New Year's week

After writing my last blog entry I donned my snowsuit and boots and headed out for a hike in the mountains behind the hotel. A small road led from the hotel, past the onion-towered church toward the mountain, offering access to the homes scattered around the outskirts of St Ulrich. The paved road soon became a dirt road that snaked its way up the face of the mountain. From there I was able to take my pick of walking trails, which were more like sets of footprints and cross-country ski tracks in the deep snow. Within an hour of leaving the hotel I found myself on a plateau towering over the valley that housed St Ulrich and a neighbouring small town. In every direction I looked I could see mountain vistas with drastic peaks, deep valleys and glimmering snow. I left the switchback trail that snaked its way up the mountain and opted for the more direct approach; straight up. I was on a clear rocky face, although with the metre or two of snow, it looked more like I was hiking up a steep cloud with billowing marshmallow pillows jutting out from it. It was hard work, but worth the payoff in more ways than one. At the top of this clearing (pictured to the left... the largest non-treed area around the mid-mountain point) I had the best view I would get, especially since the sun was moving behind a peak ensuring my face of the mountain would be engulfed in shadows for the rest of the day. And it was only 2:30pm. But it was worth it. It was worth the sweat I had worked up and it was worth the risk of sore muscles the next day. The view was breathtaking. But to be fair, the view and being out in nature was only half my motivation for this trek. The other reason I had gone to all this effort was borne from my inner child; I was planning on surfing down this mountain on my ass!

Once on the mountain, seeing how steep it was and with all the bumps caused by the boulders below the snow, I was a little apprehensive about using my body as a toboggan. But I had come this far and was determined to try it, at least for part of the way. Somehow the idea of taking a video of it fuelled my desire as I would have a record of my success or defeat; something to marvel at or laugh at.
It was a little bumpy, but I made it down the steep top face of the mountain without any injury or trouble. You can see the amusing video of it here.

I walked as little as I could, seeking out the best way to get from the top back to the hotel using the smooth surface of my snowsuit and gravity. It was a blast and it reduced the time it took for my descent drastically. It took an hour to get up and a half hour to get back down.

Upon arriving back at the hotel I stripped off my wet clothes and headed straight for the steam room. It was heavenly. At 2:30pm I had been on the top of a cold mountain and by 3:30pm I was relaxing in the hot comfort of the spa. This day was one of the highlights of my trip.

At supper we met up with the rest of our group. We all did out own things during the day and had breakfast and dinner together. Then afterwards, we retired to one of the bars to have some drinks, play games and talk.

Nina’s sister, Daniela, and her family had gone tobogganing for the day. Unlike me, they used real toboggans and their day sounded incredible. They told us about a hill where they send you to the top on a rope-tow and you have a 2.6 kilometre trail dedicated for toboggans, no worrying about sharing space with skiers and snowboarders. I was in, we had to try this!

Tuesday was a day I had been looking forward to as well; our day in Salzburg. In the morning we made the 50 kilometre drive with Nina’s parents. Her father spent his school days in Salzburg was interested in spending the day there. Nina’s mother was interested in the shopping the city afforded. We split up and decided to meet back in a few hours.

Nina and I headed for the fort on the top of one of the surrounding hills. Salzburg’s layout is a little unique. There is a small mountain that passes through the city. On one side is downtown (which is surrounded by mountains on most sides) and on the other side is the outskirts of the city where the industry and airport are located. A tunnel slices through the mountain connecting the two sides. Ingeniously they have hollowed out a portion of the mountain and it is now the main parking structure for the downtown region.

The old fort was the highest point in town and seemed like a good starting point. It was also old Charlemagne’s stomping ground (he founded Aachen after all) and had been built between the 1100 and 1400s. After Rome, Salzburg is one of the most important cities for the Roman Catholics which explained why it is a city of cathedrals and churches. The skyline is dominated by spears and towers. We walked into the old town centre and visited 3 impressive churches within a 100 metre radius of each other.

Outside of the one of these churches was a farmer’s market in a small square. On the opposite side of the square was the house Mozart was born in. It now houses a museum, restaurant and café. This seemed like a perfect place to stop for a hot chocolate break. Who knows, perhaps we were sipping our warm drinks in the very location where Mozart popped into the world.

We left Mozart House and walked through the market. The smell of the fresh pretzel stand led Nina right to it. Unlike in Canada where a pretzel is a stale cracker-like substance littered with kernels of salt, here it is a bread product served either sweet or savoury. Nina opted for a savoury one while I was more intrigued by the chocolate variety.

Before coming to Austria I had been told I had to try Mozartkugeln. This local speciality is a chocolate sphere filled with nougat, pistachio and marzipan. There are many different shops selling it, but we opted for a real sweets shop that sold the original variety.

We found the main shopping street which was a zoo of people. On both sides of this pedestrian alley were brand name stores of all varieties, including some smaller one-off shops. This region of Europe seems to have a certain elegance in the way it does things. Homes and hotels are painted with the decoration on the outside. Attention to aesthetics is evident in everything, including shop signage. Here I saw the most elegant McDonald’s sign ever… you would almost think this is a place worth eating in (sign above the white and orange balloons).

We met up with Nina’s parents in a restaurant by the river that snakes through the middle of the city. It separates the old city from the “new” which is still very old by Canadian standards. Nina and her parents wanted to do some shopping together which afforded me one of my great pleasures; exploring a new city on my own. I didn’t have a map, but for the first time, I felt I didn’t need one. Salzburg’s downtown is compact and has so many landmarks between the fort that towers over the city and the multiple church spears, all unique in shape and size. I knew I would be able to find my way back to our meeting point.

With New Year’s Eve less than 35 hours away, the largest square outside the main cathedral was being transformed into an outdoor party scene. Stages, kiosks and food and drink stands were being set up. Some were already operational, so I indulged in a cup of Glühwein (spiced hot wine). I strolled the streets and came across a small shop that distils its own schnapps and liquors. I went in and it was a zoo of people. The tiny shop was chalk full as it also appeared to be a wine bar. I was immediately greeted by one of the shop keepers who informed me I could sample anything they offered as she handed me a long list of all their home-made alcohols. I looked over the list and told her I liked the look of the mocha liqueur. She took the bottle off the shelf for me to inspect. As I looked it over she returned with a shot glass, half full and a small glass of water. It tasked quite nice, but I still wasn’t sure. She urged me to return to the list. A moment later she returned and asked me for my next selection which was chocolate and nut. A few moments later I had a new shot glass in front of me. This one was much better than the first.

Beside me was an Austrian couple who found my surprise at the shop’s sales process quite amusing. I didn’t know if they would understand me so I didn’t explain to them that in Canada Costco offers samples, not the local liquor store.

The sales woman returned again and asked if I wanted anything else. I told her I was interested in a digestive to enjoy after a meal. She asked about the sweetness, so I chose semi-sweet. She placed a bottle of herbal schnapps on the counter and returned with another shot glass. I enjoyed it, almost as much as the process in general. After a Glühwein and 3 half shots in the space of about 20 minutes, pretty much anything would have made me happy at that moment. I bought my two bottles and left to meet Nina and her parents.

Wednesday was the last day of the year. The hotel had a big night planned so we decided to take it easy during the day. Nina requires a lot more sleep than I do and indulged in a mid-afternoon nap. It was usually the best time of the day to sleep as the mornings were brutal. On average, I was woken up between 7:00 – 8:00am every day with the sound of dogs barking or kids shrieking and running around. Even with earplugs, I found it less than relaxing.

I went to the spa everyday, taking advantage of the steam room and dry sauna. Also, as previously mentioned, it was the one place where children were not allowed. That being said, on a few occasions parents did bring their children in. Nein kinder! I shouted at top volume inside my head. One shrieky little girl was so annoying, I went out into the hall, took the sign off the wall informing of the 16 year age restriction and brought it back in with me. I walked up to the mother, showed her the sign and said nein kinder bitter (no children please). She responded in German which went right over my head. I returned the sign to the wall outside and when I came back in, the mother and child were gone. I couldn’t get peace and quiet (distance from the sounds of children screaming) while eating in the dining room, hanging out in the lounge, bar or even my room. So I was very protective of the one place where they were verboten.

A gala dinner was planned for New Year’s Eve. We were instructed to be at our table at 6:30pm for cocktails as dinner would start promptly at 7pm. A 5 course dinner was on the agenda, but as the dining room was fairly understaffed, the front desk employees were helping out.

The dining room sat around 350 people. Although we were at table #1, we were the very last table served for each course. At 9pm, we had only been served the 3rd course (soup, tiger prawn then sorbet) with the main entrée and desert still to come. By 10:30pm we were finally done, full but frustrated. A four hour dinner is a lot for adults, so you can imagine what the children were like. And let me remind you, at least 150 of the 200 occupants of this room were children under the age of seven.

At the bar the festivities continued. Nina and I bought a cheap bottle of dolce sparkling wine while her parents had a more expensive dry bottle. I suppose the more you pay the less the chance your wine smells like sweet cat pee. Like a good cheese, the smell and taste were quite different which helped us drink our bottle.

At 11:15pm we went back to our room because it seems a great injustice had occurred; I had never seen Dinner for One. This old English skit was so popular with Germans as a New Year’s tradition. Nina’s parents declared, on a few occasions, that I am not British if I have not seen this show. Watching it wasn’t optional. It finished 15 minutes before midnight, so we rejoined the rest of Nina’s family who had gathered outside with the rest of the hotel guests.

When the chamber maids had cleaned the rooms that day, they left a paper lantern. We had all been asked to bring these Wish Lanterns outside with us at midnight. We lit the candle at the bottom and waited for the lantern to fill with warm air. Working on the same principal as a hot air balloon, they rise when the air temperature inside is higher than that outside. Claiming to reach a height of up to 500 metres, we let ours go as the sky filled with light from the dozens of other lanterns drifting through the night sky. At midnight a fireworks display went off from the hotel parking lot. The colours in the sky accented by the flickering lanterns getting smaller and smaller was very cool. As each firework went off, in that instant, you could see the mountains towering around us before the night sky became dark again. I have found New Year’s Eve can be a bit of a let down, but this year it wasn’t.

I have a sneaking suspicion the chef of the hotel has been reading my blog. Immediately after posting my last edition the food noticeably improved. First of all, table service ceased and every night we had a buffet (with the exception of New Year’s Eve). This was a great idea because it was taking way too long to be served. They were clearly understaffed. Although I will say, we were there for eight nights and we had the exact same server for every single meal; breakfast, tea and supper, every day.

On our second-to-last dinner I asked for a water glass and the one she brought me was filthy. She returned with a replacement, although upon inspection, it was gross too. When I told her it was dirty she barked at me “No, this is just from my fingers!” In what 4 star hotel (or even 2 star for that matter) is that a reasonable excuse? I pointed out that the dark grime was on the inside of the glass, affixed to the orange pulp that had not washed out. She grabbed it from me and returned with a clean glass. I suppose working night and day for over a week without a day off took its toll on her.

New Year’s Day we went to the toboggan hill with Nina’s sister and her kids. We brought our tickets, picked out toboggans and got in line for the rope tow. You place your toboggan on the ground, get on it and the attendant attaches the T-bar to the front of the toboggan as it pulls you up the mountain. This may sound like a fun way to go up, but it was hard work. You really have to hold on tightly as the front end frequently bucks up on the steeper sections of the mountain. By the time you reach the top your knuckles are white.

The person who designed this toboggan run must have had a twisted sense of humour. It’s 2.6 kilometres of steep hills, narrow passages through the forest and tight corners. The toboggans had a break, but no steering mechanism. Shifting body weight, feet and hands were the only means of retaining any form of control. Of course, the long steep sections allowed for some intense speed at which point holding on, screaming and hoping to high-hell you continue in a straight line also worked effectively well. After a few runs we retired to the chalet for hot chocolate and lunch before going back out again.

New Year’s Day also brought about a change in the weather. We had had blue skies and sunshine from Sunday through Wednesday, but on Thursday the low-lying clouds emerged, bringing with it another blanket of snow.

On Friday the clouds persisted but the snow had stopped. Across the road from the hotel was a lake surrounded by forest on one side and rolling hills that merged with the base of the mountains on the other. As Nina had a quiet afternoon of reading and napping, I walked around the lake. Somewhere around the halfway point a log cabin emerged alongside the trail. This small chalet served homemade snacks and warm drinks with seating for a few dozen people. I enjoyed a glass of Glühwein and a piece of apple strudel that had been baked earlier that day. It was heavenly.

That night a farmer’s market was being set up in one of the large rooms off the lobby. There you could buy artisan breads, homemade coats and sweaters, cured meats, homemade wines and spirits. Luckily for us, one vendor was selling honey wine. We bought one bottle of that plus a bottle of honey liqueur to enjoy next weekend for our 2 year anniversary.

Saturday was our last day, so I went for another final walk around the lake, taking my last look at the Alps. I also planned my trip so I would reach the chalet around lunch time. I enjoyed their homemade goulash, strudel and Glühwein. The weather had cleared up, the sunshine was back and I sat outside amongst the snow enjoying the alpine scenery. It was a fine way to spend my last day in Austria.

I went back to the hotel and discovered there was a second relaxation room, disjointed from the spa. This one boasted an infrared chamber. You sit inside the birch container with your back leaning against a slot in the wall where the infrared light comes from. The light on the ceiling had 5 different coloured gels you could pick from depending on the mood you wanted to set. I opted for blue which promoted relaxation and deep sleep. I sat in the quiet room with the blue hue emitting enough light to read. The infrared light, which ran the length of my spine slowly heated up. The temperature in the room always remained around 25 degrees, but after about 15 minutes I could feel the heat on my back and started to sweat. I had enough after about a half hour. The gradual increase in heat and relaxing atmosphere of the room made for an interested effect. I went to the steam room afterwards and enjoyed what I thought would be a relaxing afternoon in the spa.

As most of the guests were booked from Saturday to Saturday, I thought the spa would be quiet as it would be the limbo time between the old guests leaving and the new ones arriving. Clothed people paraded through the spa, checking it out or lost trying to find the pool. As the spa is nude (typical in Germany/Austria) clothed people traipsing through is the last thing I wanted. While showering in the communal spa shower, a clothed family of 3 walked in, came right up to me in the shower and asked me for directions! I couldn’t believe it.

We decided to stay an extra night to avoid the mass exodus of German travellers heading back home. This was a smart decision as the drove home on Sunday was almost 2 ½ hours shorter than the drive to the resort the previous week.

As we were checking out one of the front-desk staff asked us how we liked our stay. We were lukewarm in our answer and attested it to the fact that kids were everywhere, at all times and unavoidable. His response was “well, this is a family hotel.” That prompted me to head back to their website, which I scoured, and nowhere on it, anywhere, is it inferred at all that it is a family hotel. In fact, the photographs and tone give the opposite impression. Had I been paying the bill, I would have been livid. I really felt what we received and what they had promoted was a world apart. So with that, we left the Chuck E Cheese Hotel.

As we left Austria the snow slowly disappeared, which I was OK with. I enjoyed it for a week, but was happy to get back to “normal” weather. As we arrived back at Nina’s place, the temperature was hovering around zero. When we woke up this morning, we were a little surprised to see 10 cm of snow! So I postponed my trip home and enjoyed another day of vacation.