January 26 - Beautiful Day at Salzburg Lakes

I tended to some paperwork while Mike, Pat and Ron watched Li Na - Azarenka. I joined them for the last couple games of the match. Again, we were disappointed with the result.

It was a clear day, blue sky, and no snow, so we quickly got ready and drove out to Fuschlsee (Lake Fuschl), and had lunch at a place Ron and I had visited and enjoyed last year. The Hotel Seerose was in a gorgeous setting on the lake - you almost feel like you are on a ship when you are in their glassed-in restaurant room. The waitresses were in attractive, long black dirndls with colorful aprons, and service was excellent.

Mary's smoked trout and horseradish appetizer (fish from the lake) - Delicious!

Mike's veal schnitzel - one of the best of the trip

Pat and Ron  had pork medallions with potatoes - Pat said it was best pork she'd had on the trip

Mary's chicken strips with peppers and paprika sauce

It was a beautiful setting and delicious food - we couldn't have asked for better. Happy to have such a great day as our time here is winding down.

After lunch we walked, briefly, around the small village. The temperature was about 20-F, so we didn't want to be outside too long. Then we drove on to see a rather speedy view of Wolfgangsee, Attersee and Mondsee. We tried to visit the Hotel Billroth in St. Gilgen but a function was taking place and we could not even get into the parking area. After driving through the lake district, we stopped for refreshments at the Hotel Hollweger. It was another lovely place, high on the hill overlooking the lake. The sun was shining on the mountain peaks, and it was a glorious sight. I told Ron he could leave me here for a month or so, but he didn't agree with my idea!

We drove back into Salzburg to our little nest. I simmered chicken breasts, and Ron diced them and made chipotle chicken wraps for our light dinner. We tried to use a lot of ingredients we had bought earlier, and maybe the tortillas had seen better days! 

January 25 - Salzburg

We had a very quiet day beginning with watching the Federer-Murray match. Since we are all Federer fans, we were disappointed with the result.

Mid-afternoon we drove to the Mirabell area, and went into Bellini, a little Italian bar Ron and I like. In nice weather it is great to sit outside and "people-watch". On this snowy day, we were in the non-smoking room in back with no one else in sight. We ordered some tramezzini (Italian sandwiches), but Pat and I had ours (proscuitto and mozzarella) toasted, which is not traditional. 

Bar Bellini

A tree wrapped to keep it warm

We walked in the area and briefly went into the Dorotheum, a branch of the famous Vienna auction house. We then drove to Anif and sat by one of the fireplaces in one of our favorite hotels, the Friesacher. We have been going there for almost 40-years. It the early days we visited their heuriger, a place that serves "new" wine along with cold cuts, cheeses, olives, all kinds of food that you select from a glass display. It seems every year has brought many improvements, and now it is a 4-star luxurious hotel with a gorgeous spa and numerous restaurants. The hotel has been in the Friesacher family since 1846. They also own a large farm which provides much of the ingredients used in their restaurants. We had tried to book rooms there for several days during our Salzburg stay, but they were sold out. Their rooms are lovely and their breakfast is fabulous.

Garden Annex building

Fireplace in Friesacher

Ron's gluhwein - Mary in background

We then went to a Maxi-Market in Anif for some groceries we needed. That evening Ron tried to prepare a macaroni and beef dish we call "goop melange". Somehow, the German cans of tomatoes were too much, and it turned out more like a soup. (He says because no tomato paste to thicken it.)

January 24 - Drive to Salzburg

We left the hotel about 10 AM. It was foggy the entire way, but very little precipitation, and no problems with the road conditions. Very lucky!

We stopped off at the Berghotel Aschbach near Bad Aibling, a favorite place where Ron and I have stayed and dined many times. It has been in the same family 130-years. The great grandparents of the present owner started a small inn there, and it has grown over the years to be a very substantial hotel, restaurant, and wedding facility. On a clear day the views are outstanding over the Wendelstein Mountains. But today we were looking at fog.

Their Thursday special was rind filet  (beef filet), and thee of us had a small filet - Pat's with a yummy peppercorn cream sauce, Mike's with a red wine sauce, and mine with krauterbutter (herb butter). Ron was happy to find a schweinebraten which he had been searching for the last six weeks - served in a dark beer sauce with potato knodel. He enjoyed every bite and was sorry when it was finished.

Mike's filet with sauce and potatoes

Ron's schweinebraten

Mary's filet with herb butter and  fries

Pat's steak with pepper cream sauce

Display of desserts at Berghotel Aschbach

We continued on our way to Salzburg to find the small apartments we had rented at the last moment when we changed itinerary mid-stream after being unable to access the gorgeous house in Trin. The apartments were QUITE a different scenario. Ron and I had a studio on the ground floor and Pat and Mike a 3-room apartment up one flight. The entryway of the building was not heated, and the lights were on a timer. The studio had a sleeper sofa of sorts, which we topped with an extra "mattress" (more like a comforter). We moved the coffee table out of the way to make the bed, and used the table for our luggage stand.  In the kitchen area was another small sofa which made into a bed, and so we opened that up as well. It was not what you would call cozy or gemutlich, but it was functional with a Miele dishwasher, cooktop and oven, refrigerator, coffee maker, hot-water pot, toaster. Unfortunately, the ground level apartment had flimsy curtains and did not have rolladen shutters, and there was a street light outside, so it was very bright for sleeping.

Mary's "bed"

Sofa that became Ron's "pallet"

The 3-room apartment did not have enough light in the kitchen (which was the kitchen we all planned to use), but Pat improvised, and brought in a floor lamp from the little office. The other odd thing was that in the living room there was, in addition to two sofas, a hammock and low sofa (futon?).

Hammock and Futon

Sofa, TV opposite Hammock

Ron had read numerous reviews of people saying it was a "great location" and 10-15 minute walk to old city, but we found it rather remote unless using the bus. Believe the reviewers were a younger group of people! We had taken the apartment for one night with the agreement with the owner that if we were comfortable we would stay 5 nights. We all discussed the matter, and even though the apartments were not ideal, we felt it was easier to stay put than to move yet again.

Mike and Ron went off to the grocery store and errands, and I did some laundry in the small European machine in a closet in the unheated hallway. After many years using these machines, it is still hard to understand why they are so different from American machines - not just in size but the fact that they take so long (1-3 hours or more). One thing is that they heat their own water. Pat started to cook our dinner, which she couldn't finish until the guys got back with the groceries. A big batch of chili, which was a good thing on a cold evening.

We had a long day and all wanted to relax, so around 9 PM we went down to our little "nook" with our newspapers, and called it a night. Of course, the dryer was still going on and on - as mentioned, European appliances are very time-consuming.

January 23 - Sunny day on Bodensee

After breakfast, we watched the Federer-Tsonga match (Australian Open). Sun was shining on the lake, but temperatures had tumbled, and it was very cold.

I looked at restaurants in Lindau on-line, and then Ron asked Annett her opinion of some of the highly-reviewed ones. She said their favorite was Valentin, and Harald gave us directions how to find it.  They called and made us a 1 PM reservation. 

We crossed the bridge onto the island of Lindau which is approximately .26 square miles,  and found a parking lot outside the old city walls. We walked to the restaurant Valentin in the pedestrian zone. It was a modern ambiance, minamalist decor - everything white or cream. Waiters all in black. A change from the Bavarian decor. 

Pat's hummer (lobster) bisque

Mary's Parmesan white-wine soup with basil bruschetta

Ron and Mary had spaghettini with garlic and cherry tomatoes

Pat's scrumptious creme brulee

After lunch we walked in the old town pedestrian area. Many beautiful, painted buildings from the 1700's. 

Altes Rathaus

Rear of the Altes Rathaus

Mangenturm - it was a lighthouse in operation from 1180

We walked to the harbor and saw the famous old lighthouse (below) - (from 1753) and the Bavarian lion statue, sitting on a pedestal. It is made of marble and weighs 70-tons. It is apparently facing the Bank of Switzerland, but haven't yet found out the significance of that. It is surprising to all of us that Lindau and Wasserburg are part of Bavaria. Apparently we are just on the edge of Baden-Wurtemburg. 

Harbor at Lindau on Bodensee

We stopped in an adorable cafe/shop for a beverage. The store was decorated with many chandeliers and there were interesting things for sale. Ron and Pat tried on some hats!

We returned to our hotel in Wasserburg for a rest, and then played cards and had a light dinner.

January 22 - Zeppelin Museum

We had a nice breakfast in the hotel including eggs cooked to order.

We set out around 10 AM and drove about 10-miles to Friedrichshafen to the Zeppelin Museum. We drove past dozens of orchards and vineyards. This area is known to have a perfect climate for fruit-growing, and there are over 1,600 commercial growers. The most common crop is apples, but due to foreign competition, apples have not been profitable enough, and the growers are experimenting and supplementing their income with cherries and plums, which are grown on small trees and are easier to pick.

Pat arriving at museum

We first watched a short movie - even though it was only in German it was informative to see the building of the huge airships, the way people of the era were dressed for their journeys, and finally the sad tragedy of the  burning of the Hindenburg on landing in Lakehurst NJ - ultimately the end of the era of the "ships of the sky".

1930's Maybach limo - Maybach engines powered the Zeppelins

Typical luggage and "smoking pouch" of passengers - only allowed 20 KG (about 44 pounds). Passengers could  send 100 more KG free separately on a ship

Mock-up of Hindenburg - lounge area - very modern for its time

The lounge/reading/office area of the Hindenburg

Sleeping compartment in Hindenburg. Upper bed folded up in daytime - there were fold-up wash basins, but the wc's were "down the hall"

Menu and china used on Hindenburg

In that time, the voyage cost about 1,000 Reichs Marks to the US or 1,500 to South America. This was about half the average  annual wage of one of the mechanics employed on the aircraft - in other words, Zeppelin travel was only for the wealthy. It is funny to see the spartan accommodations and no private bath that was accepted by those affluent travelers.

From the museum we walked into the pedestrian zone lined with shops, and found a small Thai restaurant, Bangkok am See, right on the lake. It was very busy, and we had to wait for a table. Prices were extremely reasonable compared to everywhere else we had been. Ron and I had our favorite thom kai gai (chicken coconut soup), Ron had tod mun pla (fried fish cakes), which are difficult to find. For mains I had pad thai (noodles) with chicken and Ron had cuttlefish. Pat had a chicken dish, Mike had duck, and Pat had an interesting fried ice-cream for dessert.

Bodensee (Lake Constance) at Friedrichshafen

Thom Kai Gai 

Tod mun pla (fish cakes)

Pat's fried ice-cream

We had a good time in the restaurant, as we chatted with an Indian couple at the next table. The man said the English had a saying to "Beware of the 4 W's - wine, women, weather and wealth". When they left, he distributed four large chocolate and hazelnut bars to each of us. Another couple also stopped to chat - a German man with Korean wife. They had lived in Korea until medical problems required him to be in Germany. Mike was able to formally greet the Korean lady in her native language.

Mike and Ron went to get the van (as the parking meter was running low), and Pat and I went to an enormous three-story drug store, and she was able to find a magnifying mirror to replace hers that had broken.

We drove beyond Friedrichshafen to the medieval town of Meersburg, where we walked around the Upper Town. It is said the old fortress there dates from the 7th century and is the oldest surviving castle in Germany.

Upper Town - Meersburg

Neckties were hanging everywhere - read it was for Fasching (Carnival)

Neues Schloss (New Palace - built  from 1710-1750)

Alte Burg (Old Castle - from 7th century)

That afternoon we played cards in our room and then ate, again, in the hotel dining room. After the big Thai lunch, all I wanted was an ice-cream dessert. They were grilling steaks and ribs in the open fireplace, but unfortunately, they were already out of ribs - which had sounded good to us.