The Hills are Alive

with the Sound of Music?

FRIDAY
First came school and then a 6-hour trip to Westendorf, Österreich (Tirol!). Whew – a full day. Luckily, the Pension Eichenheim is wonderful, clean, and comfortable. We have 2 rooms both with balconies, bathrooms, and breakfast. The rain has followed us here but will hopefully let up tomorrow.

Oh, and so as not to forget – M sharpened so many colored pencils in the Kindergarten today she actually got a blister!

SATURDAY
After a delicious breakfast with Uli und Miri here at our Pension, we began our adventure. First stop was to visit Jumper, their Pferd, and take him spazieren. The kids got to help get him ready (brush, clean hooves, put on shoes, saddle, reins, etc) and then we took them out and about. M got to lead Jumper while A rode him and then they traded places. Even S went for a ride when we returned to the stable!

Next stop was a ride up the Alpenrosenbahn in Westendorf to the Bergstation Talkaser where we ate lunch followed by a Wandernung to ice cream ?. Destination was the Gasthof Brechhornhaus, about an hour away, and then the Kreuzjöchlsee, which had crystal clear water! And ice cold. We got a bit misdirected on the way back and found ourselves walking straight down the mountain in a cow field (read NO path). The earth was soaked with water, like walking on a sponge, so our shoes got wet. S tore his shorts climbing over barbed wire but D found 2€! We then realized we had to hurry or we would miss the last gondola down.  Even as the herd of cows tried to block our path, we made it back in time.

Oma and Opa even made the trip here from Deutschland and we met for dinner at Restaurant Giardino in Kirchberg. Tomorrow, we will climb another mountain!

SONTAG
After breakfast together, we realized the weather might not hold so we went with Plan B. Instead of another mountain, we toured Schloss Tratzberg in Jenbach. It was just a 10-minute walk straight uphill and a 5-minute tram ride down. After a long wait we ate our quick lunch at Schlosswirt Tratzberg before our 5-hour drive back.