My friend Asa Jernigan told me some years ago about a beautiful lake near Salzburg he had visited. I tucked that tid-bit of info away in my noggin’ and somehow recalled it earlier this summer. I was scheduled to stay in Salzburg for two nights but a week before the tour commenced we had two additions making our group larger than expected. Short by one room in Salzburg, I decided to look for accommodations in the countryside.
Wolfgangsee is a glacial lake situated about thirty miles south of Salzburg in the region known as Salzkammergut. It is about five miles in length and 370 feet at its deepest point. The settlements around the lake, especially St. Wolfgang and St. Gilgen, are popular resort towns, mainly in summer.
WOLFGANGSEE
view from my balcony
I used bookings.com to locate rooms for my group at a little community outside of St. Wolfgang known as Reid. HAUS WINDHANGER was a wonderful choice! Hemmed in by the lake, the mountains, meadows, and cows, this proved to be a comfortable and peaceful place to stay.
HAUS WINDHANGER
Upon arrival, owner Annemarie met us at the door, showed us our rooms (with balconies and beautiful lake views) and provided a brief introduction to the village, dining options, and walking activities. As we had been driving most of the day, we were ready for some food. Annemarie suggested two guesthouses with restaurants about 500 meters up the road. We donned our jackets and struck off up the road. This pleasant walk took us along the lake with endless views of pastures and cows all framed by the soaring mountains in the distance.
We stopped at the first place we came upon. LEOPOLDHAUS looked like a charming old-styled guesthouse done up in the typical fashion with lots of wood and a clean, spic-and-span atmosphere. We were greeted by the owner, who at first thought we were looking for rooms, which she was ready to put us in! Explaining we’d like dinner, not rooms, our group was seated in a private dining room and served by the owner’s charming daughter. We made an evening of our dining experience! Being carefully guided through the local menu choices by our waitress, we feasted on fresh-caught fish, rich beef, and venison. All this was complemented by traditional salads, local cheeses, potatoes, and of course, local wine. By the end of the evening we had our waitress sitting with us at the table filling us in on her life and what it’s like living out here in this beautiful countryside.
FRESH LAKE CHAR FISH
our waitress and the crew
Crunch-crunch-crunch… the sound of our group walking back up the gravel road to our guesthouse. After that hearty meal, we needed a short “stretch of our legs”to get us moving again. Crunch-crunch-crunch… a dog barks in the distance, a low-pitched horn is heard from a boat on the lake, a cow shakes her head and moos, bells from the goat herd tinkle on the distant hills. We walk in silence taking in the pleasant smells and sounds. Stopping to look at the moon’s reflection off the water, we see the twinkling lights from St. Gilgen on the distant lake shore. Crickets chirp and a wise old owl lets out a series of “hoots”. Crunch-crunch-crunch… off we go to throw open the windows, throw on the down comforters, and listen to the sounds of the night. zzzzzzzz……
Travel Question of the Month – JULY 2014
“I’ve been doing some reading about Italy and there is mention of a dress code for entering some of the churches in Rome. What I read was that women must be wearing long pants or a skirt below their knees and have their shoulders covered. Is there a dress code for any of the places we will be visiting (on our tour in September)?” – Joe from Florida
My Response…
Many churches, especially south of the Alps, require modest dress for men and women. Often you’ll find a “guard” at the door reminding visitors to remove their hats, take no photos, and arrive dressed properly. Bare shoulders and knees usually result in the visitor being turned away at the door. Keep in mind that all over Europe these grand churches were not built as a tourist sight, but as a place for worship.
Some of the major church sights in Italy provide disposable garments which are given to tourists who show up in short shorts, tank tops, and other immodest attire. It is kind of entertaining to watch partially clad tourists don tacky capes and britches to enter these churches. I’ve also seen many people turned away completely at the doors of St. Mark’s in Venice and St. Peter’s in Rome because they do not meet the dress code.
Allowed in – yes or no?
The bottom line here is to dress for the occasion. Europeans, in general, dress up more than Americans. You’ll not find a man wearing shorts unless they are at the seaside or a woman wearing warm-ups or short shorts unless at a workout. So, when traveling in Europe, no matter the season or destination, plan to dress for the locale and the tour plan of the day. Save your shorts and tank tops for the seaside, pool, or mountain hiking.
Last Thursday morning, I walked out the doors of my Paris Sorbonne area hotel to temperatures in the 50’s F. With only one carry-on sized suitcase and a small drawstring backpack, the walk to the Luxembourg RER station was short and pleasant. The Paris Métro is infamous for its lack of elevators and escalators, so walking down the steps to the tracks was relatively easy with my light load. Catching the train at LUXEMBOURG was a good idea because this stop proceeds the busier two stops down the line (St. Michel and Châtelet les Halles). To make the trip even better, a local gentleman advised me to skip the first RER B train and take the next one because it was an “express” which skips all the stops north of Gare Du Nord. So, with my luggage stowed and a seat, I enjoyed a relatively stress-free 35 minute ride to the airport.
PARIS BY TRAIN BLOG
Doing my research, I ran across a blog by Ben Lam called http://parisbytrain.com. Ben does a nice job detailing the RER and Métro systems in and around Paris. From now on, I’ll go here first to seek answers to my Paris transportation questions.
Today, I am in Paris showing my favorite city to several of my new found friends and travel partners. This morning, I’ve had a few minutes to reflect on just how I got the travel “bug” and what drives me to share my passion with others. I’d like to tell you about it…
My Dad (Don McGuffin) taught me at an early age to explore, to see what’s at the end of the road, and around the next corner. One of my earliest memories is staying at home with my Dad one day. I could not have been much older than 3 or 4 years. He was doing some work around the yard and gave me a screwdriver to keep me occupied. I reckon he said something like, “here, take this and go figure out something new.” With that new “toy” I explored a way to use it and gained a new experience as well. I wandered around to the backside of the car and took off the taillight cover, removed the bulbs, and was trying to figure out how to put it back together when my Dad found me. He took a photo of me and the taillight hanging by the wires, then we put it back together.
Later, I recall Daddy taking us on camping trips to the mountains. This was always an adventure to me and my family. I recall driving on dirt roads across the tops of mountains and Appalachian “Bald” hills just to see where the road took us. Often we discovered a new destination or scenic route. One time we took one of those roads and ended up in a rag-tag mountain “community” where everyone looked the same and stuck their heads out of their doors as we (the strangers) quickly tried to find a way out of this pre-“Deliverance” settlement.
I could go on and on with many stories of my travels and explorations with my Dad. They all end the same… we had an experience getting there and made a lifetime of good memories.
As it turns out, I am sure I would not be sitting here in Paris today had in not been for those early experiments, trials, errors, and adventures with my Dad. Thanks Daddy for showing me around and molding me into the man I am today!
Cassidy traveled with David on three of his “educational oriented tours.” Now studying at Clemson University, she’s decided to write about some of her travel adventures. Join Cassidy by subscribing to her periodic posts recounting her travels in Europe with David.Best Regards, David McGuffin
TRAVELER’S TALES – Cassidy’s take on journeys with David McGuffin
David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc. 4036 Hidden Acres Rd. Middleburg, Florida 32068
