So, as I said in the last post, we are back in Gosau...and it has been amazing! The last three evenings have been just getting better and better. The first evening we went out for supper at the Kirchenwirt. As we walked up we could hear the music playing and knew it was going to be good. What we didn't know was how good it would be. The first image is of Kasespatzle, the Austrian version of macaroni and cheese (but WAY BETTER).
The next photo is Rowan's meal, which was also delicious beyond belief... schnitzel and butter spatzle all drowned in a pfefferalm sauce (a creamy mushroom and pepper sauce).
While enjoying this food we were treated to live music and traditional dances by a group of young folks. There were descriptions of each dance, and though it was all in german so we couldn't understand, they were still wonderful to see. Particularly they had some "slappy" dances where the males would circle while slapping their legs and feet in rhythm (through the night these dances dissoled into silly slap-fighting "dances"). After the meal, the ladies went around offering a variety of schnapps to everyone that was eating there. When most of the patrons had left, Rowan went up to a group of the performers that were still on the stage to ask for a sample of the special schnapps in a wee barrel (carried over the alps around the neck of a St. Bernard dog), and was treated to a dance... after which we both joined them for more drinking, singing, and some broken conversation.
The next evening was spent at a beer tent were a band was performing a variety of North American/UK songs and some people where two stepping to everything, even if it wasn't remotely country music. We met some people that we had seen the night before and shared a table and many beers with them. After some more beers and talking, we were invited to a grill party that they were hosting the following day. It started pouring rain during our time at the beer tent, but thankfully there was a free taxi service that was able to bring us to where we were staying.... which ended up being right next door to the people we had met (gotta love small towns).
This bring us to last night and the grill party. After a day in the field (yes, we've still been working amidst all of this), we walked through the back yard to the neighbours where a big fire was burning and coals were warming up on a hibachi. The landlady from the place we were staying also came over with some very special schnapps that she had made herself. It is a schnapps that is mostly made only in Austria and it comes from the fruit/pinecones of the Mountain Pine trees. SO GOOD! It's basically an alcoholic version of maple syrup (if maple syrup was more of a drink)
Anyways, I think I'll end my stories there and leave everyone with a few photos from our field work days.
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