Week 187-188: Siblings in Austria

Weeks 187-188 were exciting ones.

Charlie turned 7. My parents celebrated their 40th anniversary. And, Eric’s brothers, Kade and Bobby, and his sister, Ella, joined us in Austria.

Despite some bad weather, last-minute flight cancellations, and rearranging the daily itinerary, the trip went smoothly.

We spent the week revisiting familiar places, which we show to all our guests. Each visit is unique, because every guest experiences it for the first time, and we are honored to share those moments with them in Austria.

Revisiting these places with Eric’s siblings added a layer of nostalgia. Just 575 days ago, we visited these same spots with their dad. Every time they stood where Bob once stood, I felt a wave of gratitude for being able to create memories with all of them in these spaces.

Here’s a recap of our week–

Sunday

Started the day on top of our rooftop.

After taking the views in, we took the dogs on a walk down the esplanade into town.

After our morning walk, we drove up the Gmundnerberg for lunch at Urzn and then continued south to the Ebensee Concentration Camp. The first of many WWII-related stops for the week.

Another 45-minute drive from Ebensee brought us to Hallstatt.

***Slide the bar on the photo left and right to see the moment they all stood in the same spot.

We have been to this fairytale village more than 15 times during our three-year expat journey. We have seen it in every season. We celebrated Eric’s birthday in one of the mountainside guesthouses. We paraglided high above it. And it is the first stop we take all of our friends and family when they visit–Kade, Ella, and Bobby were no exception.

Hallstatt is Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited village, with 800 residents and a million tourists, and because of our expat journey we have brought 20 people to this village!

Monday

We took the cable car up to the Feuerkogel–the mountain where Eric broke his finger in week 11.

A hiked 30 minutes to the Europakreuz, and then went back down to eat lunch at the mountain hut.

Tuesday

I stayed home because we didn't have a dog sitter and would be gone too long for the dogs to be left alone. So I spent the day making Charlie some special birthday ice pops while Eric took them to Mauthausen and Linz.

*Charlie and Denzel chilling in the hallway*

Without me, there are no photos or videos of the activities, so this is a day without visuals. Having been to Mauthausen several times before, I can confirm, it is a somber experience.

Wednesday

We headed across the border into Germany and up to the Eagle's Nest.

This was our 4th time here. The first three times we went with a guide –Tom.

Here is a shameless plug to go book a private tour to the Eagle’s Nest with Tom if you’re ever in the area – Click to book

***Another fun image slider

This time, Eric was the guide riddling off all the historical facts and insider knowledge, but we still saw Tom on the bus and in all the spots he usually takes us to which was a happy surprise.

*A tunnel inside the documentation center*

After our morning in Berchtesgaden, we spent the rest of the afternoon in Salzburg.

Visiting Salzburg for the first time is a magical experience.

The city boasts stunning Baroque architecture, a towering castle, horse-drawn carriages, vibrant cafes, and bells that chime for ten minutes straight.

Thursday

Another day of me staying home with the dogs while Eric took Kade, Ella, and Bobby back in to Germany to visit the Dachau Concentration Camp and walk around Munich.

Lunch at the original Hofbrauhaus is always a must. The long wooden benches, the overpowering traditional German music, and the overall atmosphere of this restaurant brings in a crowd all year long.

**The legal drinking age in Austria & Germany is 16, so everyone was following the law!

Friday

I had planned a day in a new part of Austria. It was to be a day of hiking along a ridge, a suspension bridge, and through a gorge. However, the weather had other plans. So instead of a beautiful day in nature, we had to switch it up to spend our day walking through the mall, around the park, and playing card games at home.

Saturday

The last day was intended to be the most epic!

We were supposed to wake up and go canyoning. Instead, we woke up to a text from our guide saying the water levels were higher than they expected and “we guarantee you will not have a pleasurable experience”. So, with a text like that, we had to cancel the excursion. We were all pretty bummed as I know that would have been a really fun activity to do together.

This week has been full of laughing, exploring, and learning, and it has been a nice reminder of the importance of family and the joy of exploring new places together. The significant age gap between them that has always taken a front seat in their relationship has finally started to get smaller and I am excited to see how everyone continues to grow over the next few years.

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Week 187-188: Siblings in Austria

Week 189: Canyoning the Burggrabenklamm

Week 183-185: 8-day Scotland Road Trip