My host family, Katelyn (my roommate) and I just had a typical breakfast of wheat bread with jam, butter, or nutella, and fruit. The nutella was a new addition to the table today! As was a fruit smoothie that my host mom whipped up, which contained the grass portion of a wheat stalk! Who knew you could eat that stuff..? It was a light brown color but tasted delicious. Host mom always makes sure we eat healthily. :)
Katelyn and many of my friends are going on an excursion today to the salt mines. A part of me wishes I was going too, but I am thankful for the day to just explore Salzburg a little bit more (especially after getting lost last night...I clearly don't know the city as well as I thought I did. It looks completely different when it is overcast!), and also to rest. I originally passed up the opportunity to save on cash, and now that I am sick I don't think I would have been able to handle four days of excursioning in a row. Tomorrow I am going canyoning. I am absolutely terrified but I've heard it's amazing, so I'm giving it a shot. My goal for today is to rest and drink tons of water so that I wake up tomorrow feeling healthy and ready to go.
Yesterday was in a word: breathtaking.
Literally.
We ran out of breath.
Because we hiked up a freakin' mountain!!
But also the scenery was picturesque.
To all you outdoorsy people: Bear with me. This was my first real hiking experience, so I was a little unprepared. Aka I am in the worst shape of my life thus far, lol.
Okay, let's start from the very beginning. (It's a very good place to start.)
We met bright at early at Salzburg college and then boarded a charter bus. Konrad (our Viennese fearless leader) came on the intercom system and debriefed us for the day. We took off toward the lake region and were almost immediately surrounded by gorgeous mountains.
About half an hour and 20 pages of Divergent later, we reached our destination. We got out and the first thing I notice was a cable car going up to a mountain. After a quick pit stop, we walked towards a little town. This place was so quaint my friend Leann and I broke out into the opening number of Beauty and the Beast for the fortieth time since arriving in Europe. (There are just so many little towns!!)
We proceed to hike all the way around the lake to get to our hiking trail, and the view was just...incredible. I was actually a bit angry at Konrad for not allowing us more time to take photographs. I had never seen anything so gorgeous in my life.
Except for Schloss Neuschwanstein maybe. ;)
When we reached the end of the trail we were greeted by SWANS!
Swans are kind of a big deal in the US, at least in my experience. They are somewhat rare, and so beautiful. I snapped like 10,000 photos of these swans...
Then the actual hike (aka DEATH) began. It was all uphill, at an incline greater than I'd ever attempted on a treadmill at the gym! At one point I got separated from the group as I fell behind the speed demons but was still ahead of the few that formed the caboose, and I just took a second to connect with God in nature. To really absorb the beauty that surrounded me. To appreciate the peace that nature brings. I was very thankful for that moment. I think it might be what I remember most when I reminisce about this hike later in life.
FINALLY we reached the peak where the view was SPECTACULAR.
And then, the descent. Which was fun but allowed for even more separation among our group. A few of the boys used the downhill to their advantage and SPRINTED down. These were the same boys who slid down the steep hill of the fortress a little over twenty-four hours ago.... (*sigh*)
When we reached the end of the hike, the view became even BETTER. The hills looked just like the ones that Maria sings in at the beginning of the Sound of Music. So of course, we took photos. Unfortunately my camera had already died by that point, so I will have to wait to mooch those ones from my friends when they post them on Facebook.
All of us worked up an intense appetite, and could not wait for lunch. It was a two or three minute walk to the farmhouse where food awaited us. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, we got chewed out by a scary German lady for running around in the hills before we made it down there. It's actually kind of funny though, getting reprimanding when you don't understand the language. Their frustration intensifies, and you just stand there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say or do. These are my cultural observations, lol!
Lunch was delicious. On the tables there were giant slabs of...tree. It looked like bark on the underside, and smooth wood on the top where the food was. There was all kinds of meet and cheese on this board, surrounded by a few vegetables (tomatoes, radishes and peppers), potato salad, and condiments (butter and horseradish spread). To accompany all of this was wheat bread, which was so soft and spongey!
I went to wash my hands and by the time I came back most of the platter was empty. I then realized that I had chosen to sit at a table of mostly BOYS! Struggle. Thankfully Konrad noticed that all of our food was gone in the first five minutes and nicely asked the waitresses if we could have more, and shortly it arrived. In the meantime I mooched off of the table behind me--my friend Kasey provided a piece of salami and goat cheese. To drink there was water, but also a special syrup--elderberry! I had just gotten some elderberry cough drops at the grocery store the previous day, so it was cool to see the fruit pop up again! And it is SO GOOD.
Our next stop was the adorable town of Halstatt. On the way, we passed through , where Brahams and other famous people vacationed! Very cool.
Halstatt stole my heart almost immediately. Tiny, quaint, and full of tourists, this stop is definitely one of the highlights of the entire trip so far for me. I will just let this picture speak for itself:
Right before jumping back on the bus my friend John and I decided that we need something to satisfy our sweet teeth (even though we had gelato less than hour ago...whoops). We ran into a cute bakery and quickly decided to get two different things and split them. I chose the last apple strudel and he selected a chocolate cherry cake. We made it back to the bus with a minute or two to spare, and happily munched on our pastries which were DELICIOUS. It may be a bit pathetic but the amazing food is enough reason to make me consider moving to Austria.
Speaking of food, dinner with my host family is definitely one of my favorite parts of every day. We usually have a traditional Austrian dinner on the weeknights, which consists of meat, cheese and bread. Because my host mom has a green thumb and enjoys eating healthily, we usually have fresh-picked salad too. Twice in this first week though we have been treated to exceptional meals; the first, barbecued chicken and asparagus and tonight, spaghetti with a cream sauce that had asparagus and bacon. Both times we were indulged with dessert too; the first being chopped fruit with yogurt and sherbet, and tonight rhubarb sponge cake. I am thankful that I walk a lot in the city otherwise I wold have gained at least 5 pounds! ;)
Also, we enjoy the company of the two children for the meal, but soon they are ready to hop up from the table and resume playing or if it is a Friday night, watch TV. This gives my host parents time alone with Katelyn and I. They are intellectual and humanitarian people, so we always have interesting discussions. Sometimes we compare and contrast our cultures, sharing details and stories. Other times we talk briefly about our days. I know that this time in the evening, sipping on champagne with my host parents, will definitely be something that I miss greatly.
It was wonderful to have a rather relaxing day in Salzburg, as tomorrow I will be embarking on a bit of a crazy adventure--CANYONING! I have heard it is amazing, a must-do, if you will. I am definitely terrified, but it's nothing that prayer and encouragement can't get me through! Hear my cry, Lord! Lol.
OH! I don't know how I forgot until the end, but ALSO, this morning began with observing a rehearsal of the Mozarteum symphony orchestra. I don't know what to say other than that it was the most heavenly music I have ever heard. The blend of the strings was flawless. The sound was so incredibly warm. Music in heaven will be something like that, I'm sure.
Also, we witnessed some drama because one of the singers was under the weather and the violins were upset that they couldn't hear him. Poor baritone, I felt his pain. Being sick is no fun. As I described to Hannah, it is like your voice is trapped in a glass box, banging on the walls screaming hoarsely, "Let me out!!" It is frustrating when you want to do a good job and your body simply won't let you. Athletes with injuries feel the exact same way, I'm sure.
Thanks so much for reading. Hope you are doing well where ever you are. :)
Gute Nacht,
Princess Samantha
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