It's Fishing Day ...

May 23, 2016

Today is our Fly-fishing day adventure ...

We were so excited ...

Our first stop on the Traun River ... far into the water ...

the river was high due to the rain and the runoff from the mountains ...

The also opened the spillway to let more water thru ...

We had to be careful in the rough water ...

This was our next spot along the river ...

the water was still high ... but that did not stop us ...

I caught a couple small trout ...

and released them ... I was hoping to catch a big one ... !!!

Our last spot was near the dam ... we were surprised at how much debris was in the water ...

we managed to see a few large Rainbows and Pike ...

but they were not feeding on what we had to offer ...

they would swim up to the bait and then swim away ...

Mike did catch a couple bass ... and released them ...

It was an amazing adventure anyway ... !!!

we plan on returning in the fall sometime in the future ...

Apparently that is the best time of year to catch fish as the water is lower and calmer ...

It was time to leave the area as a storm was brewing ...

We made it back to the car just in time before the rain ...

lightening and thunder struck ... !!!

Thank you to Franz for coming to see us and taking pictures ... !!!

 

It was quite the adventurous day ...

Once we arrived back at the house we decided to go out for dinner and celebrate ...

We travelled along the back roads on our way to the restaurant ...

It took us awhile to finally reach our destination ... Gasthaus Wurzenhutte ...

and it was well worth it ... !!!

Unfortunately we were not able to sit outside as it had started to rain ...

The setting inside was wonderful ... warm and cozy ...

We enjoyed a delicious meal ...

and had fun rehashing our fishing experience on the Traun ...

It was great to talk with the owners as well ... and seeing their little one running around ...

perhaps the next generation to take over the Gasthaus in the future ...

Thank you Klaus and Resi for this wonderful day ... !!!

 

"The Wurzenhütte in Gschwandt in the Traunsee region is a traditional family run guest house, where much warmth and hospitality are noticeable. Established in 1969, the House was recently taken over by Stefanie Guem, who is the 3rd generation.

Guest House lake Traunsee

The Wurzenhütte Guest House is idyllically situated in the forest and invites you with its cosy, rustic atmosphere to linger. Enjoy the unique atmosphere of the forest and the untouched natural landscape on our terrace or take a seat in the cosy, furnished with natural wood guest room with 60 seats."

 

A Day with Opa's Family ...

May 22, 2016

After our lunch at Gasthof Engelhof ...

we went on a road trip ... touring on our way to Steinbach ...

to meet with our cousins from Dad's family ...

It was an absolutely beautiful place ... you could see the Attersee from the house ...

The surroundings were spectacular ...

It was wonderful to meet the family ... Erni is my dad's first cousin ...

her father and my Opa were brothers ...

Erni has three sons ... unfortunately we were only able to meet two of them ...

the youngest son and his wife live in the home with Erni ...

the oldest son built a house across the street ...

The picture on the bottom righthand corner ...

is of my Opa when he was a young man ...

We had a wonderful time visiting ...

Wolfgang continued to tell us stories and history of our families ....

Our journey continued to our next destination ... driving by the countryside ...

thru tunnels to TraunKirchen ...

where the church was built high up onto a rock ...

Our dinner destination was at the "Landhotel Gruenberg am See"(Green Mountain Hotel by the lake) ...

it has a beautiful restaurant ...

We were delighted to see Franz and Karin waiting for us at our table ...

Franz had had a long day ... traveling back from Italy ...

We were grateful that we would be able to spend the evening with everyone ...

After our dinner ... Franz took me to meet Ingrid ... the owner and cook ...

I could have my choice of any dessert I wanted ...

it probably took me 15 minutes to decide ... there were so many to choose from ...

Ingrid also has written her own cookbooks and has a cooking school ...

We spent the evening ... talking ... laughing ... drinking ...

Hmmmm ... see that little hand make it's way to Mike's schnapps ...

(made from the Alpine Pine Tree) ...

Oma said she just wanted to smell it ... and then she couldn't resist and had to have a little taste ...

This seemed to be the ritual everytime Mike had an after dinner schnapps ....

The setting was incredible ... out on the deck ...

and then just as beautiful when the sun started to disappear ...

We spent the whole evening there ...

and as usual we were one of the last ones to leave ...

It was wonderful to speak with the owners and all the servers ... !!!

Franz & Ingrid are frequent visitors to Canada and they love our country ... !!!

 

For more info in English ... click here

 

 

A Special Adventure...

May 22, 2016

This day started out with a friend of Klaus's ... Ernst ... arriving at the house ...

with a supply of his fishing gear ...

for our Fly-fishing adventure on the Traun ...

a gift that Klaus and Resi had given us ...

We headed out for the day ... today we would spend the day with Dad's family ...

Klaus drove us to Gmunden to Wolfgang and Franz's home ...

We still managed to stop at a few places ... along the way ...

to check out fishing spots of the Traun ...

We arrived at the Pucher home ... and had a visit with Wolfgang ...

his wife Grethe and Franz's wife Karin ...

Franz was returning home later from his trip to Italy ...

We would all get together later for dinner ...

The clock was ticking and we had to leave as we had reservations for lunch ...

at Gasthof Engelhof near Gmunden ...

The atmosphere was warm and it felt like home ... loved the 1873 wine press ...

We thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Wolfgang and Grethe ...

Wolfgang brought us up to date with the family history on Dad's side ...

and with the history of this beautiful area ...

Our meal was extraordinary ... !!! So delicious ... !!!

More special adventures on the itinerary for us today ...

 

Dinner at Regina's ...

May 21, 2016

We had a delicious dinner with all our cousins ...

and so much fun ... visiting ... reminiscing about earlier times ...

talking ... laughing ... and of course eating and drinking ...

Oma and Tante Paula had already gone home ... so they missed out on the picture ...

In the back row is Harald ... Heike ... Klaus ... Thomas ...

Mike ... myself ... Resi ... Sabine ... Regina and Hans ...

We had a fabulous time ... !!!

 

Family from Vienna ...

May 21, 2016

Doris and Ernst were heading back to Vienna later in the afternoon ...

So we decided to go for a walk on the path along the Traun River ... for some exercise ...

We were also on the lookout for the good pools for fishing ...

We saw a fisherman out in the river ... and he did catch a Rainbow Trout ...

We did see a Pike in one of the pools ...

After our walk ...

we went to Bader for lunch ...

Klaus was not able to stay as he had to go to work ...

Ida and Paul had gone to the play area ... playing while waiting for their food ...

When we arrived back at Resi's ... she was busy making little braided breads ...

I was so excited to help her and learn how to form these breads ...

Each one was placed on a cookie sheet and sprinkled with rock salt and poppyseeds ...

Ida also wanted to learn how to make them ... sooooo ... I was delighted to show her how ...

We had fun making their little braided breads ....

Resi shared her diagram of how to shape the dough ...

Perfectly baked and taken out of the oven ...

Ready to take to Regina's house for dinner this evening ...

A lovely picture of the family ...

taken before they traveled back to Vienna ...

 

 

Families Together ...

May 20, 2016

Doris and Paul came from Vienna by train ...

Ernst and Ida were arriving later ...

driving from Vienna for all of us to go for dinner ...

The cousins Thomas and Paul had fun playing outside in the warm weather ...

They were so excited when Doris filled a tub with water ... !!!

Hilda came by in the morning ...

with a box of fresh made ...

"Traditional österreichische Bauernkrapfen" ...

(Austria Farmer's Doughnut) it is very light ... and tasty ... !!!

It was a beautiful day to be outside ...

the Rhododendron Plant was starting to bloom ...

Absolutely a beautiful flower ... !!!

A few families gathered together for an evening at the Bauernhof (farmhouse)...

"Gut auf der Haberhaide"

All of us together ... missing the two families that were not able to make it ...

we would be spending time with them on another day ...

Our meal was a cold plate ... fresh bread and rolls ...

variety of meats ... cheeses ... and condiments ...

served on a piece of birchwood ...

The beverage of choice was an "Apfelmost" (Apple Cider) Spritzer ...

We spent hours ... eating ... drinking ... visiting ... talking ... laughing ...

just having a super good time ... !!!

❤️

My sister Susie and mom in Austria ... 1976

You are always in our thoughts ...

Sending our love ...

January 18, 1956 - June 25, 1977

 

 

Special Visit for Oma ...

May 19, 2016

This day began with visiting a very dear friend of Oma's ...

Franz and Oma were schoolmates ...

and Oma knew Mitzi and her family all of her life ...

they used to walk by her house every time they went to town ...

Franz also read a letter from another friend of theirs ... who became the Mayor of Vorchdorf ...

the letter contains memories of their childhood ... and was read at their 2006 School Reunion ...

We also enjoyed a lovely luncheon and I was fascinated with Franz's fly-tying station ...

Franz loves fly-fishing ... as well as tying flies at any moment he has available ...

a true passion of his ...

Franz wants to take me fishing the next time we travel back to Austria ...

The three of us decided to go out for dinner ...

going to one of Oma's favourite restaurants ...

Oma and I ordered the same meal of "Kasnockerl"

(cheese with homemade pasta) ... for the main course ...

then we shared dessert ... a dish of "Mohnnudeln" ...

(poppyseed potato noodles served with plum sauce)

Oh my ... it was sooooooo delicious ... !!!

We arrived back at Klaus & Resi's ...

in time to see our cousin Horst ... (Klaus's brother) ...

the guys were already indulging in some beer and schnapps ...

I do believe Oma had a sip ... for medicinal purposes ... after our rich meal ...

Thomas had arrived to stay with his Oma & Opa overnight ...

he is a charming little lad ...

We had a great time visiting ...

 

Our Day Continues ...

May 18, 2016

Our day continued ... after our search of fishing spots ... picking up Resi ...

then driving to Gmunden ...

stopping at the Gmundner Ceramic (Ceramic) Factory and store ...

It was an amazing place ...

We purchased a few more dishes to add to our dinnerware set ...

We travelled to the downtown area ...

walking along the Esplanade (lakefront walkway) by the Traunsee Lake ...

taking pictures of the Grunberg (Green Mountain) and the Traunstein in behind ...

the tour boat on the calm waters ...

and Schloss Orth (an Austrian Castle) on the little island ...

We stopped to have a break and enjoy our ice-cream ...

while walking on the Esplanade ...

More pictures of the city ...

One of the favourite sights in the central plaza ...

was the beautiful green building ...

which is the City Hall ... with the Glockenspiel (bell clock) ...

the bells ring every hour until 7pm ... with the last on of the day playing a lullaby)

We spent a few hours there ... seeing the sights ...

then we continued on our journey ...

We were invited to Gerald and Doris's home for dinner ...

They have a lovely home ... the children were excited to show us their chickens ...

and one of Gerald's prize possessions...

is his All-wheel drive Military Troop Transporter...

Thomas was enjoying seeing himself singing on Tante Ida's iPad ...

Tante Paula joined in with laughter ...

We were later entertained by the children ... playing music ...

Andrea playing the Clarinet ... Maria played a song on the keyboard ...

and Thomas playing a tune on the harmonica ...

A beautiful sunset viewed from the back yard ...

the guys checking out a few things in the garage ...

then we all gathered indoors to enjoy a delicious dessert with fresh strawberries ...

We had a great time with the family ...

and hoped that we could get together again ...

during our holiday ...