(in about 50 Words Per Day!)
May 27: Joey up before 6:00 – walked 25 minutes in the rain to train station. Met DoD on time at Munich airport – relief! Rented Mercedes (!) from EuropCar after Budget lost reservation. Drove to Brannenburg. Ate lunch, walked into town, had coffee, took pictures, walked back to hotel, ate dinner. Admired the view!
May 28: A gray day. Breakfast, then off to Rottach-Egern am Tegernsee where authors Ludwig Thoma and Ludwig Ganghofer lived and are buried. Made pilgrimage to Thoma house, now a private home. Lunch, then on to the Ennstal! DoD safely ensconced in Glitschnerhof – a working farm. Soup and salad at Im Dörfl.
May 29: Early sun. Coffee in Aigen. Spent the morning in Pürgg visiting church and chapel with 11th-13th c. frescoes – Beautiful, but cold and windy! Lunch in Aigen after rain began. Joey tutored some folks in English, then her friends joined us for dinner at Im Dörfl, a 19th c. style inn.
May 30: Another gray day. Coffee in Aigen. Early start to author Peter Rosegger's stomping grounds. Lunch in Krieglach. Curator of country house remembered us from four years ago. Rainy and cold visit to the church and cemetery in St. Kathrein. Lots of slugs! Fabulous dinner in Alpl. Slept with the heat on!
May 31: 35º F! Climbed 1.8 km (600 m!) to Rosegger's birthplace; sun burned off lingering fog. Visited Rosegger school. Paid respects at Rosegger's grave. Returned to Ennstal, ate ice cream. Walked around Putterer Lake. Saw ruins of St. Aegydius church. Drove Mercedes on cowpath high above Donnersbach in vain search for food.
June 1: Rain in the morning. Coffee in Aigen. Friend Brigitte led tour through Trautenfels Palace – natural and social history of Ennstal in one cool building! Special exhibit on birds. Lunch at fish restaurant. Coffee with friend Sigi in Irdning. Dinner in Pürgg at Krenn, a very cosy inn with a view!
June 2: Our day in Admont, which boasts the largest monastery library in the world. Adding to the newly refurbished library frescoes, goldleaf and sculptures, is a special exhibition of manuscripts, some dating to the 11th century. Back to Irdning so Joey could tutor, then dinner at the fish restaurant with colleague Bernhard.
June 3: Visited Joey's school and met her colleagues. Joey tutored until 1:00 pm. Lunch in Stainach. Drove to Bad Aussee, the geographical center of Austria,marked with a giant Mercedes symbol. DoD bought Austrian jacket. Then to Wörschach where we toured the Wolkenstein ruins with Sigi. Dinner in Wörschach, house platter for three!
June 4: Late start. Leisurely coffee in Stainach. Visited Joey's school again. Friend and colleague Ingrid led us on a car chase to Öblarn where we met friend and colleague Theresia and husband for lunch, followed by a private tour of author Paula Grogger's house. Coffee at Ingrid's. Fabulous dinner at Brigitte's.
June 5: Bad Ischl – toured imperial gardens, ate at Zauner Restaurant AND Zauner cafe, which existed at Franz Josef's time. Paid homage to Franz Lehar at his former villa. Dinner at the Knödelalm with Irene and Rob. Dumplings filled with cracklins or spinach as entree, and with jam or chocolate for dessert!
June 6: Left Glitschnerhof mid-morning and set off to Radstadt in search of Roman milestones – which we missed :-( Had great lunch in Radstadt then drove to Munich to drop off Mercedes. Ate at sketchy inn where the proprietor looked like Mr. Allnut from the African Queen. Overnight accommodations in Schwaig.
June 7: Dawn broke at about 4:30 am. Joey escorted DoD to airport at 7:00 am and poured him onto the plane. Joey proceeded to Ennstal, and further to Salzkammergut where she attended a rehearsal of IRISHSteirisch and embarked on a short Austrian journalism career. Dad arrived safely in Moline at 5:05 CDT.
DoD,
Herzlichen Dank
für die wunderschönen Tage im Ennstal!
Alles liebe, Joey
