Way Better Than Legoland...

April 29, 2010

It was a “let’s go boating” kind of day:  the skies were clear, the sun was shining, and although I’ve never actually had a boat at my disposal to legitimize saying “let’s go boating,” it just felt like that kind of day.  I double-checked the car rental agreement to make sure we were not being charged by the kilometer (so much driving!) and off we went on a return trip to Zell am See for some time on the lake.  The peanut-shaped lake is beautiful and calm.   With an area of less than 2 square miles, it is not huge – one can see almost the entire lake from any of its shores.  On our previous visit we had seen paddleboats for rent, but on this particular afternoon, there were only motorboats for hire.  Once the kids discovered they were allowed to take turns driving the motorboat, any trace of disappointment was immediately replaced with absolute glee and enthusiasm.  What?  No life jackets?  The element of danger only added to the excitement as we set off across the lake.   (Thankfully, they’re all decent swimmers.)  As Cade captained the “Fortuna D” and set a meandering course for distant shores, he said, “This is way better than Legoland!”

Once I was satisfied that the boat only had one speed (super slow), and that the kids were not angling for some excuse to slip into the lake for some “accidental” swimming, I was perfectly content to recline in the rear of the boat with my legs up and my head back, and bask in the sunlight.  I might have been a bit less relaxed if I had learned that the lake was 223 feet deep before our outing rather than after…   but I’m a needless worrier, after all, and it does stand to reason that it doesn’t matter how deep the water is if you know how to swim! 

The kids fortunately managed to take turns at the wheel without going overboard when switching seats. There were only a few other boats out that afternoon.  A sailboat that was anchored in the center of one end of the lake provided a fun destination and steering goal, as they were convinced they might get to see some real fishing in action.  There was some action all right... but no fishing.  We got just close enough for me to see barely clad bodies and a tangle of limbs and I started yelling, "Avert your eyes, avert your eyes!!"  It’s true.  I actually used the word “avert."  Seriously?  Apparently I believe there is never a bad time for vocabulary building.  In spite of their befuddlement (and heightened curiosity), the kids did get the point and Cade turned the steering wheel to give us a wide berth from the stationary sailboat.  I gave some lame explanation about how some Europeans prefer suntanning sans swimwear and we never talked about it again.

As we did a final go-around the lake and then headed for the docks, I listened to them rank the day on the lake as a trip favorite, sandwiched between the Moedling hiking day and the day at the Prater amusement park in Vienna…until they reminded each other about days in Hallstatt, Werfen, Bratislava, Prague, Budapest and all the other fun highlights of our time in Vienna as well as our numerous outings in Switzerland and France.  As they vigorously defended their personal rankings, I smiled.  What a joy to be arguing about such things. 

We wandered through the town, stopped for Italian Eis (gelato) and a very American sidewalk sale (half price on cute new Roxy flip flops for the girls), and then headed back to Bad Gastein just in time for my long-overdue (and all too short!) massage at the hotel spa. 

We finished up the day with a lazy hike through the town, past old spa town hotels that have been around since the late 1700's, and down “Wasserfallweg,” a pathway that runs alongside the town’s massive waterfall.  The waterfall pumps out 5 million liters of hot thermal spring water (about 116 degrees Fahrenheit) every day.  It was just a quick 10 minute walk from our hotel, but it felt like we were in the middle of a forest… with a towering mountain on one side of the water and lush green ground cover and trees on the other and only the sound of the water crashing on the rocks.  The kids loved feeling the spray of the waterfall, and we were advised by Austrian passersby that breathing in the thermal water vapors was very healthy for the constitution.  I happen to be a big fan of healthy constitutions, so we took numerous deep breaths, wandered down the path until we came to the valley below, and then turned around and raced to get back up the path before dark. 

It was already 8:30 p.m. and we had a full day in Salzburg to prepare for and bags to pack for an early train departure to Switzerland the following day, but the kids still managed to negotiate a final trip to the hotel swimming pool.  It’s hard to refute arguments like, “We might never get to swim in a pool in Europe again in our whole lives” and “We will swim without getting our hair wet so we don’t have to wash it after.”  Sigh.   I’m such a pushover.  I even agreed to wet hair.