DONNER STAG!!!

Moving on from the Austrian lake district so thought I'd throw out another update. Actually we're early for a tour and trying to kill time and sick of talking to each other you know. Haha. Thanks for the spirited comments, sounds like many of you would like see some pics. Well too bad for now all ya get is my rambling on and on and on... Actually we forgot the USB cable in the room but I'll try to get some pics up next time.

And the story continues...

At the last post we were stuck for a day in Salzburg sitting out on the main town square sipping wine, pounding the 1L beers, and eating icecream. Well some smart dude once said the more things change the more they stay the same. Monday morning we got our rental car from Europcar, they didn't have the budget little VW Pogo we rented online so can you say FREE upgrade to a Skoda Octavia wagon. I think Megan mentioned something about naming our first born Octavia now. Skoda is actually a Czech manufacturer that VW bought, it is know for producing really crappy cars but since VW bought them they are now know for producing better looking crappy cars. The car was a stick shift and in the parking lot I immediately turned the key on with the stick in gear and my foot was not on the cluch. Needless to say some of the Europcar workers were laughing the manager was a bit frightened. He was much happier when we brought the car back in one place. Although I would recommend he checks out the clutch I killed that one.

Off to the lakes in the Skoda. We hit the first once Fussen I think its called and decided to have a quick picnic lunch there on the beach. There was a nice little beach club with kids and famlies just chilling. Good spot to take a quick dip and have lunch. First topless Euro beach siting not bad either. Just one person on the whole beach which is kinda odd i thought usually either the whole beach was topless or nobody was but to have just one weird. Anyway after lunch of course we needed an icecream, I went for the magnum great choice. As we're sitting there eating our ice cream a military helicopter makes a loop over our head. It comes in for a second loop and this time swoops down real close over our heads, all the parents and kids stand up and get excited. I think hmm nice marketing tactic, I bet more than a few kids go home today wanting to be a chopper pilot. Then I look over at Megan and she's clutching the table ghostly white. Apparently as the chopper was coming at us she first thought it was going to crash on top of us and was trying to figure out whether to scream and warn everyone or dive under the picnic table or start running. Then she thought it might gun down everyone on the beach. HAHAHHAHAHA. Oh man too funny.

After lunch we took off for our final destination Hallstat one of Rick Steeves famous European Back Doors. Thanks M-Torrie for the reminder to go there too!! I'll have to send pics on this one for sure cause there is no way to describe this little Austrian village literally built into a hillside. We stayed in a 3rd floor room at a place right on the lake finally one with our own bathroom all for about $70 a night. The also had a little lawn area where we could lay out and take a dip in the frigid mountain lake. Hallstat is know for their Salt mine, we took the funicular ride up to the mine and the tour of the mine. Not the greatest but kinda interesting. We also did a cable car ride up another mountain and toured and ice cave, rented a paddle boat. One night they had a traditional concert in the square. All the towns people came out in their traditional garb and a fiddle, bass, guitar, and accordian quartet entertained us. Funny cause they didn't play on a stage they just sat at one of the tables like everyone else and drank beers like everyone else between songs. Cool though.

The highlight of the lakes though had to have been the summer tabagon at lake Wolfgang. Imagine a luge on wheels it was AWESOME!! A lift takes you straight up the hill about 1km and then the run winds down the hill for about 1.5km. First run we probably both took it a bit conservative using the break a little too much. Second run I decide to let it loose a bit and half way down pay the price with a huge wipeout. I'm now sporting a couple nice raspberrys on my arm and leg. Of course its Europe though so nobody cared or worried about it, not waivers, no warning signs that a crash was even possible nothing. So I just picked myself up brushed off and kept going for the second half. We should set one of those up in the Cascades somewhere.

A couple interesting side notes on Europe other than no waivers, no life guards, do everything at your own risk attitude.
- They pay 50% income tax and 20% sales tax in Austria
- Megan and I only get about 1/2 of everything when communicating with people and are learning that you really don't need to get it all to get what you need.
- Picked up a new wedding ring for Megan, $15 this time, looks nice. Don't know why ya'll need the big fancy one. Oh still have the old one just left it at home so we didn't attract attention of petty theives along the way.
- Megan ran out of space in her giant suitcase with little trinkets to take home. At one point she was pondering whether or not she could pack a puppy home.
- Megan finally hit the infamous Pizza wall. Not taking to much of the food over here Pizza has been a staple of her diet and a couple days ago she finally got fed up with it. Now she is starving herself instead!! Just kidding.
- Oh and DONNER STAG. Not sure what that means but love saying it, using it as slag for anything. Donner I think is lamb, cause a couple times at little lunch carts I've ordered the Donner sandwich and its come out like a Gyro. Good stuff, hmmmm.
- I guess I've also started talking in an accent to Megan and in 2nd grade english to her as well much like I do with the locals, drives her nuts.

Enough for now. Oh currently we are in Sarajevo, Bosnia and about to go on a tour of whats left after the messy break up of the former Yugoslavia in the mid 90's. YIKES!! Then Saturday off to Dubrovnik and the glorious beaches of Croatia.