Day Twelve: Friday, May 25

Dorfgastein was an absolute wonderland. The village was set in a green valley amongst the Austrian Alps. It was a very quiet little place. Businesses closed down early, traffic was light, and accommodations were cozy. In our bed and breakfast, called Pension Theresia, the family who hosted us was very kind and provided us with very nice rooms and a delicious breakfast. The husband, Fritz, was also very helpful in getting us to the gondola which we later took to the mountain on day two. Activities from the first night in Dorfgastein mostly centered around a run up and down one of the mountain roads with Dr. Demers’s son, Spencer, since I was too exhausted to do much else afterwards. I managed to find the energy to play some badminton (it was truly BADminton, as my performance was rather terrible), and get a short workout in the backyard of the bed & breakfast. The following morning, we were treated to a great Austrian breakfast, and then rode the gondola up the mountain. It seemed that the area got more and more beautiful as we neared the top. Here, I was able to get my absolute favorite photos thus far. The elevation of the highest peak we were able to access was 6,020 feet. The air was so cool and felt so good on my skin. I may or may not have taken a video with my best attempt at hitting the high notes of Julie Andrews classic, The Sound of Music from the opening scenes of the film. I can say with confidence that I was much higher than she (in elevation, not physiological state). I was able to play in what little snow remained on the mountaintop, navigate some of the narrow trails, and immerse myself in the beauty that surrounded me. Following this amazing experience was a fantastic meal, which provided the “cherry on top” of the day. After heading back down the mountain on the gondola, we relaxed at Pension Theresia a while longer before heading back to Salzburg.