Land der Berge, Land am Strome

My whole family set off for Austria on the morning of the 23rd of July. The trip, which took about eight hours in our rented minivan, was not nearly as tiresome as it might have been. We were, as I recall, all in good humour (which is very important under such circumstances). Even if it was rather cramped, we had plenty of snacks to eat, and we were kept pleasantly cool by the air conditioning. That the air conditioning was a blessing was evident every time we stopped the car (usually at rest stops or gas stations along the highway).

Due to the season and our high speeds on the highway, many insects and (regrettably) a small bird met their doom that day. We, fortunately, did not, but arrived safely at our destination: the Schuastahäusl in Bad Goisern, which was to be our home during our stay.


(The small figure under the veranda is my youngest brother playing the mandolin.)

I hadn't really formed any expectations, but I was very pleasantly surprised by our accommodations. The cottage -- which we had all to ourselves* -- was very neat, clean, and simple. Apart from two bedrooms (with fifteen beds!) on the upper floor, there was a small kitchen and dining area on the ground floor, where we had breakfast every morning.

On Friday, the day after our arrival, my mother, my siblings and I set off for a nearby mountain (in the background of the following photo).


(This time, the figure in the photo is my middle brother, shuffling cards under the veranda.)

My father brought us part-way up the mountain in the car, so that we wouldn't be exhausted before the real hike began. Due to some difficulties in finding the correct road up the mountain (and related confusion), I was not in the best of moods when we left the car. Walking uphill in warm weather did little to improve my spirits, so my poor siblings and mother had to deal with a whiny and grumpy companion.

Fortunately, I was not so ill-tempered the whole time. When we reached the Ewige Wand, a path cut into the rock face, interrupted by dark tunnels and affording a lovely view of the valley and surrounding mountains, I was quite as light-hearted as my siblings. It was then that I first felt that the dreary trudging had been worthwhile.

Farther up the mountain we had some trouble following the path, due to a lack of clear signs (or, indeed, any signs). We lost our way twice, and thought at one point that a disappointingly unspectacular bit of rock surrounded by trees was the peak (it seemed to be higher up than its environs, and there was a sign of some kind painted on the rock).

We were, of course, mistaken. After meeting a pair of fellow wanderers, we pressed on and eventually found our way to the true Predigstuhl peak (1278 m), which was anything but a disappointment.


The following photo was taken by my eldest brother, and includes a view of the Hallstätter See.


We didn't linger on the peak as long as I would have liked to, but we had a chance to rest, drink some water, and eat some candies.

The way down was steeper than the way up, and we were all in good spirits. The sudden profusion of signs was amusing, considering the fact that the way was pretty clear anyway. There weren't as many ants either; on the way up, the ground was often teeming with them (I'm afraid quite a few unavoidably joined their highway insect brethren in heaven).

It was only when we arrived at a gravel road, which later turned into an asphalt road, that the way down began to be tedious. There is something very draining and unnecessary about going down a mountain in the bright sun on a road which is clearly meant for cars.

Well, we reached the town and our waiting cottage eventually -- to be precise, around 4:00 in the afternoon, some six hours after our departure. Two of my brothers openly and proudly declared that they hadn't found the hike tiring, but I certainly had. The next day and the day after that, I amused myself by saying "ow, ow, ow" (or equivalents) when getting up, going down stairs, etc.

As I've told those who have asked, it was a very worthwhile experience, but one that I will never repeat. :o)

Since a complete account of our time in Austria would take too long (and I'm sure my hermit friend will do a better job of it anyway), I'll skip to our walk on Sunday. We spent most of that day at the family reunion in Rindbach, meeting relatives on my paternal grandfather's side of the family, listening to music, looking at old photo albums and guest books, eating and drinking, etc.

In the afternoon, we went on a fifteen-minute (or so) walk to the Rindbach waterfall (the photo doesn't do it justice, but it's the best I could find among the ones I took).


There had been some mention of going to the Gasselhöhle (a limestone cave, complete with stalactites and stalagmites) as well, but it would have taken two and a half hours to get there, and few of us were inclined to go on another long hike so soon.


So we contented ourselves with the waterfall. My youngest brother sketched the scenery, and the rest of us hung about, took photos, and explored as we wished.


We stayed in Rindbach well into the evening. As it got darker, one group stayed outside under the stars, drinking wine, chatting, and probably being bitten by mosquitoes. Another group went inside to listen to a spontaneous live performance (sight-reading) of Haydn trios and Mozart quartets. It's really a wonderful thing to have people in the family who can play instruments and, above all, who can sight-read fluently. As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, it is a joy to discover new pieces and play together, and it's almost as nice to listen as others do so.

We headed home the next day. The way back was less enjoyable, because I was tired and the car was too uncomfortable to allow for proper naps. It was past 1:00 in the morning when we finally arrived at our apartment. Strangely (but not unexpectedly), I was immediately awake again, and stayed up much of the night, rather than going to sleep directly (as I ought to have).

I was occupied, among other things, by my exam results (ordered from worst to best):

ALP II (4,0): Well, at least I passed, and (as aforementioned) I'll have a chance to do better at the Nachklausur. Besides, the final mark is influenced by our participation in the tutorials, so it shouldn't be too horrible in any case.

TI II (2,7): I was actually somewhat positively surprised by this mark, even though it isn't very good at all.

GTI (1,7): Greatest disappointment! But I believe I've already discussed this sufficiently. :o)

Lineare Algebra II (1,0): Hurrah! \o/

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* "ourselves" includes my family of seven as well as my uncle, who also stayed at the cottage