Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Day 12: Hallstatt, Austria (Tuesday, August 19th)

On the road again! Before heading to Hallstatt we stopped by another cemetery in Vienna where people like Beethoven, Strauss, Brahms, and Schubert are buried. 







This is just a memorial for Mozart:


There was also a section of the cemetery that was recently dedicated to Mormons. It has only been a few years so there aren't many people buried there yet but they do have a neat memorial that was recently unveiled. The literal translation below this sculpture says: I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, will live. 


Below are the few Mormons that have been buried here or have purchased plots:



And here's a shot of the entire space that's yet to be used:



I don't typically enjoy visiting older cemeteries but I'm really glad we went to this one. I thought it was so interesting visiting the burial sites for well known people I've heard so much about. 

Before starting our drive we stopped by a grocery store called Spar where they make sandwiches for you in the deli that are super cheap. I ate mine before I remembered to take a picture but it was really yummy! We definitely couldn't leave without getting some treats and I think I found my new favorite! 


If you've ever seen the movie The Best Two Years these are what they buy on the street that I always thought looked so good. They taste just like Teddy Grahams but the best part is they're super soft! I just might get sick from eating so many of them! 


We finally got on the road around 1 o'clock to begin our 3 hour drive to Hallstatt. I was really looking forward to seeing this cute little city!

I was so captivated by our drive through the Austrian Alps because we had views like this the whole time:



Not a bad way to spend a 3 hour drive!

Hallstatt was beautiful! I had never seen pictures of it so I didn't know what to expect but it was better than I had imagined. It's basically a little town with a gorgeous lake next to it that's surrounded by mountains. I'll let the pictures do the talking. 









As we were walking around we found a boat rental for only €2.60 per person so we jumped all over that and it was so worth it! 






After our boat rides we grabbed delicious Döners, snapped a quick group picture and hit the road!


Isn't this place incredible?! In my opinion, Austria is by far the most beautiful country we've seen yet but I hear Switzerland will rival that!

In order to save money, Russ and Ellen left Hallstatt to drop their rental car off in Salzburg and took a train down to Munich while Tom, Chelsie, Logan and I just made the two hour drive straight from Hallstatt to Munich. It wasn't too bad at all. 


I experienced something else on the way to Munich for the first time that I've heard a ton about: The Autobahn. Boys Driving + No Speed Limit = Minor Danger. Thank goodness we were in a dinky car and not something fast! It actually wasn't a big deal at all because there was a lot of construction and traffic so it didn't seem any faster than usual. 

Our hostel here in Munich is pretty decent but I won't post a picture until tomorrow because I'm already in bed. We have another private room for just the 6 of us so that's really nice. 

I'm pretty sure that sums up our day! I feel so fortunate to wake up each morning in a new city or country and can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!


Weather Today:

The weather in Hallstatt was quite nice! The screen shot shows rain but I don't remember us being caught in the rain at all. It was perfectly shaded from the sun but not too chilly. 




Tomorrow: Munich and Gimmelwald, Switzerland

Switzerland is going to be amazing!  We've been looking forward to Switzerland so much and can't wait to actually get there!  It will be nice to settle down a bit and spend our last few days in the same place rather than moving around so often.


Monday, August 18, 2014

Day 11: Vienna, Austria (Monday, August 18th)

Best news of the day: My neck feels SO much better! It's still sore and a little tight but I can move it much better now so that's great. All I can say is thank goodness for the Priesthood and prayers!

We all slept in a bit and ate breakfast at the hostel before finally taking off to explore the city. Our first stop of the day was Schönbrunn which has amazing gardens and some neat architecture and views of the city. 






It was now time for lunch so we went to a place that Logan and Tom loved from their missions that serves schnitzel. The boys were in heaven!




After lunch we walked around the city and visited some of the places Logan and Tom went on their missions. I loved listening to them reminisce about memories they have from the same sites we were seeing. 




Hofburg
Rathaus
Maria Theresa Square
St. Steven's Cathedral

Karl's Church



We attempted to visit Mozart's grave but the cemetery was closed so we tried taking a picture anyway. At the top of that hill you can see a monument, which is where he is buried. 


For dinner we finally tried the classic Döner that the guys have talked about for ages. You find them in little carts on nearly every corner and they're super cheap and delicious! I was a bit hesitant but I really loved it way more than I thought. Logan was in heaven too!



After a bit more walking around the city we headed in for the night. We walked around all day today so I'm sure we'll sleep great!

Weather Today:

It was HOT today! I was bummed I wore pants because it felt like 85 rather than 75. I'd still take that over being cold any day!




Tomorrow: Hallstatt, Austria onto Munich, Germany

Apparently Hallstatt is gorgeous but small so we'll spend a few hours there before heading down to Munich, the heart of Logan's mission, where we'll spend the night!