Showing posts with label Austria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Austria. Show all posts
01 June 2015
29 May 2015
Morgen
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| Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon |
C
Crazy sleep patterns since arriving in Alpenland. I'm certainly getting plenty of rest, but by 5:00am I'm ready to meet the world. That's the beauty of staying in a hotel-like environment, along with daily maid service and fresh towels--the lobby is always open. And, well-lit for reading.
I brought all four of these books (@1000 pages each) in my carry-on. I know! That's what the Kindle app is all about. I just love holding a book, and didn't want all my reading "eggs" in the iPad Mini basket.
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| via: urbanghostsmedia.com |
We'd spent the morning at the Hohenwerfen castle in Werfen--taking the lift up to the top, enjoying a display of falconry, touring the castle, and reveling in the breathtaking views. And, mostly keeping dry.
Today we're heading to Salzburg. Revisiting the streets familiar from two previous visits, planning on visiting a few sights, but mostly set on enjoying another day in beautiful Austria.
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| Mondsee, Austria |
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| Basilica St. Michael, Mondsee, Austria |
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| LG and Marielle at Basilica St. Michael in 2009 |
We decided to first bypass Salzburg--north and a bit east to Mondsee. JA, LG and I had visited on our Sound of Music Tour in 2009 and I remembered the beautiful church which was the site of Maria and Captain von Trapp's wedding in the movie--Basilica St. Michael. A simply gorgeous church, and a beautiful historic center at Mondsee.
A lovely day in Mirabelle Gardens. Many tour groups are enjoying Salzburg today, but it's not as crowded as during past visits. We people watch in Residenz Platz near the Dom, eventually finding a cafe for Sacher Torte and Appelstrudel with warmed Creme Anglaise (vanilla sauce).
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| Schloss Helbrun 2009 |
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| The Sound of Music tour 2009. Across from villa used for terrace scenes in TSOM |
As we drive out of the city we pass the entrance to the Schloss Helbrun, where the gazebo from TSOM now resides.
We'd planned to enjoy some of the fresh asparagus offerings from the hotel's Paugner Stube, but it's unexpectedly closed this evening. So, we find a very walkable and charming pub--Platzl--for dinner.
CA enjoys the salmon fettuccine, while I order the mixed grill which includes steak, pork tenderloin, chicken, and a sausage! Also, mixed vegetables and, as usual, pomme frites. I make a valiant effort, but that's a LOT of meat.
25 May 2015
Sankt Johann im Pongau
CA and my separate departure itineraries came together at the airport in Munich without a hitch. Figuring out the GPS in our rental car was and is the greater challenge. We were more than relieved that the entire road trip between Munich and St. Johann im Pongau was in daylight hours.
Our hotel is in the village center, which is always something we appreciate as we can explore on foot, and there are many cafes and restaurants in close proximity.
After walking about, finding an ATM and a perfect cafe for breakfast, we spent our first full day in the Austrian Alps exploring areas that JL and I had visited in 2009--with DMs family. We chose the circuitous and mountainous Route 164 toward Maria Alm--this is the same mountain road JL and I had attempted to traverse in the middle of the night in the tiny Citroen. Certainly, the scariest driving I've ever experienced as the road was totally unfamiliar, narrow and steep, with a rushing mountain stream on our left. The small car just didn't have enough power to cart two grandmas with heavy luggage.
I wasn't able to pinpoint the exact geography of the 2009 debacle, but driving the route in daylight with CA caused me to again whisper prayers of gratitude. It still amazes us that throughout that horrible, defeating experience we were kept completely safe.
Turns out that Monday is a Catholic holiday in Austria, so all shops and businesses are closed, except for a few cafes, restaurants, and gas stations. We've a beautiful 60° spring day, and while a great deal of our site-seeing is from a car, Austrians are out in great numbers hiking, biking, para-sailing... We stop just beyond Saalfelden to explore a cable car set-up that transports bikers and their bikes to the top of a mountain. They then mount their bikes and point them downslope for what is obviously a fast and thrilling (and muddy) descent.
We drive to the other St. Johann--this one Sankt Johann im Tirol. While not deserted, because of the holiday the Zentrum is quiet today with a few families and tourists sprinkled about. We find a promising restaurant for an leisurely lunch, sitting outside in the beautiful square. We both opt for the Schnitzel--how can we not? We're in Austria.
The return trip along the same mountain road is punctuated by many fast motorcycles,
thrilling to the curves and switchbacks. If they'd just keep to their side of this narrow route!
I'd describe the remainder of our first day and evening, but instead must confess that I succumbed to the god of jet-lag and managed to mostly sleep from mid-afternoon until 5:00am today. Hopefully, I'm all caught up and ready for a full week of the gorgeous Austrian Alps.
Our hotel is in the village center, which is always something we appreciate as we can explore on foot, and there are many cafes and restaurants in close proximity.
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| Cafe Bauer, Sankt Johann I'm Pongau |
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| Austrians seem very in touch with their cultural past. In every town, folk clothing is available for purchase. |
After walking about, finding an ATM and a perfect cafe for breakfast, we spent our first full day in the Austrian Alps exploring areas that JL and I had visited in 2009--with DMs family. We chose the circuitous and mountainous Route 164 toward Maria Alm--this is the same mountain road JL and I had attempted to traverse in the middle of the night in the tiny Citroen. Certainly, the scariest driving I've ever experienced as the road was totally unfamiliar, narrow and steep, with a rushing mountain stream on our left. The small car just didn't have enough power to cart two grandmas with heavy luggage.
I wasn't able to pinpoint the exact geography of the 2009 debacle, but driving the route in daylight with CA caused me to again whisper prayers of gratitude. It still amazes us that throughout that horrible, defeating experience we were kept completely safe.
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| Maria Alm; May 24, 2015 |
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| LG and MK in May 2009 |
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| Marielle and LG; 2009 |
Turns out that Monday is a Catholic holiday in Austria, so all shops and businesses are closed, except for a few cafes, restaurants, and gas stations. We've a beautiful 60° spring day, and while a great deal of our site-seeing is from a car, Austrians are out in great numbers hiking, biking, para-sailing... We stop just beyond Saalfelden to explore a cable car set-up that transports bikers and their bikes to the top of a mountain. They then mount their bikes and point them downslope for what is obviously a fast and thrilling (and muddy) descent.
We drive to the other St. Johann--this one Sankt Johann im Tirol. While not deserted, because of the holiday the Zentrum is quiet today with a few families and tourists sprinkled about. We find a promising restaurant for an leisurely lunch, sitting outside in the beautiful square. We both opt for the Schnitzel--how can we not? We're in Austria.
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| Lovely mixed salad that accompanied my schnitzel. |
The return trip along the same mountain road is punctuated by many fast motorcycles,
thrilling to the curves and switchbacks. If they'd just keep to their side of this narrow route!
I'd describe the remainder of our first day and evening, but instead must confess that I succumbed to the god of jet-lag and managed to mostly sleep from mid-afternoon until 5:00am today. Hopefully, I'm all caught up and ready for a full week of the gorgeous Austrian Alps.
21 March 2012
Austria
I was photographing my small antiques for Shop My Basement this morning, and when I opened this purse to check the markings I discovered it is Vienna Handwork.
Who knew all those years ago when I spotted this in an antiques mall (and my friend NF kindly surprised me with it) that we would have such a strong connection to Vienna.
Almost every trip to Europe we've made has included a landing in Vienna. That's just an hour from Bratislava--the long-time home of our son and his family.
When NF gave me this purse, she included a gift card with the sentiment:
When things are bad and getting worse,
keep cookie in your purse.
This lovely I'm keeping. For a long time. Thanks, NF.
26 June 2009
IDENTIFYING BUTTERCUPS
Buttercups in Maria Alm, AustriaWhen we were in the Austrian Alps last month there were fields and fields of wildflowers--some of which were dandelions. And then, I was reading a novel about English and French gardens and dandelions were mentioned favorably. I guess not everyone considers dandelions a blight and a nuisance in need of eradication. Still, their roots go deep and they MULTIPLY.
In these fields of yellow wildflowers, an even more predominant plant had a tiny yellow blossom, and although I was curious about what it was I hadn't followed through in identifying it until today. In the same novel, Buttercups were mentioned. Ah-ha! Yep! These sweet little flowers are Buttercups. LG and I picked a few bunches and found small glasses to hold the lovely bouquets.
17 May 2009
CELEBRATING FOUR YEARS
Last view of Mondsee, AustriaI drag myself out of bed this morning—not quite at 6:00am, but before 6:30. I shower, but decide to wash my hair in Bratislava—snagging 10 extra minutes in the bed. I didn’t fall asleep easily last night and think that translates to less than 4 hours of sleep.
We organize our luggage and the leftover groceries that are transportable. Everything weighs much less this trip as DM+MK took a lot of the weight home with them in the Kangoo to help ensure that the Citroen has starts and not fits-and-starts. DM now believes that all the drama was driver error… I have considered that maybe I was in third gear instead of 1st… But, I KNOW I was in the proper gear all the time (or at least most J) because sometimes the car was actually moving steadily along uphill and then would begin to power down. It has been working well for two days and except for the two cushiony grandmas there is less than half the luggage/baggage weight to drag us down.
Everything goes perfectly well. We stop at a Raustation near Mondsee. The views are spectacular and there is nothing like this rest stop in the U.S. –a lovely restaurant/gift shop with a dramatic terrace and views to die for. We find wonderfully strong coffee and pastries for the road, deciding to eat in the parking lot as the pastry is too, too crumbly and yummy to manage in the car. We find Salzburg easily and the A1 toward Vienna. We are leaving the Alps, but the countryside is still picturesque with patchwork quilt farm fields and forests and streams. The sun has come out and Austria is lovely.
All goes well until we get past Vienna—DM’s pointers have been right-on. I take him too literally and end up in Hungary when I should have actually taken that final Bratislava turn. I ruminate on the likelihood that I have made a mistake and by the time I decide to turn back the next exit is 15km. That is the longest 15km of our trip and the closest I have come to crying. I have been stoic, no actually good natured about every stumbling block along the way. But, I am tired and sick of driving and worried that we won’t get to the birthday party in time—which is crazy because we still have 1-1/2 hours and are not so very far from Bratislava. If I knew this geography I could cut across country somewhere and get to Chorvatsky Grob in a flash.
I pull into a Hungarian gas station for gas… Guess what? They have real guys to fill your tank and clean your windows. But then, I remember that they are not on the Euro yet and I do not have local currency. The road signs are indecipherable (In Austria you can almost figure out all the signs like ausfahrt and einfahrt, raustation, and others—Latin-based language and all.), and I have no energy for stumbling in broken English and absolutely no Hungarian words to sort out the necessary tasks required to get gas. Do they take credit cards? Do I tip the attendants? Am I illegally driving on the highway without a Hungarian Autobahn permit? Once in Austria as we were driving with DM+MK to Český Krumlov we stopped at a Raustation and after we had eaten we returned to our car to find a local policeman issuing a ticket for a whole lot of Euros (like $150 worth) because our Autobahn driving sticker had expired. DM thought it was good for a month and it was only good for one week.
I skip the gas-up deciding that there is enough in the tank to get us to Chorvatsky Grob and I will give DM cash to fill his Citroen’s tank for Monday morning.
It is a lovely, sun-shiny day when we arrive. The doors and windows are open and there is a wonderful breeze drifting through the house. DM+MK know how to throw a party! There are fresh strawberries and veggies, chips and pretzels—lots to drink and eat. The little girls are happy to see us. LG is wearing the red bandanna-print sundress I chose for her. Grandpa REALLY didn’t like that dress and urged me several times to return it to the store, but LG looks very good in red… Turns out this is her favorite of all the new summer clothes we brought along. She is queen of this day and proud of it. KF is adorable in denim capris and a pretty yellow summer shirt. There will soon be a jumping castle. LG knows jumping castles and is beside herself. KF doesn’t have a clue, but she loves a good party…
Friends arrive with the castle and, in no time it is inflated and the jumping begins. There just aren’t enough words or space to describe how much these little girls LOVE the castle. LG rough-houses with the boys and girls, her daddy, and his friends. 16 month-old KF is fearless and joins right in, but keeps more to herself, though sometimes falling into the pile…
The daddies have to actually partially deflate the castle to get the children to rest and have refreshments. Slovaks never eat ice cream with their cake, but DM has insisted. No one turns it down. One friend says that Americans introduced him to the concept and now he never wants his cake without ice cream. LG blows out her four candles with help from Daddy. This is a harder than usual task because the chocolate cake is hugely rectangular and someone put one candle in each corner—an unintentional obstacle, of course.
Next come the presents. Reality strikes. Gift unwrapping at a four-year old’s birthday party is not a pretty sight or occurrence. Let’s just say that LG had help and that the only gift that got any special attention at all was the Strawberry Shortcake DVD from JE-MA-JA-and LE in Omaha.
Oh, and then there were the in-line roller skates from her Slovak grandparents… Those also got her attention. Uncle Radko is helping LG put on the skates and then discovers there is still paper stuffed in the toes! In her zeal to get moving, LG hadn’t bothered to complain. Live and learn, and now Radko will remember to check the toes for all of his future children!
Radko, Evka, and her sister, brother-in-law, young niece and nephew arrive a bit late, but still in time for the birthday part, and the jumping castle. So, so cute—the little ones line up to shake the birthday girl Liliana’s hand, a Slovak tradition.
Everyone stays too long, but this has been a terrific, blow-out 4th birthday for LG. Mommy and daddy are exhausted, the little ones are up too late, and the two cushiony grandmas settle in to enjoy a quiet evening with books and conversation. This grandma stays up too late downloading photos—grandpa and the friends and relatives in the States are anxiously awaiting the updates.
We organize our luggage and the leftover groceries that are transportable. Everything weighs much less this trip as DM+MK took a lot of the weight home with them in the Kangoo to help ensure that the Citroen has starts and not fits-and-starts. DM now believes that all the drama was driver error… I have considered that maybe I was in third gear instead of 1st… But, I KNOW I was in the proper gear all the time (or at least most J) because sometimes the car was actually moving steadily along uphill and then would begin to power down. It has been working well for two days and except for the two cushiony grandmas there is less than half the luggage/baggage weight to drag us down.
Everything goes perfectly well. We stop at a Raustation near Mondsee. The views are spectacular and there is nothing like this rest stop in the U.S. –a lovely restaurant/gift shop with a dramatic terrace and views to die for. We find wonderfully strong coffee and pastries for the road, deciding to eat in the parking lot as the pastry is too, too crumbly and yummy to manage in the car. We find Salzburg easily and the A1 toward Vienna. We are leaving the Alps, but the countryside is still picturesque with patchwork quilt farm fields and forests and streams. The sun has come out and Austria is lovely.
All goes well until we get past Vienna—DM’s pointers have been right-on. I take him too literally and end up in Hungary when I should have actually taken that final Bratislava turn. I ruminate on the likelihood that I have made a mistake and by the time I decide to turn back the next exit is 15km. That is the longest 15km of our trip and the closest I have come to crying. I have been stoic, no actually good natured about every stumbling block along the way. But, I am tired and sick of driving and worried that we won’t get to the birthday party in time—which is crazy because we still have 1-1/2 hours and are not so very far from Bratislava. If I knew this geography I could cut across country somewhere and get to Chorvatsky Grob in a flash.
I pull into a Hungarian gas station for gas… Guess what? They have real guys to fill your tank and clean your windows. But then, I remember that they are not on the Euro yet and I do not have local currency. The road signs are indecipherable (In Austria you can almost figure out all the signs like ausfahrt and einfahrt, raustation, and others—Latin-based language and all.), and I have no energy for stumbling in broken English and absolutely no Hungarian words to sort out the necessary tasks required to get gas. Do they take credit cards? Do I tip the attendants? Am I illegally driving on the highway without a Hungarian Autobahn permit? Once in Austria as we were driving with DM+MK to Český Krumlov we stopped at a Raustation and after we had eaten we returned to our car to find a local policeman issuing a ticket for a whole lot of Euros (like $150 worth) because our Autobahn driving sticker had expired. DM thought it was good for a month and it was only good for one week.
I skip the gas-up deciding that there is enough in the tank to get us to Chorvatsky Grob and I will give DM cash to fill his Citroen’s tank for Monday morning.
It is a lovely, sun-shiny day when we arrive. The doors and windows are open and there is a wonderful breeze drifting through the house. DM+MK know how to throw a party! There are fresh strawberries and veggies, chips and pretzels—lots to drink and eat. The little girls are happy to see us. LG is wearing the red bandanna-print sundress I chose for her. Grandpa REALLY didn’t like that dress and urged me several times to return it to the store, but LG looks very good in red… Turns out this is her favorite of all the new summer clothes we brought along. She is queen of this day and proud of it. KF is adorable in denim capris and a pretty yellow summer shirt. There will soon be a jumping castle. LG knows jumping castles and is beside herself. KF doesn’t have a clue, but she loves a good party…
Friends arrive with the castle and, in no time it is inflated and the jumping begins. There just aren’t enough words or space to describe how much these little girls LOVE the castle. LG rough-houses with the boys and girls, her daddy, and his friends. 16 month-old KF is fearless and joins right in, but keeps more to herself, though sometimes falling into the pile…
The daddies have to actually partially deflate the castle to get the children to rest and have refreshments. Slovaks never eat ice cream with their cake, but DM has insisted. No one turns it down. One friend says that Americans introduced him to the concept and now he never wants his cake without ice cream. LG blows out her four candles with help from Daddy. This is a harder than usual task because the chocolate cake is hugely rectangular and someone put one candle in each corner—an unintentional obstacle, of course.
Next come the presents. Reality strikes. Gift unwrapping at a four-year old’s birthday party is not a pretty sight or occurrence. Let’s just say that LG had help and that the only gift that got any special attention at all was the Strawberry Shortcake DVD from JE-MA-JA-and LE in Omaha.
Oh, and then there were the in-line roller skates from her Slovak grandparents… Those also got her attention. Uncle Radko is helping LG put on the skates and then discovers there is still paper stuffed in the toes! In her zeal to get moving, LG hadn’t bothered to complain. Live and learn, and now Radko will remember to check the toes for all of his future children!
Radko, Evka, and her sister, brother-in-law, young niece and nephew arrive a bit late, but still in time for the birthday part, and the jumping castle. So, so cute—the little ones line up to shake the birthday girl Liliana’s hand, a Slovak tradition.
Everyone stays too long, but this has been a terrific, blow-out 4th birthday for LG. Mommy and daddy are exhausted, the little ones are up too late, and the two cushiony grandmas settle in to enjoy a quiet evening with books and conversation. This grandma stays up too late downloading photos—grandpa and the friends and relatives in the States are anxiously awaiting the updates.
16 May 2009
TWO WEDDINGS AND A FINALE
St. Johann, Austria
Loving the oh, so proper Austrian gentleman outline on warning signs!
Saalfelden w/red Rauthaus in background. Scene of the first wedding of the day.This morning when D+M and the girls come to our room MK warms a cup of cocoa for KF and gives her a straw. KF is so, so funny sipping from the straw without taking a pause until the hot chocolate is almost gone! Kacao is one word that she says clearly. Slovaks love their hot chocolate before bed each night—DM says it’s funny that even the adults have the habit. Guess it’s equivalent to the American’s bedtime bowl of cereal.
DM’s family has checked out of the Alpenland Sportshotel Maria Alm. They return to Bratislava today to prepare for LG’s 4th birthday party tomorrow. Bobbi—the Slovak grandma—has prepared the birthday cakes and also food for our return. JL and I are staying another night. Our plans for the day are fluid as we are hoping that the Citroen treats us kindly.
I put my jacket over my pjs and take the walk-of-shame through the hotel lobby and out the back door to help load up the Kangoo for DM’s family. They have agreed to take as much of the weight from our suitcases as they can fit in—the plan being to keep the load in the Citroen down to a minimum (two cushiony grandmas) to preclude any stall-outs. Please, dear God, keep this little car running up as well as down these mountains.
Our plans for today are to visit villages and towns toward St. Johann and then check-out the other Alpenland Sportshotel. Let me say here that the St. Johann version of this hotel is not in St. Johann, as we discover… It is near Muhlbach on the other route—you know, the one we spent a lifetime trying to conquer on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. That being said…
DM has described a bakery two or three villages along the way that he recommends. We find it and get a sugar cookie which is encircled with chocolate and then the middle is filled with hazelnuts and a bit of spun sugar. YUM! I enjoy a espresso with cream, but JL sticks with her bottled water. We drive as far as Leongang and see many lumber mills. It is flat here and not very interesting and we turn back a bit to further explore Saalfelden before remembering that we had been headed to check out the other resort in St. Johann.
In Sallfelden we find the Rauthaus and there are weddings in progress and qued-up to begin. I think, European regulations require a City Hall ceremony prior to the one in the church. We crane our necks and give some opinions on the brides and their finery… Then we wander into and out of shops eventually ending up in a wood-fired pizzeria where we both order Pizza Spinnaci—tomato sauce, cheeses, spinach, and a fried egg in the center! The crust is yummy, and the combination works. We decide that they crack a fresh egg in the center, break the yolk, and then fire the pizza as normal. Soon, we are back on the road…
We reach St. Johann and easily find parking. We wander the wrong direction and end up near the hotels and hostels, but the architecture is interesting as are the gardens. We eventually find a covered bridge and cross the river, wandering back toward town and right into the middle of the Zentrum. O.K. so, this is touristy, but the building date from the 1700s and we do love this type of touristy. The batteries are dead in my camera and we head for the car for replacements. Only, we are a bit lost… After a very round-about and out of the way, but healthy walk, we find the car and fresh batteries.
This is a lovely village. Most shops are closed because it is late Saturday afternoon, but the cafes and restaurants are abuzz. We take bunches of photos and enjoy the warm afternoon sunshine… This is unofficially our last day in the Austrian Alps. We leave early tomorrow a.m. for the drive to Bratislava and LG’s 4th birthday party.
I’m exhausted, but JL walks into the village and discovers either a local wedding or festival. Our waiter/bartender from last night is dressed in cultural togs, as is our waitress from the first lunch, and many other faces, recognizable and not. Everyone ends up at the music hall, leaving the tourists to go about their own business… JL snaps some final photos and then decides to take a swim in the hotel pool, and I continue reading my VERY GOOD book by Charles Todd: Wings of Fire. I am loving this British Scotland Yard Ian Rutledge series… I drove all day so sitting here in the sunshine on our balcony suits me fine.
Dinner is a combination of salami and cheeses, another big vegetable salad, and all the crackers and brioche we can stuff in… We mostly pack and get to bed a bit late for our 5:30am wake-up call. DM calls to say they have arrived home safely after a 4-1/2 hour drive. He also says that MK’s mother has prepared TWO birthday cakes and making the checkerboard cake tomorrow would be way overkill. Maybe later in the week. He suggests we not leave quite as early as planned (6:00am) and gives me four pointers to keep me on track on our driving route for tomorrow.
DM’s family has checked out of the Alpenland Sportshotel Maria Alm. They return to Bratislava today to prepare for LG’s 4th birthday party tomorrow. Bobbi—the Slovak grandma—has prepared the birthday cakes and also food for our return. JL and I are staying another night. Our plans for the day are fluid as we are hoping that the Citroen treats us kindly.
I put my jacket over my pjs and take the walk-of-shame through the hotel lobby and out the back door to help load up the Kangoo for DM’s family. They have agreed to take as much of the weight from our suitcases as they can fit in—the plan being to keep the load in the Citroen down to a minimum (two cushiony grandmas) to preclude any stall-outs. Please, dear God, keep this little car running up as well as down these mountains.
Our plans for today are to visit villages and towns toward St. Johann and then check-out the other Alpenland Sportshotel. Let me say here that the St. Johann version of this hotel is not in St. Johann, as we discover… It is near Muhlbach on the other route—you know, the one we spent a lifetime trying to conquer on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. That being said…
DM has described a bakery two or three villages along the way that he recommends. We find it and get a sugar cookie which is encircled with chocolate and then the middle is filled with hazelnuts and a bit of spun sugar. YUM! I enjoy a espresso with cream, but JL sticks with her bottled water. We drive as far as Leongang and see many lumber mills. It is flat here and not very interesting and we turn back a bit to further explore Saalfelden before remembering that we had been headed to check out the other resort in St. Johann.
In Sallfelden we find the Rauthaus and there are weddings in progress and qued-up to begin. I think, European regulations require a City Hall ceremony prior to the one in the church. We crane our necks and give some opinions on the brides and their finery… Then we wander into and out of shops eventually ending up in a wood-fired pizzeria where we both order Pizza Spinnaci—tomato sauce, cheeses, spinach, and a fried egg in the center! The crust is yummy, and the combination works. We decide that they crack a fresh egg in the center, break the yolk, and then fire the pizza as normal. Soon, we are back on the road…
We reach St. Johann and easily find parking. We wander the wrong direction and end up near the hotels and hostels, but the architecture is interesting as are the gardens. We eventually find a covered bridge and cross the river, wandering back toward town and right into the middle of the Zentrum. O.K. so, this is touristy, but the building date from the 1700s and we do love this type of touristy. The batteries are dead in my camera and we head for the car for replacements. Only, we are a bit lost… After a very round-about and out of the way, but healthy walk, we find the car and fresh batteries.
This is a lovely village. Most shops are closed because it is late Saturday afternoon, but the cafes and restaurants are abuzz. We take bunches of photos and enjoy the warm afternoon sunshine… This is unofficially our last day in the Austrian Alps. We leave early tomorrow a.m. for the drive to Bratislava and LG’s 4th birthday party.
I’m exhausted, but JL walks into the village and discovers either a local wedding or festival. Our waiter/bartender from last night is dressed in cultural togs, as is our waitress from the first lunch, and many other faces, recognizable and not. Everyone ends up at the music hall, leaving the tourists to go about their own business… JL snaps some final photos and then decides to take a swim in the hotel pool, and I continue reading my VERY GOOD book by Charles Todd: Wings of Fire. I am loving this British Scotland Yard Ian Rutledge series… I drove all day so sitting here in the sunshine on our balcony suits me fine.
Dinner is a combination of salami and cheeses, another big vegetable salad, and all the crackers and brioche we can stuff in… We mostly pack and get to bed a bit late for our 5:30am wake-up call. DM calls to say they have arrived home safely after a 4-1/2 hour drive. He also says that MK’s mother has prepared TWO birthday cakes and making the checkerboard cake tomorrow would be way overkill. Maybe later in the week. He suggests we not leave quite as early as planned (6:00am) and gives me four pointers to keep me on track on our driving route for tomorrow.
15 May 2009
SEEING THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD
Our wake-up call is for 6:00am, but I am up and in the shower when it comes. We plan to leave the hotel by 7:00am or sooner for our 7:25am bus to Salzburg. Saalfelden is only about 10 minutes from here, but I need coffee! When I come out of the shower JL has coffee brewed! D+M and the girls show up at 6:30am and LG is dressed in new jeans, a white t-shirt, with a pink hat on her head, a backpack on her back, and an umbrella in-hand. There is also a big, shy grin on her sweet face.
KF bustles about in her ballerina pjs, carrying the Dora bubble bucket and several wands everywhere she goes. She is shy with us, preferring her mama, but always gives big, toothy smiles that light up her chocolate brown eyes.
Our bus to Salzburg is on time—the tickets are €9.60 each, with no charge for LG. European buses are so, so much more desirable than any bus I’ve ever ridden in America. LG moves from seat-to-seat between JL and me, chattering and full of questions. It is a bright and sunshiny day as we are delivered on time to Mirabel Gardens Place—just where the Sound of Music tours begin. We get our tickets--€37 each, and again LG is free!
The young woman in the ticket booth assures us that we have time for breakfast, so we cross the street and buy yummy coffee and cinnamon rolls for JL and me, and two sugared donut holes and chocolate milk for LG. This may not be a nutritious day!
We are welcomed aboard by a very gregarious Brit by the name of Susan. She is almost too much for me, but JL is impressed and ready to roll. There are seat belts on this bus, and I feel so much safer having LG belted in. She doesn’t protest too much as we let her change positions with every stop along the way.
Here is the link to the Sound of Music tour.
When we visit Leopoldskron Castle, which was used as the exterior of the von Trapp family home in the movie, LG exclaimed, “Now I know it’s the truth!”
We have an hour in Mondsee (where both the kids hanging from the trees in the allee and Maria’s wedding to the Captain were filmed) for lunch and a self-guided tour. We have ham and egg sandwiches and LG eats almost nothing… This is a great break because 4 hours with Susan, our guide, is a bit much for me. She is good natured and chatty, punctuating most stories with references to “our film.”
Somewhere along the way Susan encourages our group to visit Hitler’s Eagles Nest, which reopens for the season today! WHAT? Even without car trouble we were not going to visit Eagle’s Nest yesterday. We are hoping that DM+MK+KF drove up the mountain again today.
Back in Salzburg we wander through Mirabell Gardens, taking our time and taking lots of photos. LG is quite the poser! We meander into the old city center, over bridges and among the shops, ending up at Mozart Square for some tea and pastries. LG chases pigeons with her umbrella as JL supervises and I track down the post office and a phone card. We promised to call DM+MK with our return time.
LG has had a perfect day and we (and all the people on the bus) have enjoyed her singing along to the sound track and her enthusiasm for the film. As we walk back through the narrow streets LG lusts after a mylar balloon which is priced at an outrageous €5.00. I promise a different balloon, and she has her only meltdown. She is tired and so are we. Before we reach Mirabell Gardens and the Post Bus stop to return us to Saalfelden, we find a package of princess balloons and she is appeased. I blow up one and find dental floss in my purse to secure the balloon. LG is entertained on the return bus trip and in about one hour we are met at the bus station by MK.
MK says they decided to try again today to tour Eagle's Nest. They drove back to Berchtesgaden and then up and up and up the curving mountain road, and then they took a bus up and up and up some more. It is a fantastically beautiful perch precariously balanced on the edge of the world. She said that the property was built as teahouse and a 50th birthday gift to Hitler from his mistress, Eva Braun. He only visited 11 times, and is now a restaurant for adventuresome tourists.
JL and I have decided that we will have a real dinner tonight, and after some bubble blowing and dancing and mac+cheese, LG and KF are led off to bed. We walk along the wildflower path and into the small village of Maria Alm, choosing the same restaurant where we ate our first lunch. We have the goulash and rice with a beautiful chopped salad, and finish the meal with a yummy scoop of ice cream.
The little girls and their mommy and daddy are driving back to Bratislava in the morning, but JL and I have plans for more adventures tomorrow.
KF bustles about in her ballerina pjs, carrying the Dora bubble bucket and several wands everywhere she goes. She is shy with us, preferring her mama, but always gives big, toothy smiles that light up her chocolate brown eyes.
Our bus to Salzburg is on time—the tickets are €9.60 each, with no charge for LG. European buses are so, so much more desirable than any bus I’ve ever ridden in America. LG moves from seat-to-seat between JL and me, chattering and full of questions. It is a bright and sunshiny day as we are delivered on time to Mirabel Gardens Place—just where the Sound of Music tours begin. We get our tickets--€37 each, and again LG is free!
The young woman in the ticket booth assures us that we have time for breakfast, so we cross the street and buy yummy coffee and cinnamon rolls for JL and me, and two sugared donut holes and chocolate milk for LG. This may not be a nutritious day!
We are welcomed aboard by a very gregarious Brit by the name of Susan. She is almost too much for me, but JL is impressed and ready to roll. There are seat belts on this bus, and I feel so much safer having LG belted in. She doesn’t protest too much as we let her change positions with every stop along the way.
Here is the link to the Sound of Music tour.
When we visit Leopoldskron Castle, which was used as the exterior of the von Trapp family home in the movie, LG exclaimed, “Now I know it’s the truth!”
We have an hour in Mondsee (where both the kids hanging from the trees in the allee and Maria’s wedding to the Captain were filmed) for lunch and a self-guided tour. We have ham and egg sandwiches and LG eats almost nothing… This is a great break because 4 hours with Susan, our guide, is a bit much for me. She is good natured and chatty, punctuating most stories with references to “our film.”
Somewhere along the way Susan encourages our group to visit Hitler’s Eagles Nest, which reopens for the season today! WHAT? Even without car trouble we were not going to visit Eagle’s Nest yesterday. We are hoping that DM+MK+KF drove up the mountain again today.
Back in Salzburg we wander through Mirabell Gardens, taking our time and taking lots of photos. LG is quite the poser! We meander into the old city center, over bridges and among the shops, ending up at Mozart Square for some tea and pastries. LG chases pigeons with her umbrella as JL supervises and I track down the post office and a phone card. We promised to call DM+MK with our return time.
LG has had a perfect day and we (and all the people on the bus) have enjoyed her singing along to the sound track and her enthusiasm for the film. As we walk back through the narrow streets LG lusts after a mylar balloon which is priced at an outrageous €5.00. I promise a different balloon, and she has her only meltdown. She is tired and so are we. Before we reach Mirabell Gardens and the Post Bus stop to return us to Saalfelden, we find a package of princess balloons and she is appeased. I blow up one and find dental floss in my purse to secure the balloon. LG is entertained on the return bus trip and in about one hour we are met at the bus station by MK.
MK says they decided to try again today to tour Eagle's Nest. They drove back to Berchtesgaden and then up and up and up the curving mountain road, and then they took a bus up and up and up some more. It is a fantastically beautiful perch precariously balanced on the edge of the world. She said that the property was built as teahouse and a 50th birthday gift to Hitler from his mistress, Eva Braun. He only visited 11 times, and is now a restaurant for adventuresome tourists.
JL and I have decided that we will have a real dinner tonight, and after some bubble blowing and dancing and mac+cheese, LG and KF are led off to bed. We walk along the wildflower path and into the small village of Maria Alm, choosing the same restaurant where we ate our first lunch. We have the goulash and rice with a beautiful chopped salad, and finish the meal with a yummy scoop of ice cream.
The little girls and their mommy and daddy are driving back to Bratislava in the morning, but JL and I have plans for more adventures tomorrow.
14 May 2009
BREATHING IN THE ALPS
Zell am See, Austria
This morning the little girls wake us up before 8:00am. We have breads and cheeses and Nutella from the Billa. There is strong Jacobs coffee and Clever coffee cream. Before anyone can notice, KF grabs the coffee cream from the fridge and drops it with a SPLAT! onto the parquet floor. We retrieve a bath towel and scrubs-up the floor. KF is quick like lightening and doesn’t miss a trick!
We blow bubbles and chat and before we know it KF is in the fridge again and dumps the Clever again! She loves milk and believes this heavy cream to be just the ticket.
DM drives JL, LG, and I to Zell am See while MK puts KF down for a nap. She got up at 4:00am and mommy and daddy took shifts throughout the early hours to keep her entertained. What a picturesque village! At every turn there is beauty atop beauty atop beauty… I will come back with CA as many times as we can. Alpenland Sports Maria Alm is a wonderful Interval discovery, and a great economy.
There are sailboats on the lake, and gardens surround. LG finds a gazebo and prepares “muffins” from the pebbles and finds a discarded (!) beer bottle to serve us Vinea (a lightly carbonated Slovak softdrink). We wander the streets and back to the car to join MK and KF in Maria Alm for a lunch of meats and cheeses in our room.
We decide to drive to Berchtesgarden to Hitler’s Eagles Nest. We drive to Saalfelden and Weiβbach, through St. Martin, Lofer and Unken---whoops! The Citroen has decided it does not like these mountains and begins to shake, rattle, and roll, and die-out in first and second gear. We are stuck on the slope again. DM pulls over and runs to our rescue, taking the wheel and heading down the mountain. The Citroen is going to the dealership near Zell am See for a look-see and windshield wiper repair.
DM+MK drop JL, LG, and I in the village and we walk again to Lake Zeller. Still beautiful! LG points remembering a playground just down the shore a bit, and then plays and climbs and runs before stopping to make us muffins again—this time with wet sand.
DM, MK, and KF are soon back having left the Citroen overnight as the dealership was just closing. We squeeze into the Kangoo and head back toward Maria Alm, stopping in Sallfelden at the InterSpar for groceries and goodies and diapers. We often shop at the InterSpar in Simmering near Vienna, as they have American brands and specialty foods and wine.
Back in Maria Alm D+M take the little girls to shower and pajama-up before dinner. There will be Kraft mac+cheese for them as we prepare a huge salad with lettuce, red and yellow peppers, avocado, carrots, English cucumber, ham, cheese, tomatoes and Kraft Cucumber Ranch salad dressing. We have Ritz crackers and Tuc’s. We enjoy a cheap but very drinkable Merlot and Coca-Cola Light.
The little girls show up in their new pjs—LG in her ballet slipper nightgown, and KF in bright pink polka-dotted pants, a matching white shirt, and a BALLERINA SKIRT! How fun! They are washed and shampooed—sweet-smelling and smiling (I think happy to be with grandma, but maybe it’s the mac and cheese?).
This day did not go as planned—although our plans were always to be flexible. We’ve been to Zell am See twice today! But, we had great food and fun with the little girls. There are worries about the Citroen, but JL and I volunteer that we will stay until Monday if necessary to ensure proper repairs. I mean—who wants to experience the shake-rattle-and rolling backward on the way home that we experienced in the wee hours of Wednesday morning!
We have plans to go to Salzburg on Friday and take LG along for the Sound of Music tour—4 hours on a bus with about 6 stops along the way. We check out the bus arrangements to Salzburg and find them easy to execute. DM will drive JL and me to Saalfelden for the 7:25am bus and we can return on a 6:30pm bus that takes a bit over an hour. We want to take LG along, but are not successful at confirming reservations on-line and I decide that a day in Salzburg might be too much for her without a planned distraction like the Sound of Music tour.
As I drift off to sleep and every time I wake up in the night I think that the whole reason we joined DM and MK on this family vacation to Austria was to help with the little girls and take LG on the SofM tour… They can use a break from the very vibrant and active LG! I call her a sprite because she is a burst of light. (A funny thing—this trip she told me that she likes to pretend she is Tinkerbell, the original burst of light.) Her energy never fails—she goes strong from morning to night with no need for a nap or rest… Before morning I decide that we will take her along and take our chances on getting tickets for the morning tour. I am at peace…
We blow bubbles and chat and before we know it KF is in the fridge again and dumps the Clever again! She loves milk and believes this heavy cream to be just the ticket.
DM drives JL, LG, and I to Zell am See while MK puts KF down for a nap. She got up at 4:00am and mommy and daddy took shifts throughout the early hours to keep her entertained. What a picturesque village! At every turn there is beauty atop beauty atop beauty… I will come back with CA as many times as we can. Alpenland Sports Maria Alm is a wonderful Interval discovery, and a great economy.
There are sailboats on the lake, and gardens surround. LG finds a gazebo and prepares “muffins” from the pebbles and finds a discarded (!) beer bottle to serve us Vinea (a lightly carbonated Slovak softdrink). We wander the streets and back to the car to join MK and KF in Maria Alm for a lunch of meats and cheeses in our room.
We decide to drive to Berchtesgarden to Hitler’s Eagles Nest. We drive to Saalfelden and Weiβbach, through St. Martin, Lofer and Unken---whoops! The Citroen has decided it does not like these mountains and begins to shake, rattle, and roll, and die-out in first and second gear. We are stuck on the slope again. DM pulls over and runs to our rescue, taking the wheel and heading down the mountain. The Citroen is going to the dealership near Zell am See for a look-see and windshield wiper repair.
DM+MK drop JL, LG, and I in the village and we walk again to Lake Zeller. Still beautiful! LG points remembering a playground just down the shore a bit, and then plays and climbs and runs before stopping to make us muffins again—this time with wet sand.
DM, MK, and KF are soon back having left the Citroen overnight as the dealership was just closing. We squeeze into the Kangoo and head back toward Maria Alm, stopping in Sallfelden at the InterSpar for groceries and goodies and diapers. We often shop at the InterSpar in Simmering near Vienna, as they have American brands and specialty foods and wine.
Back in Maria Alm D+M take the little girls to shower and pajama-up before dinner. There will be Kraft mac+cheese for them as we prepare a huge salad with lettuce, red and yellow peppers, avocado, carrots, English cucumber, ham, cheese, tomatoes and Kraft Cucumber Ranch salad dressing. We have Ritz crackers and Tuc’s. We enjoy a cheap but very drinkable Merlot and Coca-Cola Light.
The little girls show up in their new pjs—LG in her ballet slipper nightgown, and KF in bright pink polka-dotted pants, a matching white shirt, and a BALLERINA SKIRT! How fun! They are washed and shampooed—sweet-smelling and smiling (I think happy to be with grandma, but maybe it’s the mac and cheese?).
This day did not go as planned—although our plans were always to be flexible. We’ve been to Zell am See twice today! But, we had great food and fun with the little girls. There are worries about the Citroen, but JL and I volunteer that we will stay until Monday if necessary to ensure proper repairs. I mean—who wants to experience the shake-rattle-and rolling backward on the way home that we experienced in the wee hours of Wednesday morning!
We have plans to go to Salzburg on Friday and take LG along for the Sound of Music tour—4 hours on a bus with about 6 stops along the way. We check out the bus arrangements to Salzburg and find them easy to execute. DM will drive JL and me to Saalfelden for the 7:25am bus and we can return on a 6:30pm bus that takes a bit over an hour. We want to take LG along, but are not successful at confirming reservations on-line and I decide that a day in Salzburg might be too much for her without a planned distraction like the Sound of Music tour.
As I drift off to sleep and every time I wake up in the night I think that the whole reason we joined DM and MK on this family vacation to Austria was to help with the little girls and take LG on the SofM tour… They can use a break from the very vibrant and active LG! I call her a sprite because she is a burst of light. (A funny thing—this trip she told me that she likes to pretend she is Tinkerbell, the original burst of light.) Her energy never fails—she goes strong from morning to night with no need for a nap or rest… Before morning I decide that we will take her along and take our chances on getting tickets for the morning tour. I am at peace…
03 April 2009
REMINISCING AND BRAINSTORMING
So... The Merci Beaucoup ideas are free-flowing... I saw these cardboard suitcases at The Land of Nod the other day--3 sizes for $19.95, which isn't bad for TLoN. Think the small one will make a fantastic cookie box.
Then, I remembered these photos from last February when we were in Europe for KF's first days on earth. DM, CA, and I took LG to Vienna to the Spanish Riding School on a Saturday a.m. to see the Lipizzaner stallions work out. It was a very cold and snowy day in Vienna, but we had such a wonderful time. LG loves horses, and she knew the day was especially for her. As you can see, she packed her suitcase and was ready and waiting in Kangoo when we walked out the door. She usually smiles more. Traveling must be very serious business for LG.
After the Spanish Riding School, we headed to the Naschmarkt and got similar items to those we got this December. What a wonderful place!
And, I am going back! Around the 11th of May my sister JL and I are flying to London and then Bratislava; driving to Salzburg and the Austrian Alps to meet up with DM, MK, LG, and KF for a week at a beautiful resort. Then a few days in BA and onto London and several days exploring the city again. WOW! A week ago I wouldn't have guessed. Life is good. God is great!
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