Kalyn Michele: 2016

One of my best friends, Lauren, and her husband, Dirk, traveled from Colorado to Iceland to say "I do" and adventure around for a week. They then caught a flight south to spend time with our family and come along on a mini-trip to Austria with me and Brecken. The car was packed full, giving the impression that all on board would be taking a lengthy trip. The reality being that we were only going to be gone for three days. But hey, my ability to travel light doesn't come natural and is nearly impossible by the time I pack enough for the littlest lad in the group. Dirk and Brecken were backseat bros and nodded off throughout the drive or played games on their electronic devices. Lauren was my conversational co-pilot, leaving minimal dead air in-between us during the four hour drive.

Our first stop was Berchtesgaden, Germany. A town in the Bavarian Alps located just across the border from Austria. Surrounded by majestic mountains and crystal clear creeks and lakes, this area boasts natural beauty. While the scenic landscape alone is enough to lure travelers here, many tourists actually stop in this region to visit Hitler's "Eagle's Nest" or go deep into the ground to experience the salt mines. With limited time, we chose to go into the salt mines, thinking this would be more fun for Brecken. After purchasing tickets for the tour, we dressed in our mandatory mining jump suits and rode a train deep into the dimly lit, cold, underground. The best part of the tour was the wooden slides and a boat ride on the mirrored lake. Brecken was half terrified of the slide, as you can see in the picture below. His immediate response after we came to a halt at the bottom of the fast slide was, "mommy, I go home now." Discovering the salt mines was an educational thrill that gave us ample information and amusement without being another mundane tour.

We made it to Abtenau, Austria where we rented and apartment on the farm of Johann and Petra. I pulled into the driveway and was unsure as to whether or not we were at the correct address. Johann walked towards our car, smiling, waving, and greeted us with a jovial Grüß Gott (may God greet you). Our stay on his organic farm was a slice of goodness.

One day of our trip was spent in Hallstatt and the other day in Salzburg. Staying in Abtenau set us in-between both of these locations and amidst green fields, grazing cows, and a backdrop of brilliant mountains. The small town of Hallstatt sits along the calm waters of Hallstatt Lake. Wooden homes line the town giving it a charming appearance. There is an allure here; tourists seeking an escape from the bustle of everyday life to seek out a place that represents storybook features. To get the best views of this town, glide along the water in a rented electric boat or take the funicular up to an overlook.

Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and the filming location for the famous musical, The Sound of Music. We parked near the Mirabell Gardens and slowly made our way through the gardens and onto the bridge spanning the Salzach River. Standing on the bridge my eyes gazed upwards to the clifftop fortress perched high above the old city. Church bells rang, classical music wafted through open windows, and horse hooves clopped through the cobblestone streets as carriages carried tourists here and there. Weaving through streets we ended up on the famous, Getreidegasse, easily recognized by its tall, narrow buildings with wrought iron signs. A small city with a slow-paced speed, Salzburg is lovely and quite manageable for those on a tight time schedule.

Travel Notes

Accommodations
Organic Farm Stay This apartment was wonderful and is separate from the owners home. The wood work throughout the apartment was crafted by Johann himself and it's obvious how much pride he takes in his property. He has a barn full of toys for children as well as ponies, cows, kittens, and bunnies.

Salzbergwerk Berchtesgaden
Salzbergwerk Website to access information on opening times, FAQ's, address, pricing, and online ticket purchase. There were a few children under the age of two on the tour, however, baby carriers are not permitted.

Itinerary- 4 days and 3 nights

Day 1

Depart Stuttgart by 7:30am and arrive in Berchtesgaden by 11:30am
Tour Salzbergwerk
Drive from Salzbergwerk to Lake Konigssee
Early dinner and ice cream at Lake Konigssee
Drive to apartment rental in Abtenau, Austria
Check-in
Find a grocery store to stock up!
Relax for the night and map out activities for the following days

Day 2

Breakfast at the apartment
Tour of the organic farm
Drive from Abetenau to Hallsatt (Beautiful 40 minute drive through the mountains)
Walk the streets of Hallsatt
Rent a boat and cruise around the Lake
Take the funicular up to the observation overlook deck
Return to the apartment rental to cook dinner and gear up for a day in Salzburg

Day 3

Breakfast at the apartment
Drive from Abtenau to Salzburg (25 minutes)
Walk through Mirabell Gardens
Cross the bridge into the Altstadt
Roam through Getreidegasse
Buy mozartkugels!
Lunch outside at Gasthaus Zwettlers
Roam the streets
Dinner at our apartment
Rest up for our drive back!

Day 4

Check-out and travel day

Ten years ago, I got my first glimpse of the Tuscan countryside while traveling from Milan to Florence. I was a college student at the time and in the country for educational purposes. A December visit didn't leave me with beautiful memories of abundant vineyards at harvest season given the bleak landscape and frigid temperatures. However, December landscape aside, the history, architecture, and wine make this area pretty spectacular.

Fast forward to present day and I found myself wanting to venture back here with my family. I knew there were parts of the area that I didn't fully see or appreciate ten years prior. This time around there were so many things I wanted to do differently. Such as, stay at a villa set amongst the vineyards and olive trees or wander around the small villages taking as much time as needed or have locals cook an authentic meal for us. And, the perk of this trip were the additional travel companions, Mom and Mark.

We picked up our rental car at the airport and drove to the town of Vinci, home of Leonardo da Vinci. Our car engine revved as it climbed a steep gravel road leading to the villa. The moon lended light in the dark of midnight for our arrival. Morning eventually came and brought much surprise as we awoke to see the landscape surrounding the property. A short walk through the garden made way to an outdoor terrace on a hillside overlooking acres of vineyards. Each morning we ventured to this serene spot for coffee and conversations. As mentioned earlier, my biggest wish of this trip was to have locals cook an authentic meal for us. With much research and many email messages later, I had successfully reserved this service for the second evening of our trip. Two Italian women arrived with baskets overflowing of fresh ingredients. They washed up, immediately started cooking, and moved around the unfamiliar kitchen with ease. They had so much passion for the local produce and were eager to show us just how wonderful it was. I stood in the kitchen, wine in hand, hanging onto every word as they told me all about their culture and cuisine. The food was so delicious and unforgettable.

While the villa was our peaceful haven, we did spend many hours away from it to mosey through Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano, Vinci, Lucca, and Viarregio. Each destination was unique in its own right and the immense historical, cultural, and artistic heritage of this region provided endless opportunities to explore, learn, and savor. Italy has stolen our hearts once again.

Travel Notes

Accommodations
Villa Betta Another awesome experience with an Airbnb rental. The villa was a mix of rustic/modern with a secluded backyard complete with a hot tub. It was centrally located to Florence, Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano, and Siena... just to name a few places. Who doesn't love wine and chocolate? The property manager greeted us with both, a really nice touch. The house came stocked with wines from a winery down the road, olive oil, and honey; all available for a small price per item.

In Home Chef
Chef In Tuscany is ran by owner Graziella and her small staff of chefs. They offer in-home chefs, wine tastings, and cooking lessons. There are select menus to choose from and are available for viewing on the website. Pricing came to 60 euros per adult and included 2 bottles of wine, a five course meal, and limoncello. Factor in the experience if you have reservations about this price. It was especially nice to have such high quality service and food all in the comforts of the villa. Let's be real, I wouldn't want our toddler in a fancy restaurant sitting through a five course meal so this option was perfect for us.

Literature
With so many sights to see, it can be overwhelming to know what to see or where to go. I've purchased travel books in the past but found a great selection at my local library. The Tuscany region travel book came with us for the trip and was extremely helpful to reference while we were out and about.

Florence
This is the capital of the Tuscany Region and a must-see city. We flew in and out of Florence and rented a car for the duration of our trip. We had an evening flight home and spent the afternoon in Florence to peek around and have lunch here before our return flight. This is no way enough time in the city but since I had been here years prior and had seen all of the sights, it was okay for me to not spend a few days. We had a great lunch at Casa Del Vin Santo where we watched Mario make pizzas. He was a skilled pizza artist and quite entertaining. Isn't it a breath of fresh air to watch someone love their job and take pride in it? Afterwards we stopped in a gelato cafe and ordered 2 cups of gelato at the tune of 20 euros. Thankfully they were heaping, but still.... All over Europe I have never paid more than 1.50 for a scoop of gelato. With no prices listed, I just assumed it was the same price. wrong. Buyers beware, ask in advance!

Pisa
As recommended by a friend, we were in and out of Pisa just long enough to see the leaning tower with our own eyes. It's magnificent to see and to read the history and restoration process of the tower. I'm glad we stopped there but after being in the quaint hills of Vinci, the crowds were a bit much.

San Gimignano
We loved this walled medieval town that's known for its towers. There are wonderful shops lined along the street selling everything from wild boar salami, vernaccia wine, olive wood cutting boards, pinocchio figurines, and beautiful linens. Ricca Pizza had some of the best pizza we've ever had. We circled back at the end of the day to order a large one to take along with us before departing this gem of a town.

Vinci
Since our villa sat above the hills of Vinci, we were too close not to take the time to walk through the birthplace of Leonardo and spend time at the Museo Leonardiano.

Lucca
This city has Renaissance walls that encircle its historic center. You will see people walking or riding bikes along the top of the ancient tree-lined walls. Make your way to the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, once an amphitheater during Roman times. Today, take a seat at one of the many restaurants located in this space.

Itinerary- 5 days and 4 nights