Exporing Austria

Elka, Ahsley, and Sharon under an umbrella in the rain in Bad Ischl, Austria

There were a few older student here this past week and I got to know Elka and Ashley, neighbors from Germany.  Elka is 49 and Ashley 29.  They stayed through Friday, so they invited me along to see a small town in Austria called Bad Ischl.  We went in Elka's car and drove about 1 hour and 30 minutes away from Schaldming.  It was nice to see the landscape by car.  Once in town, we visited Kaiservilla, where the emporer of Austria, Franz Josef and his wife Elizabeth, or Sissi, made their summer residence.  We toured the grounds and the home.  Most was original furnishing and very intricate.  We even saw the document where Franz signed the document that started world war I.  When we went outside, it was pouring, so we quickly found a cafe and had tea and very petite and scrumptious desserts.  After this, most of the shops were closed so we headed to dinner at a nice restaurant nearby, after getting a recommendation.  While I love the food at Tauernhof, it was great to be able to order off the menu:  asparagus mouse with salmon, spinach rolls, and vanilla bourbon dessert.  We chatted away most of the day, and I thoroughly enjoyed this.  They invited me to Germany and said that I would love their little town called Woerzburg.  Ashley said that her and her husband have road bikes and that I could borrow them and ride around town and to nearby vineyards.  Hmmmm...maybe I'll extend my stay.