Hallstatt, Austria

<p>I'm exhausted and heading to Vienna for the day tomorrow morning. Enjoy the pics of Hallstatt, the ice cave and paragliding before I do a write-up</p>
<p>Update:</p>
<p>We went to the mountains of Hallstat and toured ice caves and the limestone alps. Along the way we befriended a man carrying a barrel the way a St. Bernard would if it were going to save your life. He pulled out a miniature barrel which he explained as being made of acorn. We all resisted taking alcohol from this strange and kind Austrian, but the cincher was that he happened to have the exact number of shot glasses as there were members in the party. We obliged and the schnapps hit like Windex... or what I imagine wind ex would taste like; cultural traditions be damned.

Hallstat happens to have a phenominal outdoor park. While US recreatiin centers are confined by brands of mass produced playground equipment that has been deemed safe by attourneys, Austria has no such restrictions. ;) I started with an unsupervised zip line that just happened to look as though it would end in the lake of one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the world.

All of this was even possible by dumb luck. Rooms in Hallstadt are prohibitively expensive and booked months in advance. We happened upon a condo which the gracious propieter was kind enough to book us for €25 a night in a rental that was about to be occupied saving our collective asses, seeing as how there were no other options in Hallstatt and sleeping outside is out of the question. This quaint little abode had a peach tree growing like a vine on the side of the building and a little river running through the neighborhood on the other side. Simply waking up in the morning and ungathering the blinds produces an effect of awe that is tantamount to being situated at mountain's base camp. The silouhette of unconquered wilderness stands staggeringly high, beckoning to be summited.