To Hallstadtt With Apologies to Udine June 27th

I don't usually start my blog with pictures but I thought I needed to today. Last night Udine was just a stop on the way to Hallstastt Austria. But this morning we drove through the city center and found out what a little jewel it was. We wish we had had more time to explore the inner city. But it was croissants and coffee and on to Hallstadtt. The ride through the Austrian mountains was breath taking. Plus they had added a new highway with lots of tunnels since our last trip. Much easier.

At the Austrian border.

 Austrian countryside.

Funicular that runs up to old salt mine in Hallstadtt.

 And about an hour outside of Hallstadtt, we turned on to a two lane road that took us through rural Austria. If not for the pouring rain, it would have been perfect. But that was really the first rain of the trip aside from a few showers here and there.
We get to Hallstastt and call to find out no driving in town at all. But the hotel has a shuttle and parking lot and so by 1:00 PM we are at our hotel. With check in not until 3:00 PM, we go to lunch. We aren't in Italy anymore. But very nice food.

 Deer Goulash with Spetzel and Red Cabbage.

Strange directional signs.

We get in our room, unpack, admire the view and nap.

 Our room. Yellow house. Middle balcony on left.

 Episcopal Church, Hallstadtt, Austria.

Main street in Hallstadtt, Austria

Up at 4:30 PM  and a walk through the town and it is a very small town. Quaint would be the word. After a short walk, we get on the ferry that runs back and forth across the lake to the train station. A cheap way to see Hallstadt from the lake.

 Hallstadtt from the ferry.

Me on the ferry.

 Back to the hotel for coffee and a beer and a late light dinner in our hotel.  Everything is very salty. Now here is where I may offend some people. After being in Italy for so long and all the nice experiences we had with Italians, it is a wake up to see how Austrians or at least the ones in Hallstadtt treat foreigners. The waitresses this afternoon were downright rude to some of the diners. They were OK to us, but very curt to others. While waiting for the ferry, a Korean fell down a ditch because the public bike rack was not secured. He appeared to have lost part of a finger in the accident. One of the Austrians there tried to blame the mishap on the young man.

Scene of accident.

The men who ran the ferry would insult people who asked them the times it ran "You need to get your ears cleaned out" he told one lady when she asked him to repeat it. When some girls had missed the last ferry and thus would miss the last train, his reply was "You need to plan better" No mention of how they could be helped.  I don't remember Austria  being this way before. Hopefully it is just a few isolated instances bunched up together. Now I feel better. Tomorrow is a full day here exploring Hallstadtt. As I close there is thunder and lightning outside and the thunder rumbles through the mountains. What a nice way to fall asleep.