We said farewell to the Bavarian Alps and drove towards Prague in the Czech Republic. To help break up the five-hour drive we stopped at a couple of interesting places along the way.

A bit over the Austrian border and just north of Salzburg is the town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg. In the town is a little round chapel along the riverside. It is a memorial chapel that marks the spot where the world’s favorite Christmas Carol was first performed. In 1818 Franz Gruber was the organist at St. Nicola’s church in the village. On Christmas Eve the organ bellows broke and Father Mohr came to Gruber and asked him if he could write a simple song for the little congregation to sing at Midnight Mass. Fr. Mohr gave Gruber a poem he had written a couple of years before and “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht” was the result. The two men sang the carol that night with just a simple Tyrolean guitar. Within a few years the little song became known throughout the world as “Silent Night”.  Sadly, St. Nicola Church fell into disrepair and was pulled down in the early 1900’s. By 1937 the townspeople erected the Stille Nacht Kapella to mark the birthplace of the world’s most beloved Christmas hymn. As we arrived we heard a group of French motorcyclists singing the last lines of the hymn in French.

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Nearby was a funny little American Store. Arnold the owner was very nice and it was fun seeing how Austrians perceive American culture and merchandise!

Outside of Oberndorf the rolling hills of the Austrian countryside gave way to pretty farms and hamlets. One such hamlet we discovered had a very interesting name…Fucking! Yep, you read that correctly! So here’s the backstory on this little hamlet of 15-20 houses set in the luscious green Austrian farmland. It seems that in Austrian the name Fuck came from a famous warrior who lived in the area. The suffix “ing” means “place of” in German. So Fucking literally means “the place of the warrior Fuck”(pronounced in German “Fook”). Gotta love cultural anomalies!

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The rest of the day we drove through the countryside, returning briefly to Germany before crossing into the Czech Republic. The region around the border was thickly forested. It was easy to imagine the big bad wolf or evil witch in her candy house lurking in the dark, black forests. I just caught a glimpse of Little Red Riding Hood’s cape as we drove by!

The sun peaked out from behind the clouds as we drove into Prague. Our apartment was perfectly located on the edge of Prague Old Town. We had a charming balcony that overlooked an onion domed church spire and baroque buildings. Robert and the kids headed out to find the local grocery and exchange some Euros for the Czech Koruna, when the church bells began to ring calling people to Vespers. As I stood on the balcony the evening sunshine cast it’s rays on the church spire and set the old cream walls and orange colored tiles aglow!

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Up and over the mountain was today’s theme! We drove to the Almbachklamm, a natural gorge just south of our hotel in Germany. The Almbachklamm is one of Germany’s finest gorges. We entered the gorge hear the Kugelmühle, a marble ball mill and began what would be a 3.5 hour hike. We then hiked along stone and wooden planked trails that hugged the gorge cliff face. Sometimes it was very narrow and there was only a rope to hang onto for guidance. The gorge was full of beautiful rock cliffs, waterfalls, and wild flowers growing in the rocks as well as along the riverbank.

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Once we got to bridge 19 we had to make a decision as to which path to take. However first we hiked about five minutes to see a large double waterfall. While viewing the falls the kids noticed that there were little pools and rather large steady boulders to climb. Liam in particular was able to climb up to the halfway point and reach out and touch the left waterfall with his hand. He said that the water was sharp and cold!

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From the waterfall we hiked straight uphill and out of the gorge. It was very steep, but once on the ridge the woods became very quiet except for the occasional chirp of a bird or rustle of a tree branch.

At the top of the gorge we came across the little village of Mesnerwirt. There was a stunning yellow and white country church in a field of yellow dandelions, as well as a small restaurant. We had a refreshing meal and drank a lot of water before heading down a different path back to the Kugelmühle and the car.  The gravel and root path made it difficult in places. Occasionally we would stop to enjoy the views and listen to the coo coo birds in the forest!

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Our afternoon adventure took us back to Salzburg in order to see the Hohen Salzburg or Salzburg Fortress. In hindsight we probably should have done the Fortress the day before, because the only way to access it is to climb 20 minutes uphill! There was a funicular, but we didn’t discover it until after the climb! Needless to say we were a bit cranky, but a little café inside the fortress gave us the well-needed treats we had earned. We had ice cream, apple strudel, coffee, and tea.

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The white washed buildings within the fortress were charming and I particularly liked the museum and chapel. However the best part of the fortress was the lookout from the parapet and castle walls. It was the highest point in all of Salzburg.

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We took the funicular down the hillside and did a little shopping before heading back to the car. On our way we passed by Nonnberg Abbey. Faywen wanted to look inside briefly, but she and I discovered that the Sisters were singing Vespers. The door was slightly cracked. We just stood and listened to their heavenly voices. It was a befitting way to end our visit to Salzburg.

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For dinner we ate at a local lodge restaurant. The interior reminded me of how Gaston from Beauty and the Beast would have decorated his restaurant, because of all the antlers and taxidermy animals. The food was traditional German stews and Schnitzel. Faywen’s schnitzel were even shaped like dinosaurs!

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The hills are alive with the Sound of Music! Today was the day we took our touristy 4 hour-long bus tour. We arrived in Salzburg and boarded the bus at 9:00. We drove around Salzburg with our enthusiastic guide Birgit, who is originally from Germany. It seems that Austrians don’t really embrace the story of the Von Trapp family compared to the rest of the world.

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We drove by Nonnburg Abbey where Maria Von Trapp was a postulant. Various parts of the movie were filmed within the abbey walls and at the gate. Our next stop was at Hellbrunn Palace where the iconic gazebo used in the movie is located. The gazebo is very small and the famous “I am Sixteen Going on Seventeen” dance sequence was actually filmed in a Hollywood replica, but all the outside shots were in front of the original gazebo. Also located at Hellbrunn Palace is the tree-lined lane where the children climbed the trees in their play clothes.

The tour then took us a couple of kilometers to the Leopold House. The stunning white mansion was used to film the back patio scenes on the lake with the breathtaking Unterberg Mountain in the background. We learned that when they filmed the scene where everyone falls out of the boat into the lake, there was a scuba diver underneath in case of an emergency rescue.

We then drove along the mountain ridge singing Sound of Music songs, until we came to Wolfgangsee. This mountain lake is about 45 minutes east of Salzburg. From our scenic overlook you could see all the little villages nestled along the lakeshore stretching as far as the eye could see! A few minutes further on we drove into the village of Mondsee and spent an hour walking round. We saw the church where they filmed the Von Trapp wedding. However we got to see a “real” wedding at the front of the church! The wedding party, family, and friends were all lined up out front. The bells rang and the bride and groom exited as a brass band played. Everyone was dressed in traditional Trachten…lederhosen and wool jackets for the men and colorful dirndls for the women.

After observing the wedding the church was open to the public. We then purchased meats, cheeses, breads, and amazing strawberries from the Marktplatz in front of the cathedral. It was a beautiful spring day to sit on the edge of the fountain and eat lunch together as a family!

The tour ended with a video on the bus about the making of the movie and another sing-along. Our final destination was the Mirabell Palace in central Salzburg. Mirabell is known for its fountains and gardens many of which were used in the “Do Re Mi” song (steps, Pegasus fountain, and arched path).

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After the tour we meandered around the gardens, got a little lunch at a café by the Salzsach River, and then began hiking around the city. We walked up and down the old town main street, ate a Mozart kügel treat (chocolate covered marzipan ball), saw Mozart’s birth house, the Salzburg Dom Cathedral, and shopped in a little market.

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I particularly liked St. Peter’s Cemetery, but unfortunately the church was closed due to renovations. We climbed the old carved out caves near the cemetery which afforded us lovely views of the rooftops, cemetery, and Dom Cathedral. The stone chapel inside the cave dated from 1178 and the other old alcoves were a reminder of Salzburg’s past. The town’s wealth came from salt mines in the hills.

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We then took a quick walk past the oldest restaurant in Europe, which dates from 803 AD. As we made it back to our car we passed the church where Mozart’s Mass in D Minor premiered and crossed the “Do Re Mi” bridge used in the film. The rain clouds settled over the Salzburg Fortress as we settled into the snug dry corner of a traditional Austrian restaurant from the 18^th century.

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The morning of the 24^th of May we packed up the car and drove to the iconic village of Hallstatt, which is nestled in the Austrian Alps. Turah was very excited to see the Alps for the first time. However we did have a little hiccup at first. We got stuck in a traffic jam about an hour out from Graz and had to turn around and reroute ourselves. It added about an hour to the trip, but in the end it was a much prettier drive through the winding country roads.

The village of Hallstatt lies along the Hallstättersee, a crisp Alpine lake. The town with its traditional colorful homes is built into the mountainside. We found a place to park and walked along the main street that hugs the lake. It was lunchtime when we arrived and we found a lovely little local restaurant with views of the lake from our table.

The refreshing lunch gave us the energy to walk around town and up and down the various charming back alleys that meander their way through the mountainside. There was a beautiful waterfall, which turned into a gracefully cascading stream winding it’s way through the mountainside homes. From an overlook on the side of the mountain we were just meters above the rooftops of Hallstatt and could see the Church spire, homes, and the stunning mountain and lake vistas!

Before ascending up through the village, Turah, Liam, and Seamus took a 30-minute paddleboat ride out on the lake. The classic swan shaped boat was easy to pedal and the three of them enjoyed spending time together in the center of the lake. Faywen is a bit afraid of boats so she, Dad, and I went exploring the local shops and the Marktplatz in the center of the village.

It was a beautiful spring day to explore Hallstatt. After spending the entire afternoon there we drove once again through the Austrian countryside into Germany. We decided to satay in a small hotel/guesthouse in Anger, Germany just over the border from Salzburg. The kids had a good-sized apartment and patio. Robert and I had our own little apartment with a balcony. The views from both rooms were spectacular!

Our eldest, Turah, finished her sophomore year at GVSU and had a couple of weeks between the end of the semester and her summer internship to come and visit us here in Graz. The kids already had two scheduled days off from school. We asked for the other three days off in order to travel around Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

Turah arrived on the 22^nd of May in the early afternoon. The Graz airport isn’t very large, so it was easy to see her as she cleared customs. She ran into our arms with a very tired, but happy look on her face! She immediately got to ride her first European commuter train, because the airport is south of the city. She told us about the various flights and how she had to run in Detroit to her connecting flight to Amsterdam!

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She took in everything as the train pulled up into the Graz Hauptbahnhof. We caught the tram, stopped at Sorger to let her eat a bit of late lunch, and then walked up the hill to our home. Her siblings came running out the door to greet her. For the rest of the afternoon Liam, Seamus, and Faywen entertained Turah. She got a thorough tour of the house and gardens. The kids quickly introduced her to the little bikes and of course the Linden Tree swing rope!

Turah had asked us if there was anything from the USA we would like her to bring. The only thing we could think of that we all had a craving for was Mac n’ Cheese! Robert cooked it beautifully with wursts and broccoli. It was very satisfying to eat Mac n’ Cheese!

That evening we gave Turah all of her gifts that we had collected on our travels and she got to have her first beer, which Liam had picked out for her to drink.

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The next day Turah slept in a bit and had a little jet lag. I made her drink and eat and she felt a lot better. We then went shopping and she enjoyed picking out some new European clothes! After that we headed over to GIBS to meet up with Faywen, who wanted to show Turah around the school. Turah enjoyed seeing the school where her three younger siblings had been attending since late February. She also got to meet Faywen’s best friend, Manon, and as we chatted in the school courtyard one of the famous peacocks meandered into sight. Turah was a bit nervous at first, but then had a good laugh, as other kids casually walked by the peacock like it was no big deal!

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We all retired early because the next morning we would start our family adventure with Turah!

Yes, I think we found Willy Wonka’s Magical Chocolate Factory in Austria. Zotter’s Chocolate Factory lies about 1 hour east of Graz. Robert’s FH Joanneum colleague Franz Niederln and his wife Heidrum treated us to a day out on Saturday, 18 May.

They picked us up in their van along with Roger Ferguson, a GVSU colleague of Robert’s, who was still visiting, and took us to Zotter’s Chocolate Factory and Vulcano Hams.

Zotter’s was a wonderland! Not only was there the chocolate factory, but also a farm and edible garden with quirky statues throughout the grounds. We had fun meandering around the gardens and the farm. There were all kinds of animals from rabbits, llamas, to ostriches! Multiple areas had “danger” playground equipment, which meant of course our children were ecstatic to go and play!

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I personally liked the chocolate graveyard. There were full size headstones in brown and white to designate what kind of chocolate had been “laid to rest”. There were all kinds of interesting chocolate combinations including pig blood with ginger, or lemon and fish, and hazelnut and lettuce! There were even little candles in front of the buried chocolates. I asked a clerk and she said that the “not so good recipe ideas” or “retired” chocolates are actually buried under the stones!

Inside we took the factory tour and there was a wonderful video about how Zotter’s actually works with cacao famers in Peru and Ecuador to get the best Free Trade chocolate available. We were given a little ceramic serving spoon to try all the different chocolates they make. It was an endless ordeal with 200+ samples of chocolates, sauces, and fillings used in chocolates.

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After eating ourselves sick with yummy chocolate, we had a nice simple lunch and then spent the afternoon at Vulcano Hams, a local family run business. We took the tour about the history of  ham production in Austria and at the end they gave us free samples of the various ham and pork items made at the facility.

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My birthday was on the 3^rd of May and Mother’s Day was the 12^th. Robert was gone at a Fulbright conference for the weekend of my birthday, so the two celebrations were combined on Mother’s Day. Robert’s GVSU colleague, Roger Ferguson, was in town. We had him over for lunch on Mother’s Day. It was nice to see an old friend from Grand Rapids. We’ve known Roger for 20 years.

We also thought it would be fun for to celebrate ½ birthdays while in Austria. Robert’s fell on the 14^th of May.

Seamus has made a couple of good friends at GIBS. His friend Nathanial is originally from New Mexico. The first time Nathaniel came over Seamus had to show him how to swing on the Linden Tree rope! The other friend is named Dennis and he is originally from Turkey.

On the 9^th of May Faywen celebrated her 11^th birthday. Since it was a school day we didn’t celebrate until later in the evening. She enjoyed a delicious charcuterie followed by a Gummi Cake, which was made up of lemon, orange, raspberry, and strawberry flavored gummies!

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After dinner and dessert she enjoyed opening all her gifts. Some of her favorites included the “Mary Poppins” and a “Pippi Longstockings” books, llama themed plush toy and bag and blanket and pillow, a handmade Austrian top, clothes, and the plush Nuzzle Bunny I give her every year. She really liked all of her gifts!

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As the sun set we all went outside and swung on the large rope hanging from the 100+ year old Linden tree in the front yard. It was the perfect way to end her birthday!

The following day was a Friday. The boys went to the one English movie theatre in town to watch “End Game” so we decided to have special time with Faywen. We took her downtown to shop and then go to her favorite restaurant in town, an authentic Greek restaurant. They know us so well that she even got a free candy after her meal as a special birthday treat!

While downtown we ran into her two best friends from school, Manon and Elis. Manon is half French and Australian. Elis is a New Yorker who’s Dad is from Puerto Rico. Faywen has been blessed to make such nice friends while in school here in Graz!

Below are a few random photos from the end of April and beginning of May. On May Day (1 May) Robert and I took a nice stroll through the Graz Stadtpark. All the spring flowers were in bloom and it was a lovely day to be out and about. May 1^st is a national holiday in Austria. It is their Labor Day, so all the schools and businesses had the day off.

Kathryn is a good friend from Michigan, who came to visit us. She spent three weeks in Austria traveling around. She came to Graz for a couple of days and we had a lovely time visiting and treating her to a traditional home-cooked Austrian meal. We have known Kathryn for a few years. We met her at Irish folk dancing in Grand Rapids and she is also one of my voice students. It was very nice to see a familiar friendly face from the USA!

Saturday morning the 27th of April, we left Venice there wasn’t a cloud in the sky! I took a couple more photos out of our apartment windows before we bid goodbye to Venice.

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Seamus took a fun photo of the cruise ships from the 8^th floor of the parking garage. We had a bit of a conundrum leaving the parking structure. Our parking voucher had gone missing and the only way to prove it was our car was to show the rental receipt, which also was missing! Now Robert and I are very methodical about placing such items in safe places, but for some reason we couldn’t find either. It was a Saturday, which made it hard to call the rental agency in Graz. Well after tearing through the car Liam happened to look amongst our Passports and lo and behold the rental receipt was tucked inside a passport. Robert had placed it in a very safe spot that we couldn’t even find!

Once the ordeal with the parking voucher was done, we said a prayer of thanksgiving and headed out across the 3km bridge to the Italian mainland. As we drove north towards the mountains a sudden thunderstorm hit and the skies opened producing torrential downpours and pea to grape sized hail! Robert quickly found a gas station overhang for us to sit and wait out the hailstorm. It seems everyone had the same idea and before long this little rural station had cars tightly packed under the pump awnings and in the nearby fields under trees!

After 20 minutes the storm passed and blue skies met us as we drove into the Italian Alps. It wasn’t long before we were back in Graz, unloading the car and reminiscing about our two week Easter Holiday trip!