in which Greta slides down a salt mine and we raise a glass at the Augustiner Braustubl {The Great European Road Trip Day 7: Klagenfurt to Hallstatt to Salzburg, Austria}
our family bed was quite cozy, but i kept waking up during the night to check the time, afraid that my phone battery would die and thus my alarm wouldn't go off in the morning. finally 6:15 came and i padded downstairs to find that Chris had already been up to re-kindle the fire (which heated the water) and had had his shower. so i hopped in the shower myself and then we all pitched in to get breakfast ready and pack up the van. as we stepped outside, we had our first glimpse of The Hut in daylight! fog blanketed the valley below, but every so often the mists parted a bit and we could see the mountains opposite.
Greta went on a little adventure with an empty pail she found in the barn
so much scope for the imagination!
while we finished loading up the van, the girls entertained themselves in the water trough
the barn had a rickety little lookout on the top, but the fog made it impossible to see much!
more self-directed "chores"
we finally embarked on the three hour drive north to Hallstatt, stopping along the way for McDonald's coffee. as we sped through the Alps, Father once again chose the perfect soundtrack.
we arrived in Hallstatt around noon, with plenty of time (we thought) to make it to the 1 PM salt mine tour. Hallstatt is built on the edge of the sparkling Hallstätter See (Lake Hallstatt), and it was settled by the early Celts sometime between 800-450 BC due to its natural salt stores. salt production has continued through the centuries. in 1595, a large pipe was laid to transport salt to Ebensee, 40 kilometers (24 miles) away. in modern times, tourism makes a significant contribution to the economy, which we discovered as we drove around trying to find a parking spot. all the lots were full and we had soon driven all the way out of town. Nick executed a flawless three-point turn across the narrow road to head back towards the funicular which runs to the salt mine, planning to drop us off and then attempt to find parking -- and just as we approached the funicular, a few spots opened up in the parking lot there. thank you, St. Raphael! the funicular ride was worth the trip in itself. the ride was included in the price of the salt mine tour, but you can also buy tickets just for the funicular (which is what i did for myself and Cecilia, as kids under the age of 4 are not allowed in the mine).
even on an overcast day, the view was absolutely spectacular. but the funicular ride would likely not be fun for someone who doesn't like heights! nor would the skywalk that connects the upper funicular station to the mine. thankfully, none of us suffer from acrophobia, and we just couldn't stop marveling at the incredible scenery.
photo credit: Angel
we finally had to tear ourselves away from the skywalk to trek another ten minutes up the hill to reach the lodge, where the others would check in for their tour.
view from the porch of the lodge
this friendly chap appeared throughout the grounds to provide directions
after the others had checked in, Cecilia and i waved goodbye as they went into another room to don their jumpsuits and they were off to ride the train over to the entrance of the mine.
photo credit: Angel
they got to ride down this huge slide near the end of the tour! (photo credit: Angel)
meanwhile, Cecilia and i ensconced ourselves near the little cafe in the lodge. after a gourmet lunch of a gigantic hotdog, Cece fell asleep in the stroller while i sipped a Kaiser beer and took advantage of the free wifi to catch up on Facebook. after she woke up, we discovered the cutest children's play area with a TV, coloring books and crayons, puzzles, books and toys -- really thoughtful of them since i saw quite a few other parents with young children waiting for the other parent and older siblings to finish the tour.
about ninety minutes later, the others emerged smiling ... well, Greta was hungry, tired and cold, but she said she had fun. they were given a small container of authentic Hallstatt salt at the end of the tour, and on our way back down to the skywalk, Greta kept eating little bits of it straight out of the container. goofball! we stopped for a few more pictures on the skywalk, and then headed back down the funicular to explore the town below.
the town itself is adorable almost to the point of ridiculousness. it almost doesn't even look real. once again, our cameras were put to work! the lake was as still and black as glass. the girls were so excited to see the swans, and kept quacking at them. we stopped in a few different shops to look for souvenirs, and found a perfect dirndl for Greta to wear to mass in Salzburg the next day. then Angel and i sampled several kinds of schnapps, including a local variety that is made from pinecones, which was surprisingly good!
war memorial
a nod to Chinese culture; the Chinese have been so enamored of Hallstatt that they created a replica of the town in Guangdong province
this sign made us laugh, but it's also sad that they have to post something like this!
it's almost like being in Rome again!
the schnapps shop is also a woodshop with all sorts of beautifully carved toys
by this time, it was getting dark. we bought a snack at a little food stand (Cecilia ate her second hot dog of the day - mom of the year right here) and then got on the road to Salzburg. this was only an hour drive, a relative blink of an eye!
our first order of business in Salzburg was to eat a proper dinner and avail ourselves of the delicious beer at the Augustiner Braustaubl. Nick and i were here in 2012 on our previous trip to Austria and Germany, and it was even better than i remembered. you pick up a ceramic mug (half-liter or liter) at the entrance, get your beer, find your own seat in any of the huge rooms, and then go in search of food. the food is arranged similar to a food court, with several different stalls offering all kinds of different food. the bratwurst! the sauerkraut! the schweinshaxe! the mustard, oh the glorious mustard. we were sharing bites all round.
beer served directly out of wooden kegs (photo credit: Angel)
not exactly a low sodium diet. that's why it's so delicious!
Cecilia in her element (photo credit: Angel) - also please note, Greta is watching Daniel Tiger on my phone. seeing kids on phones or tablets at a restaurant is a huge pet peeve of mine. but after a full week of restaurant meals every night, not to mention the hectic pace, i was ready to do just about anything to make it through dinner!
Cecilia demolished the rest of Nick's dessert
with full bellies and happy hearts, we got settled in our hotel for the evening and fell fast asleep!
it's about time for a good old airing of the grievances. while we have ever so much for which to give thanks, sometimes we need the catharsis of enumerating our woes, big and small. (you can read the 2023 edition here.) _________________________________________ first up, potty training. I buckled down and trained Greta and Cecilia both around age 2 1/2, and it went fairly well (I'm a big fan of waiting until the kid is practically ready to train themselves). Elizabeth turned 2 1/2 near the end of the school year, and logically it seemed like a great time to buckle down -- we wouldn't be driving around to after school sports and activities and we'd have more time at home. I kept waiting for the day when I'd wake up full of excitement and motivation to strip off the diaper and chase a naked toddler around the house. and ... shockingly ... that day never came. then we were preparing for our trip to Seattle in July and it definitely didn't seem like the right time
dear Victoria, sometimes I scoop you up and can't stop myself from squishing your little body right into my chest, and nuzzling my face into your neck until you squeal with giggles. you are just so darn cute! you can spend up to an hour scooting around the family room playing with various toys -- recently you've started to be interested in baby dolls and the Fisher Price doll house. you mostly army crawl, but sometimes you pull yourself forward when you're sitting, too, and a few times you've been able to launch forward an inch or so from a bona fide crawling position. you can stand supported for a little while, but you're not close to pulling up by yourself yet. we had another wonderful report from the orthopedic surgeon this month. both hips remain in place. your left hip has what they call a "delayed ossification center", meaning that it's still primarily cartilage since the hip socket didn't form properly to begin with, but the doctor said tha
sitting outside the new independent coffee shop that opened in the neighborhood this summer as a physician assistant with an undergraduate minor in psychology, I've always been fascinated by the connection between the mind and the body. that interest serves me well in my chosen specialty of primary care/internal medicine, as mental health comes to bear so frequently on physical, or somatic, complaints like fatigue, upset stomach, and dizziness. in any given day, I'll typically have one or two appointments that are scheduled specifically so someone can address their anxiety or depression, and it often comes up as a subject of conversation during routine physicals. I have probably recommended therapy to my patients literally thousands of times, whether it's to deal with an isolated situational stress or grief, or more pervasive issues like OCD, chronic insomnia, bipolar disorder, depression, or borderline personality disorder. when we're discussing starting antidepressant
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