Vorderkaserklamm: A cool crack in the mountain with water running through it!

After Lofer we stopped at theVorderkaserklamm. There are several gorges in our area but I had never been to one until today. The walk to the gorge was also an educational path about orchids. Indeed I found plenty of flowers to take pictures of substantially adding time to our walk, I might add, but who is in a hurry?

Lofer is Cute

Lofer is a cute little town about 30 Km away from Zell am See. When I was a child my parents used to come here because of a Kaufhaus that offered great deals on Geiger Jackets.

There was not a whole lot going on because we arrived between 12 and 2, so everything had closed for a lunch break.

It is a ski town but it offers a good central location for bike riding and wandering as well.

Spaghetti Eis is Awesome

One of our favorite treats from our childhood is Spaghetti Eis. There is something so delicious about the combination of strawberry, sahne, and vanilla ice cream. This one is kind of lame because it is missing the cookie.

Eierschwammerl

A friend of ours gave us a bunch of wild Eierschwammerl that she picked herself. The restaurants are all serving them so I decided to give cooking them a go.
I found a recipe in German for Eierschwammerl Goulash on the internet. In red at the top of the page, it stated, "NEVER EAT MUSHROOMS THAT YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE".
Washing them.
Cooking them.
Eating with spaetzle! YUM!

The Stadt Museum in Zell am See had these antique cards so that children could learn the mushrooms and knew which ones were editable or poisonous. I thought they were interesting and fitting with this post!

Always Something in Salzburg

Salzburg is only a 2 hour train ride away from Zell am See and one of the top tourist destinations in Austria. It is full of history and culture and there are lots of things to see and do, even on a small budget. I usually manage a monthly trip to Salzburg and I always take my visitors!
Festung Hohensalzburg overlooks the city. You can walk up to the fortress or you can take a furnacular. It offers a small museum about the history of the fortress, entrance into some of the rooms, a small puppet museum, a nice view of the city, and a rotating exhibit- the last one I saw was on the WW1 Tyrolian Front.
On the way down from the Festung Hohensalzburg, we made a trip to the old Stiegl Keller. Stiegel beer is from Salzburg.
The gardens outside Schloss Mirabel. I have not been inside Schloss Mirabel yet, but I never miss a stroll through the gardens. A lot of people choose to get married in the palace because it said to have the most lovely State Room in all Austria.
Salzburg has several cathedrals each built in a different architectural styles. Salzburg is most famous for the very well preserved baroque architecture.

Street muscians add to the ambiance. Salzburg is a very musical city, they certainly work their tie to Mozart; the music school is very famous too.

The Mozart connection can almost be overwhelming. Here is Mozart's birth house.

We were scolded by a local "Salzburgerin" for trying a Bosna from this famous and well hidden fast-food gem. She could not understand what we might see in inexpensive greasy goodness that made you smell like curried onions for 3 days.

And last but not least, we discovered the Augustiner Bräu. A lovely beer garden with a market like atmosphere and a "pour your own" mentality... almost considered staying the night in Salzburg!!


It was such a challenge trying to write this post because there is just so much to see and do. This post only represents a fraction of what I have seen there. You are just going to have to go yourself!!

Kitzsteinhorn: Alpine Flowers

Alpine flowers are simply beautiful. I took pictures of a few while on the Kitzsteinhorn. I will have to do some research and edit this post as I discover their names.

Kitzsteinhorn: a Picnic 3000 Meters Above Sealevel

Today we went to the Kitzsteinhorn which is a glacier here in Austria. We had to take 3 cable cars up and at each level the flora and fauna changed. There were various hiking paths, breath-taking scenery, beautiful plant life.
Mom and dad are standing in front of the Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain at 3798 meters above sea level.
Resting on a rock on part of the glacier.
Here we can ski or sled and then go swimming in the lake on the same day. It was interesting to see people from countries like Saudi Arabia enjoy snow for the fist time!

Glacier.




You could walk along the ridge. Remember if you fall, fall head first.

Zell am See from over 3000 meters above.

I had put off exploring the Kitzsteinhorn long enough. Is a wonderful experience!

Ice water from the glacier is good for your circulation. Also, very drinkable.

A Lazy day in Pinzgau

Today we spent a lazy Sunday around Zell am See, enjoying the sunshine and tastes of the region.

The Paragliding World Championship was being held in Zell am See this past weekend. Paragliders would "jump" off the top of the Schmittenhöhe and glide their way down towards the lake. Once they were above the lake they would do tricks for judges and end their performance by trying to land on a little floating target on the lake.


For lunch we took them to my favorite restaurant.Landgasthof Schlosskammer, which is outside Zell am See. Like most places I often frequent, I forgot to take a picture! The Schlosskammer is a little castle that was built in 1582 but is currently a restaurant and hotel. They serve local specialties and use fresh vegetables from their garden. They have a lovely outdoor garden but the inside has traditional character too.


After lunch we went to an Alm on the mountain on the other side of the lake to enjoy some Kaffee und Kuchen(coffee and cake). There is a spectacular view of the mountains and lake, and we could continue to watch the paragliders from a different view.

Hot Pastry of the Day! The Krapfen

I grew up knowing this treat as a Berliner in Germany, but in Bavaria and Austria, they are called Krapfen. It is comparable to a jelly-filled donut in the US, but I would say it is a bit lighter and not as greasy (maybe healthier??...yeah right:)).

These were my favorite as a kid (and are still my favorite... I was so excited I forgot to take a picture before sinking my teeth into this one)! This one had apple flavored jelly, but I have also had them with strawberry, apricot, and raspberry.

Mom and Dad Across the Pond!

We picked them up early at the München Flughafen.

We wasted no time getting to one of my favorite things about Europe...food!! Here Dad is enjoying Weisswurst, traditional Bavarian sausage, with susser Senf and a Bretzel (sweet mustard and pretzel). Usually this sausage is eaten early, sometimes for breakfast!

After a stroll in the Viktualienmarkt, we watched the Rathaus Glockenspielon the Marienplatz. I have seen it so many times and always forget to take a picture!
We wasted no time visiting another popular destination, the Hofbräuhaus.