Exploridust: Hallstatt

Well, we have had our fair share of adventures here in Austria. Our evening on the deck back in Kitzbuhel was very pleasant. I can only imagine what Kitzbuhel would be like in the winter. I am sure it would be bustling with ski and snowboarding enthusiasts. The day we spent hiking up on the mountain was the first day we didn't use our Eurail pass since we activated it. We have been making good use of it.

In the morning, we arrived at the station early not to miss our train. There is a car show this weekend in Kitzbuhel so the town was revving with nice cars both old and new everywhere you looked. At the station, we were confused because the train we wanted didn't show on the departure screen. So, we planned out a new route and waited. The train kept getting delayed so we picked up some groceries. Peaches were on sale and we got 16 small ones for just 1.24 euro! Just after finally boarding the train, we realized that there was two train stations in Kitzbuhel and we had been at the wrong one for our earlier train. O well, we are still only beginning to learn the ropes of train travel and in the end, things worked out marvelously.

Due to flooding, our 2 train ride trip turned into 7 train rides, 4 bus rides, and 2 Taxi buses. Everything was covered by the Eurail pass and the scenery again was stunning. The Austrians were very helpful in getting us to our destinations. The flooding presented many obstacles but the transportation system was amazing despite. They just replaced trains with buses where the tracks could not be used. They ushered people all over the country very efficiently.

We arrived in Hallstatt around 5:30. It was magnificent. I had dreamed of going to Hallstatt for many years and it was so worth all the hours of travel to make it out there. There were swans on the lake and it was twilight. A perfect combination for photographing the lovely Austrian mountain town by the lake. We had a lovely evening there.

By ten, we were in Bad Ischl where we soon located our hostel. It was very nice almost like a hotel. We were able to spend extra time washing up so we are feeling nice and refreshed. The breakfast this morning was very good. Today, we are heading North to Salzburg where the Von Trap family in the Sound of Music lived. Hopefully, we can find some of the places where they filmed the movie. Tomorrow, we hope to tour Hallien salt mine.

The weather has been very warm and we have been having a great time. We have been traveling together for 13 days and over half way done with our first leg of the backpacking trip. Hopefully, our travels will continue to go well as they have been! We have been thinking and talking about pretty much all our family and friends back home! Kasey you are especially missed! Kari and I constantly talk of you and your humor! We look forward to reuniting with loved ones:)