This morning, after breakfast, we bid arrivederci to the dairy farm and to our four-legged friends who had so graciously provided us with fresh milk & other goodies.
Jackson seemed particularly reluctant to leave the one-week-old calf.
We hit the road and starting driving North, straight into the Bavarian Alps. It wasn't long before we were driving through long tunnels in and between mountains with peaks so high that we couldn't see anything other than steep, green slopes and a layer of clouds over our heads. It was a breathtaking drive in the clouds that weaved in and out of Austria and Germany. We ooohed and aaahed at the waterfalls and castles high above our heads, in stark contrast to the small, sleepy villages with their tall church steeples peaking up at us from the valleys far below.
We made a stop in Seeboden, Austria for a bit of scenery and lunch.
At the Postwirt Seeboden restaurant, I had the best cup of coffee I can remember drinking -- and its presentation was as beautiful as the coffee was delicious with 3 different types of fancy sugar to accompany it.
All 3 of us welcomed our first bite of non-Italian cooking! Although Jackson enjoyed his daddy being silly more than his stewed roast and vegetables.
Of course Jackson can be pretty silly himself sometimes...Back on the road, we soon found ourselves driving up the curvy, country road to Pension Oechsner, our B&B for the next couple of nights.
Frau Angelika greeted us and showed us to our cozy corner room with a view of the mountains that was pretty much amazing!
Jackson was happy with the view, but more impressed by the phone which we quickly unplugged. He's big into phones right now.
For dinner, we drove back into Austria in pursuit of culture, bratwurst, and good beer. We found all 3 in Salzburg at the Rick Steves recommended Augustiner Bräustübl. Picture a large beer hall, noisy and crowded with sticky beer-sloshed floors and surrounded by a long row of deli counters offering everything from schnitzel and pretzels to bratwurst and Cornish hens.At this monk-run brewery, you pick out your beer stein - a half-liter or full-liter mug, pay the fraulein, wash your mug in the hot water fountains, and then go to Mr. Keg to have your mug filled with fine Austrian beer. Paired with a Cornish hen, the beer was tasty and the atmosphere perfect.
It turns out that noisy beer halls are perfect for Jackson because he can be loud and no one notices. After a few bites of hen, he enjoyed intermittently playing peek-a-boo from behind the rustic furniture and of course running with the added traction that the sticky floors provided.
Danke schön Augustiner for full bellies and a fun experience.
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