stories and journals the writer portrays European society at the turn of the century.