Salzkammerwhat?!

As you know from the previous post, we went to Austria for a rainy weekend with my parents. The region we went to is called Salzkammergut and is beautiful. Even when it's rainy and cold, driving through the wooded, rolling hills and various lakes is quite nice. However, I'd recommend going when it's not raining because the biking and hiking as well as water sports in that region are worth the trip.

We stayed in a little town called St. Wolfgang. We managed to find rooms at a local hotel after pissing off the receptionist with car antics - parking on the wrong side of the road while on a steep hill; trying to get into the parking lot without the key and without a clue of where to go, forcing her to run out cursing into the light rain to stop the crazy tourists in the car (aka Greg and Eldad). Beyond that, we didn't anger the locals too much.

Seeschloss in Gmunden

On Saturday, we checked out the ice cave and then drove on to Gmunden to see the city. Unfortunately, we missed a promising ceramics market although it was interesting to Greg and I that there appeared to be no worries about afterhours security of the ceramics. The vendors just rolled down their tent sides, clipped them into place and left their fragile merchandise unguarded. Gmunden might be a lively old town at any other time, but sadly, not at 6:30 pm on a cold Saturday night. In any case, we got to see their cute Seeschloss (sea castle or palace).

I promise to stop talking about the rain in the next post because it'll probably be after we return from sunny, warm Israel! We're there for a few days for a cousin's wedding so it'll be nonstop action with the fam.