The Country

After a couple of train rides through some beautiful snowy countryside of Germany and Austria and then a winding car ride, we made it to Hotel Hammerschmiede near the town of Anthering, outside of Salzburg. It is a "de wold" type of place meaning something like it is in nature rather than in the city, and lies in a valley that reminds me of the hollow of a hand. It was built in the mid 1800s and owned by a hammersmith/blacksmith. The Austrian businesswoman who picked us up at the train station bought this place thirty years ago and turned it into a hotel and conference center. Here are a couple of pics.