Sunday in Leongang

A gondola delivers us to the top of Asitz mountain in Leongang. This is Klaus' home ski area. At this time of year, it is hiker and biker heaven.

We're almost delivered to the top of the mountain.

There are two restaurants up here. Only one is open.

The men's toilets are unique.

Four of us take the gondola back down. 

Klaus takes the other four on another gondola to the midstation for a hike. They get some amazing scenery.

The hotel's owner Rupert retrieves us and returns the group to the village of Leongang.

As we tumble from the van, Rupert rejoins his posse on the patio. It appears they've been carousing most of this holiday day. These must be the owners of Leongang. There is a Ferrari and two different high-end Jaguars.

We repeat the drill of wine selection this evening. The only rule is there can be no duplicates from last evening.

The menu begs for white wines, our taste buds beg for red.

The cocktail class was originally scheduled in the afternoon. Klaus moved it to after dinner. The five people catching the 0600 train for next week's wine tour will regret the move.

This is our cocktail teacher.

To Leongang

The train is a regional train, not the high speed we normally take. We forgot how noisy, bumpy, and rocking a normal train can be.

The three-hour ride to Salzburg is unremarkable. After Salzburg, the scenery becomes increasingly beautiful as we climb into the Alps following a river through a valley. Just as CJ is remarking this would be a beautiful river for whitewater rafting, canoeing, and kayaking, he spies two rafts.

We are climbing into the Alps.

We pass Zell am See and its picturesque lake.

Our suite is gorgeous. It has a large sitting area, two balconies both with mountain views and in different directions. It has a king comfortable bed, shower, double vanity and a walk-in wardrobe not that we need it.

Our small group of nine assemble for welcome cocktails. Klaus arrives with a double magnum (3L) of a Austrian sparkling rose.

After drinks we have a cooking class with Elizabeth. She is one of the owner's daughters.

Dinner is part of the package and is a set menu. Each couple must purchase a bottle of wine to be shared with dinner.

The restaurant decants with the most unusual decanters. These decanters are designed to serve single pours when used by someone trained in their use.

Cooking Class and Wine

There is a famous chef in the region. Our host, Toni Mörwald is on the right. Wine maker Florian Bauer on the left. We met Josef Bauer at a tasting in D.C. He was a delightful fellow we chatted with for a long time. With Florian now in charge, today he's consigned his father to working in the vineyard while he has the easy job of serving us wine throughout the event.

We are treated to a cooking 'class' at his restaurant. The class quickly turns into a kitchen full of new amateur chefs. We split into teams. Carol is on the pastry team making apple strudel. CJ and Ed are pounding down veal for use in wiener Schinzel.

Klaus and chef.

The breading the schnitty assembly line. Ed joined the line to ensure our good work at pounding down the veal loins was properly transformed.

The pastry chefs get the cooler area. The rest of us labor in a hot kitchen. Following the cooking, we dine on our creations to several Florian Bauer wines.

CJ gets to this point before his back forces him to abandon the tour of Grafenegg Castle. He didn't miss much. We toured this castle in 2019 on the Danube cruise with Tauck and Klaus.

On the grounds of the castle, Austria's version of Wolf Trap, the American outdoor concert hall in Northern Virginia.

The entrance to Old Town Krems.

Another example of CJ's lifelong battle with the word 'moderation'; a liter stein of dunkel.

While the group is being given a guided tour of Krems, we spend two hours watching what can best be described as "how many Austrian's does it take to change a lightbulb" OR "The Keystone Cops meet the Three Stooges." Nine men are debating and attempting to do something. After watching them for two hours and laughing ourselves silly as they move furniture, plants, have doors bang up against things they've moved in front of the door and seemingly being content with their labors, about five different times, we depart having NO IDEA what they were attempting to accomplish.

After a long day, dinner is another wine tasting dinner at Müller-Grossmann. Our host is Marlies Heuriger "assisted" by her children and husband. At least six wines are served with dinner.