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Ira Visits Europe - May, 2007
Hi All,
Our Itinerary: May 14 Dep ATL 16:25 Arr MUC 07:50 May 15 - 19 Haus Am Moos, Salzburg May 19 - 21 Gasthof Simony, Hallstatt May 21 - 23 Hotel Zum Hechten, Fuessen May 23 - 24 Hotel Stern, Mindelheim May 24 - 26 Haus Karin, Rothenburg May 26 – 27 Hotel Schreier, Lindau May 27 - 31 Hotel Grillon, Beaune May 31 – June 2 Hostellerie Schwendi, Kientzheim June 2 – 4 Hotel de Guise, Nancy June 4 Ascot Airport Hotel June 5 Dep STR 11:00 Arr ATL 15:20 We started out from Madison for ATL at about 12:30. Arrived with no problems at about 1:30, and were on Concourse E at the boarding gate by 3:00. We each had an adult beverage, in a plastic cup for $7.50, before boarding at 4:15 – about 0:30 hr late. Completely uneventful and boring ride on a 767. Flight attendants were pleasant, food was something to do to pass the time. They gave us a free wine or beer. Port side had the sun shining in both coming and going. We had bought the RT tickets last August for $775 each, and that was as low as they got, except for one day in April when the price dropped to $595. The cost to exchange the tickets was greater than the savings. Arrived MUC 05/15 on time at 08:00. Weather: Rainy. Picked up our luggage and walked toward the rental car area, and walked toward the rental car area, and walked toward the rental car area. As we passed the S-Bahn stop, it occurred to me that we could have taken the train into town and picked up the car there in less time than it was taking to walk to the rental car area – and saved 100E, too. Arrived at the National desk at about 09:30, where a very nice young lady explained that all of their cars were Opels, that there were no Diesels available, and that we had been upgraded to an Opel Meriva – small SUV-style car with a 1.6 L engine. We were easily able to put one 26” and two 22” suitcases in the covered hatch. That is all that I have to say about this grossly underpowered, top heavy, softly sprung, gas guzzling machine in which we had to keep the AC on Full in order to stay reasonably cool at temps of 20 C outside. (Got about 30 mpg) Fuel prices averaged about 1.36 E/L for gas and about 1.11 for diesel, with Austria being the cheapest and Germany the highest. No difficulty leaving the airport and finding the A92 to the A9 to the A99 to the A8 and the exit for Prien am Chiemsee, where we stopped off to visit Herrenchiemsee. Our timing was pretty good, we got on the boat about 5 min before it left. After a small snack at the Schloss (pizza has become very popular), we took the 1:15 English language tour. First time I uttered, “It’s good to be the king”. This is Ludwig’s “homage” to Louis XIV. It is a small-scale Versailles. The interior decorations and furnishings are done in Louis XIV style. The paintings are of Louis’s life and achievements. I think that Ludwig just pretended that he was Louis when he was there. If you like Rococo, you will like this place. Herrenchiemsee is well worth a visit. Go early in the season and early in the day. We had several tour groups and several school outings to contend with. Especially as everyone left at the same time. Boat back to Prien. First faux pas. When you enter the parking lot, you get a ticket. You must insert the ticket at an automatic payment machine and pay the fee BEFORE attempting to leave. If you don’t, you will cause a great deal of shouting as you try to back out of the exit ramp. We easily navigated our way to Salzburg, stopping to buy a ‘vignette’ (road tax sticker) at one of the gas stations along the way. I urge everyone driving in Austria to get one, even if you don’t expect to drive the highways. Small roads occasionally open up to 4 lane highways for short distances. You need the sticker on these stretches. Arrived Haus am Moos (www.ammoos.at/main.php?language=en&m=home) at about 5:00 PM. This is run by the Family Strasser – two lovely, friendly, helpful folks who seem to like having guests. I think that the Haus am Moos is the best value for the money that we have ever come across. Mrs Strasser showed us our room, a large bed-sitter one flight up, with a separate bathroom, a balcony with a view of a mountain behind a screen of evergreens, and our own entrance (52E/nite w/bkfst). Free parking is provided next to the house. We had dinner that night at Schachlwirt (recommended by Mr Strasser), a local resto in a guest house a few minutes walk down the road. Their beer is Stiegl – excellent – a head like whipped cream, tiny bubbles and very good balance between malt and hops. I had the first of many Spargel specials. Roberta had the smoked trout and the pike-perch. Two dinners (appetizer, entrée and main) with beer, wine and coffee – 55E with tip. Tipping note: To summarize a long conversation with Mr Strasser, who was a waiter for 15 years: waiters get a small salary plus a commission above a certain quota, if they don’t make the quota, they get no commission – so, in Austria leave 5-10% on the table for the waiter. Any tip added to the charge card goes to the owner. My Lady Wife, having fallen asleep at the table, much to the consternation of the waitress, we went back to the am Moos, and so to bed. ((I)) |
Ira,
wonderful so far and anxious to hera more. An "adult beverage in a plastic cup" LOL and at such a bargain price, too. Glad you enjoyed Herrenchiemsee; I wish more folks from the US had the opportunity to visit it. |
Ira,
Sounds like a wonderful trip. Am eagerly waiting for more since we are planning for a trip to Austria, too. And co-incidentally, I rem'ber reading your Italy trip report and being influenced by it while planning for our Italy trip in 2005! Most of the places you have mentioned seems to be in the Bavarian region and I havent heard much of them. Hope your trip report includes why you got interested in the places originally. - Trippster |
Wonderful start - I am looking forward to your report. I hope the fact that you have begun means you are feeling better. :-)
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Hi Trippster,
>Hope your trip report includes why you got interested in the places originally. I hadn't thought of that. Basically 3 reasons: (1) My family background is Austrian and my Lady Wife's families are from Germany and Alsace, (2) we haven't been there before, (3) I couldn't go so close to Burgundy and not visit it, and (4) we are both interested in Art Nouveau, which began in Nancy. ((I)) |
I am really looking forward to your report on Beaune and Alsace as we leave to do that ourselves on June 24th. Any must sees or general impressions?
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Thanks ira - We've been waiting for this one.
Interesting about the tip on the charge card. I wonder if that is common? |
Ira and Lady Ira - are we related??!!
My family has Strassers (Strass, Strauss, etc) from Austria, though the rest of the folks are from Rheinland-Pfalz and Alsace. What a coincidence... I just posted on that "Deja Vu" thread on the lounge about feeling a huge pull towards the Salzkammergut. Again, what a coincidence... I can't wait to hear more of your trip - you're always a delight! |
Hi Kate,
Re Beaune: If you don't have reservations yet, I can recommend www.hotel-grillon.fr. "Le Verger" is a very nice resto on the property, but separate from the hotel. The Marche' aux Vins is an interesting exhibit, but the wines aren't that good and pricey. The Hospices de Dieu is well worth visiting We motored to/through Autun, Saulieu and Bligny-Sur-Ouche and found them all interesting. In Alsace we lodged in Kientzheim and visited Riquewhir, Ribeauville and other towns and villages. Nothing particularly spectacular, but very nice scenery and old towns. (Actually, some of them are old looking, as WWII caused a lot of damage in the area). I'm sure that you will enjoy your visit. ((I)) Dijon is worth at least 1/2 day. |
Ira,
Thank you for the info. We are staying at a hotel just outside of Beaune in a village called Levernois. I am glad to hear that Dijon is worth 1/2 day and now will plan to add that in. We are staying for three nights in a hotel by Ribeauville and will do some wandering. Have you been to Strasbourg?? I think maybe you went on another trip. What did you think of Nancy? Thanks for the restaurant tips. Any good ones in the Ribeauville area? Thanks for your help. |
Thanks Ira, I'm anxious to hear more about the location of the Am Moos and if you thought it worth the savings not to be nearer to the city centre.
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Now I think It's good to be the king" is Mel Brooks line in The History of the World Part 1.
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Ira,
This is has all the makings of a great report. I love getting all the essential details in such a straight ahead, concise manner. I am eagerly anticipating the Nancy portion as it is on my list of places to visit - I have family who came from that area (to Canada) about four generations back. |
Thanks for the read Ira. The perfect luncheon accompaniment for my 'rawschinken mit brot und fruchte salat' ! I look forward to more of your entertaining writing for tomorrow's lunch. Cheers, M. |
Ira, I had been looking forward to your report and so far it does not disappoint. Looking forward to the next segment.
Sally |
>...I think "It's good to be the king" is Mel Brooks' line in "The History of the World Part 1".
Yup, and he was right. :) ((I)) |
Hi all,
Glad that you are interested in my offering. .................. May 16 Weather: Beautiful Breakfast at the Haus am Moos: A buffet of breads and rolls (my first real Kaiser roll in 40 years); butter, jams and jellies; yoghurt, cheeses and meats, fruits, 2 kinds of Muesli, and soft-boiled eggs. Coffee came with frothed milk. One could put on weight having that everyday, and I did. Mrs Strasser apologized profusely, but not servilely, for having only instant decaf (Koffenfreikaffe), but it was quite good. The brand was Hag, which she assured me could be found at any market. Unfortunately, I could only find regular Hag at the markets I went to. We bought two 72-hr Salzburg cards from Mr Strasser and took the bus (free) to the Hahnuschplatz in Salzburg. The bus stop on Moosstrasse is about a 3 min walk from the guesthouse. Travel time is 12 min. Buses run every 12-15 min from about 07:00 to about 23:30. Very convenient for getting into the Old City. On the way, we stopped at the Augustiner Bräustüberl because I had forgotten that it didn’t open until 3:00. Had an interesting walk around parts the casual tourist rarely sees. My LW is used to going to places that the casual tourist never sees. From the Hanuschplatz, we walked over to the Monksberg Elevator and took a free ride up to view the city from above. This is a big old fortress and people live inside its walls – not within, inside. Gorgeous views. Came down and strolled the Getreidegasse (very tourist oriented), visited the Mozartplatz, the Domplatz, the Residenceplatz and the Altmarktplatz, heard the Carillon bells, took the funicular up to Hohensalzburg fortress and returned to the am Moos, pretty tired out. It was a very nice day in Salzburg. After a short nap and some freshening up, we took the bus into the city and, after a short walk, were at the Goldener Hirsch for dinner only 10 min late. The building was 600 years old in 2006, but doesn’t look a day over 350. The restaurant is in the former stables. It is a very pleasant, whitewashed room with groined, vaulted ceilings. Service is very smooth and very discreet. I have a note that the bread plate was very fresh and very crunchy, but this might have been due to it’s being our first upscale dinner in Europe. Living in Madison, GA, one tends to forget what really good bread is like. After an interesting amuse bouche of some sort of foamy thingy (foamy thingies are very big these days) we had Salmon Mousse for LW and Spargel for me (actually the spargel was meant for 2, but Roberta doesn’t eat asparagus, so I had to force myself to eat her share). Mains were Prawns for Roberta and Lake Char for me, with accompanying veggies. Wine was an Alte Reben Gruner Veltiner- 2004 for 39E. Excellent companion to the fish and the spargel – slight green tint to a golden color; aromas of honey, white peaches, pears and apricots; a slightly tart apple and citrus taste leading to a mineral finish. Dessert, which we shared, was the “Rigo Janci” – hidden toward the bottom of the list beneath stuff with lots of whipped cream on it. This was a square of flourless chocolate cake topped by two layers of chocolate mousse (dark at the bottom, light at the top), a thin layer of schlag and a trellis of dark and light chocolate. A really scrumptious, amazingly light, very tasty and completely uncloying finishing touch. I suggested to the head waiter that this be made their signature dessert. Coffee was excellent – 200E with tip. A note on the Goldener Hirsch: Many have said that it is overpriced for what you get. I think much depends on carefully reading the menu. For example, pre-dinner drinks – one Manhattan and one Martini cost us 50E. In future, I shall stick to tap water. Not having noticed that I had drunk a $30 Martini, I returned with my Lady Wife to the am Moos, by way of the convenient bus, and so to bed. ((I)) |
Ira, I'm enjoying your trip report. We were in Bavaria and Austria a few years ago and your report is bringing back lots of fond memories.
Tracy |
<i>Coffee was excellent – 200E with tip</i>
And I thought 4E for an espresso was high... |
Yes, give us more Ira. I am enjoying your expereinces. We followed spargel season from St. Remy to St. Gilgen to Vienna to Prague and finally to Rothenburg one year and loved it.
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"....Not a day over 350.." You crack me up Herr Ira ! :) By the way, whats a groined, vaulted ceiling ? Vaulted and groin in the same sentence sounds painful. Thanks to the Two Fat Ladies, if I recall correctly, Rigo Janci was a Hungarian gentleman of dubious repute who had rather a way with the ladies. The desert named in his honour is traditionally short, dark and sweet and supposedly leaves you wanting more and more...at least amongst the ladies who eat it anyway ! Looking forward to the next chapter. M. |
Besides the Rigo Jansci desert to be found in the heart of Hungary just west of Budapest (!), I was referring to the 'dessert' of the same name in my post above ;) |
This is great, Ira. Enjoying your details! I was wondering the same thing, what's a groined ceiling?! Yikes. Do continue.
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So I won't be called a lurker later (or a laker lurter), just letting you know I'm in the audience enjoying this bright travelogue. Trip reports and foreign films will be my Eruopean vacation this summer ... with absolutely no 3 hr waits on the runway.
TC |
>Rigo Janci was a Hungarian gentleman of dubious repute who had rather a way with the ladies. The desert named in his honour ...<
Thank you, M. I didn't know that. ((I)) |
May 17 Weather: Cloudy, chilly, rainy
It’s Ascencion Day and the buses are running on a Holiday schedule – only 2/hr instead of the usual 4. Terribly inconvenient. OTOH, for the last 50 years, I have lived in the US without any buses at all, so maybe not so inconvenient. After bkfst, we set off for Hellbrun Palace (free) by way of the Salzach boat (free). You’ll want to devote at least one-half day for this. You get tickets for the next boat (in this case the 11:30) at the ticket booth above the landing. Having about 0:40 hr to kill, and never missing a chance to try a beer, I had a Zipfer at a local café. Nice head, slightly tart. Prefer Stiegl. Onto the boat, which crawls agonizingly slowly along the river as you get to view the waterfront. Some nice old buildings. At the Hellbrun landing, we walk about 0.5 km and are transferred to a bus to Hellbrun. The crowd is sorted into groups of 40, or so. As there are other tour groups, some of us get in and some have to wait about 10 min. Hellbrunn, a pleasure palace for one of the Prince/Bishops of Salzburg, is quite interesting. Another time that I said, “It’s good to be the king”. The grounds are well landscaped and the water features vary from beautiful to comical. I think that in the Summer it would have been fun, but on a cold and rainy day being squirted with water, which the tour guides found hilarious, was not what we wanted. There are nighttime, candle-lit evening tours in Summer. Walked from the palace to the bus stop (about 1 km) and rode back to town. Had a light lunch at the Café’ Bazar across from the Theatergasse bus stop. Nicely done in a Jugendstil-inspired décor. Rost Bratwurst, Salat mit Pilzen und gebratenen Hendlbruststreifen (salad with mushrooms and roasted chicken breast), 2 glasses of house red – 24E. Wandered a bit and took the bus back to the am Moos, where we warmed up and relaxed before dinner at Esszimmer. This is a find. www.esszimmer.com The restaurant is located just across the street from the bus stop for the Augustiner Bräustüberl. It is done in a modern décor, but the colors are warm and it is not unfriendly. We were greeted and shown to our tables by a pleasant young lady, who was one of the owners. I told her that we had to take the last bus back to the Haus am Moos, and to please make sure that we were on it. She promised to do so, and was as good as her word. She paced the dinner so that we were not at all hurried, but finished our coffee, paid our bill, collected our paraphernalia and were at the bus stop with 5 min to spare. Esszimmer offers 4 menus, which are changed monthly so that you can go there once a week and not eat the same thing. 3 menus are 5 courses, the Menu Andreas Kaiblinger is 7. With each menu you can have the wine pairing if you wish. Prices are: Vegetarian 46E Wine pairing 29E Esszimmer 57E Wine pairing 30E Fish 58E Wine pairing 26E 7 course 78E Wine pairing 35E After accepting an offer of a glass of wine for an aperitif (Trocken Riesling for LW and a Riesling for me) we perused the menus. I chose the Esszimmer. My Lady Wife, whom age cannot wither nor custom stale her infinite variety, surprised me by going vegetarian instead of with her usual fish. Mrs Kaiblinger inquired as to whether LW was a vegetarian, as the openers contained fish, and offered to change them if needed. Being assured that Roberta was just in the mood for veggies, she began the presentation. Dinner opened with a trio of amuses-bouche: a frothed and foamy cream of asparagus soup, a tiny piece of broiled halibut with an eensy, crispy spring roll, a sliver of marinated perch in an herbed cream sauce. All were excellent. The rest of the 5 courses went from delight to delight. Each course service was set by a white-gloved waitress. Each offering and wine was described by our hostess, who was knowledgeable enough about the pairings to answer my simple questions – in a foreign language, no less. Highlight of evening. My LW, who insists that she doesn’t like “sweet” wine, refused her Beerenauslese (Martin Paisler, Jois – 2004), so I had it. Yummy. The cheese tray was worthy of Paris. Wine Pairings with 5-course dinner for two 200E. As noted, we were at the bus stop 5 min early. Hopped into our coach and were back at the am Moos happily satisfied. And so to bed. ((I)) |
I'm enjoying your report on Salzburg very much Ira! You're eating and drinking well:)
It's good to hear that using the bus to get to Salzburg isn't a problem. We'll be doing this in the snow but the BB's are a great value! |
May 18 Weather: beautiful
After bkfst we drove down to Wherfen to visit Hohenwherfen. The fortress is dramatically perched on a steep hill above the town. Our major interest was the raptor demonstrations, and we weren’t disappointed. For about an hour we were treated to displays of falconry with falcons, hawks and an American Bald Eagle. Them birds is BIG! Note: The raptor display is in the outer keep of the fortress. It is a very steep climb down, and up, with few steps. The fortress sells Kaiser beer – so, so. Leaving the fortress, we drove to Berchtesgaden – nice town, but lots of tourist shops. Because of Roberta’s vertigo we don’t go up to high places to look down. Instead, we took a boat ride on the Konigsee. Beautiful lake. Very long and narrow, and very deep. About half-way along, they stop the boat for the guide to play a few notes on a trumpet. Amazing echoes. Don’t tip more than 0.5 E. The town is, as you would expect, there to cater to tourists. Returned to am Moos, where we relaxed on the balcony, watching birds catch bugs as the light changed on the mountain, until dinner time. Dinner at K+K Wagplatz – an easy 5 min walk from the Hanuschplatz bus stop. They have seating for about 500 people on four floors. However, it is divided into a number of small rooms, so that it seems very intimate. We were seated on the first floor at a window overlooking the Mozart Pl. The menu is limited, but it is done well. Service was friendly, but professional. Aperitifs of 2004 Zweigelt Reserve, Sepp Mosler – a very interesting red from the Neusiedlersee. Openers of Prawns w/Arugula over linguini for me and an excellent leek and potato soup for LW. Mains of Salmon with spargel and potatoes (I got to eat the spargel) for Roberta and Venison with knoedlen and lentils in elderberry sauce for me. 95E for 2. A very pleasant experience. After dinner, we wandered about, looking at the lighted sights, and took the bus back to the am Moos. And so to bed. May 19 Weather: beautiful. We bid farewell to the Strassers and headed off to Hallstatt. (Did I mention that this is about the best place for the price that we have ever stayed? Very highly recommended.) Our route took us through Mondsee, St. Gilgen and Bad Ischl, all very pleasant towns on beautiful lakes. However, for sheer picturesque beauty, I ‘m glad we chose Hallstatt. Except for taking the wrong turn in Hallstatt and driving half-way to Oertraun before I could turn around, our drive was uneventful. Arriving at Hallstatt, I came to the entrance gate (No autos allowed from 10:00-18:00 without a pass.), and looked about for some sign of someone or something that would let me in. Nada. Being a resourceful Boy Scout, I drove to the Police Station. Using my limited German and the policeman’s (I don’t think that there was more than one that day) limited English, I was directed to return to the parking area where, “I would find a little house. Inside the little house is a little man. He will give you a pass”. I found the little house. No little man. So, I parked in the bus stop. In less than a minute, a not-so-little man arrived to shoo me away. Noticing the thick packet of parking passes in his hand, I explained that we were staying at the Gasthof Simony, and in minutes we were there. Unloaded the car, and parked about 2 blks from the Gasthof. Fuel note: The Salzkammergut is the place to fuel up. Found gasoline for as little as 1.07E/L and Diesel at only 0.92E/L. Even in Hallstatt, it was only 1.12 for gas. As I was walking back to the Simony, the XXXth convention of Tatra car owners came through town. Taking Roberta in hand, I headed off in pursuit as they worked their way to the top of the town. Very interesting automobiles. Since we were at the top, we did some sight-seeing as we returned to the hotel. Had a snack and a beer at the Grüner Baum. Trumer beer – somewhat hoppy, but very smooth. I also picked up a bottle of a HunschupfenGruner Veltliner, 2006 for 7.5E. This was VVG, when we had it on our balcony later. Our room was quite large – actually a quad – with a balcony facing East, overlooking the Traunsee. The hotel had the appearance of having been refurbished fairly recently. It is a very old building, with appropriate squeaky floors, doors that are hard to open and close, and a variety of antiques scattered about – some of them not guests. The local CofC offers Friday night candlelit boat rides and Saturday morning guided tours. We arrived on Sat PM and missed both. Oh well, next time. Dinner was at the Gasthof Zauner. Service and food was OK, but nothing to write home about, about 75E for two. Wandered around town after dinner, and so to bed. ((I)) |
What a detailed report! I can almost envisage your entire trip :-) I am finding lots of useful info. Clicked on the "Reply" button just to say that I'm eagerly waiting for more!
- T |
Excellent report. It brings back fond memories of Prien am Chiemsee and fantastic Gruner Veltliner.
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Book Marking.
Excellent report. Very informative and entertaining. A slow day at work, so it is nice to escape to Europe for a few minutes. |
<< ...underpowered, top heavy, softly sprung, gas guzzling machine ...
...Got about 30 mpg... >> That's a curious assessment. 30 mpg is gas-guzzling? And yet you thought it should have more power? Are there vehicles with better fuel efficiency, with greater "power"? Since you're being showered with so much praise, I had to find something to pick on! As is the case with kate12, I too am waiting for the expanded Burgundy portion of the trip report (...to accompany the video!) ;) Best wishes, Rex |
Great report! I felt like I was with you on your travels! Next time I travel... I will consider being a bit more detailed.
Thanks Ira, Natalie |
The suspense is killing me.
Type fast, Ira. |
<< The suspense is killing me.
Type fast, Ira. >> Ummm... not to be a spoiler... but I think it's going to wrap up pretty much like the Sopranos. None of the main characters will die in the final installment. |
Great report, loved your film debut.
You have recommended a car rental company/search that I think starts with "g" and I can't seem to find in with the search button... |
Hey ira,
Enjoyed your report so far. Thanks for writing. Oh, and as far as the Opel Meriva 1.6...we drove over the Grossglockner road in one last year. Underpowered is an understatement! Paul |
Susanna, I think you are referring to www.gemut.com.
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Hi Rex,
>30 mpg is gas-guzzling? And yet you thought it should have more power? Are there vehicles with better fuel efficiency, with greater "power"?< The Peugeot 307 HDI that we had on our visit to France was also 1.6L. It had much more pep and got 40 mpg on Diesel. I could have done about as well with my Auto Transmission Vibe. ((I)) |
Addendum to May 19:
On the way to Hallstatt we made a detour to see the Gosausee. Our guide book (2000 Edition of Fo.....) described it as a beautiful, wilderness untouched but for a restaurant at the edge of the lake. That was then. Working my way slowly through the various parking lots that line the steep road up to the restaurant/lodge at the tip of the lake, avoiding tour buses as I went, I dropped Roberta off near the lake-view terrace and went searching for a place to put the car. Fortunately, a kindly gentleman who was about to pull out of a “No Parking” space signaled to me, and I was able to stop only about 100 m from the lake. Something of a disappointment. The Lake seemed to be 3-5 feet below its normal level. The color of the woods, water and mountains couldn’t compare to the other lakes we had seen on the way in, nor to other lakes we would see later. The Dachstein Glacier is so far away, that it was difficult to distinguish it from snow patches on other mountains. Perhaps, we were there are the wrong day, in the wrong season. Anyway, with my wonderful Canon S3 IS camera, I was able to adjust for exposure, etc and got some pix that make the place look much better than it was in person. May 20 Weather: Beautiful and very warm. High about 28 C. Arose early and took a few pix of the sun rising behind the mountains, then drove over to Obertraun to watch the sun rising on the mountains from the other side. There is a particular traditional boat that is used on the Hallstattsee (and, I expect, the other Salzkammergut lakes) that is a flat-bottomed skiff with a large, upraised prow that is propelled by standing at the rear and sculling with one oar. It is not unlike a gondola, though by no means as fancy. I think it is called a “platte”. They also come in catamaran form, for large groups. Well, there were about 4 of them out on the water this morning. Some fishing, others carrying goods across the lake. Very picturesque. Electric motors are permitted on the lakes. Only the ferries and other authorized boats have IC engines. Very sensible. After breakfast, the usual assortment of breads, rolls, pastries, cheeses, meats, yoghurt, fruit, we set off to tour the Salzkammergut. Our route took us from Hallstatt to the Toplitzsee, hjust beyond Gosl, passing through Obertraun, Bad Aussee and Grundlsee along the way. The Toplitzsee was recommended by “Austria”, who hasn’t appeared for some time. It was very good advice. I was concerned that LW would have problems with the steep road up to and down from the Koppen pass between Obertraun and Bad Aussee, but the trees blocked the precipitous route from view, and she was quite OK. We drove up to Gosl, parked the car and hiked for about 2 km on a well-constructed path through a forest. Upon reaching the lake, we came upon the Fischerhütte, a restaurant/café/ice cream shop/theme park. We took a table under the trees to enjoy the view, the stillness (interrupted now and then by a bird call), and the general feeling of ‘Süß, nichts zu machen‘ (which my machine translator tells me is German for ‘dolce far niente’). The Fischerhütte offers Gösser beer – good head, very good balance - and a wheat beer, which was too sweet for our tastes. Not long after we arrived, a number of folks began to appear, mostly families – many in traditional garb – for their Sunday outing. We noticed that Austrians do like to dress up on these weekend excursions in various styles of dirndls, lederhosen and other types of traditional costume. Finishing our beers, we left the merrymakers to their day while we, refreshed in body and soul, walked back to the car and on to Bad Aussee and the B145 East. Eschewing the 1000 m Phyrnpass, we followed the B146 beyond Liezen to the A9 going North – road construction and detours made this a little hard to follow – and the Bosruck tunnel. This is a very long tunnel for which you have to pay 4.5E toll. Having invested that much in the road, and finding the exit to Spital closed, I stayed on the A9 instead of taking the byroad through the various towns and villages. This turned out OK, as the route is quite scenic, and we saved about 1 hr. We transferred to the A1 going West, and exited back onto the B145 going South toward Gmunden and the Traunsee. This is one large, and beautiful lake. We stopped for a while to watch the boats on the lake (the sailboats were greatly enjoying the stiff breeze)before continuing on to Bad Ischl. Despite Roberta’s certainty that we would merely get lost on some dead-end street too narrow to turn around in (I do that sometimes), I found a parking space (free on Sunday) on the Leharkai, less than 4 blks from Zauner’s famous bakery and Eiscafé. Roberta had a dish of 3 scoops of various flavors (came with a thin waffle) and I had the Erdbeerbecher – strawberry ice cream with strawberries, schlag and a waffle cracker – 9E. Each order came with a glass of tap water – without asking. Presentation was quite nice, service was very good, prices weren’t out of line with less fancy places. Bad Ischl seemed to be a very nice town, but we didn’t have time to do more than look at it and move on. We followed the B145 back to Bad Aussee and then up to Grundlsee again for dinner at the Post Am See. This is a find. We arrived about 7:10, washed up a bit, and had an aperitif at a lakeside table across the road from the restaurant. As the sun set behind the mountain and a cool breeze came off the lake, our waitress (flaxen haired, blue-eyed and brustige – looked great in a dirndl) ushered us into the dining room. The resto is done in “contemporary/traditional” – it has the feel of being in Austria, but without all of the decorative touches of carved wood, beamed ceilings, paneling, etc that a traditional room would have. As I learned from speaking to various folks in the business, it is too expensive to build a traditional place that meets the modern codes. The back wall is a large window that looks into the kitchen. I’m not sure why this is done, other than to assure customers that there is actually someone in the kitchen. OTOH, they could be faking it. Pretending to cook, while everything is actually microwaved in another room. Post am See offers 4 menus, which can be had in 3 or 4 courses, or a la carte. Each menu has suggested wines. In addition, there are wine suggestions for each dish. LW had the 3-course fish: Cream of lobster soup; Filet of Zander (pike perch) with Spargel (which I had), and whipped potatoes; Lemon tart with strawberries and pistachios. I had the 4-course poultry: Breaded filet of rabbit with green salad; Cream of asparagus soup; Marinated duck breast with a ginger risotto and baby bok choy; fried spring roll stuffed with nuts and stuff with a Passionfruit mousse. A trio of amuses bouche: A tiny cup of cream of leek soup, quail egg with lime foam, and an itty bitty knoedel with greben on sauerkraut. The entire dinner, food, service, atmosphere, was first rate. With aperitifs and 3 glasses of local wines (sorry, didn’t write them down) with dinner – 100E. Satisfied and happy, we returned to the hotel under a clear, starry sky; the Milky Way, forming a glowing ceiling above us. And so to bed. ((I)) |
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