Thursday, July 11
Contributed by: Margaret Zampini
Wolfgang Dirisamer met us this morning at our Hotel in Linz after our usual McDonald's breakfast delivered by Stan, who, by the way has done an outstanding job of taking care of all five woman on this trip! We will have to devote an entire blog to Stan entitled "An Officer and a Gentleman" to commend him publicly for his services.Wolfgang generously invited us to his lake house, and along the way we stopped at the Kaufmanns and Handels Museum, an amazing General Store from the early 1900's.
We toured the museum and bought some candies, and while we were touring, were invited to visit the Toy Museum next door. The museum housed the largest collection of antique movable toys and musical organs any of us had ever seen - all in working order! The owner, Erwin Rechberger, hereafter known as Geppetto, treated us to a private tour of his collection. He started up several of the moving toys and musical pieces, including a large organ valued at 2 million Euros.What a unique and magical once in a lifetime experience!
We proceeded to Wolfgang's lake house, where his wife Agnes, daughter Nora and mother Barbara (Wette) Dirasimer awaited.
Wetti is Rosa's younger sister who is 88 years old. The wonderful smells of freshly baked buns with apricot preserves and apricot cake met us at the door as we warmly greeted Agnes, Nora and Wette.
Over coffee, after a tour of the beautiful country home, Wette presented Mom with a copy of a collage created by her late husband, Tony. On the collage we discovered pictures of Rosa's and Oscar's marriage from 1947, and the farewell picture of Rosa and Oscar leaving with Pepe and Mitzi to the United States in 1946 and a picture of Mitzi's doll that she lost in her luggage on the plane over!
We were invited to lunch at the Anderswo Restaurant, opened up just for us, for a delicious lunch of cheese dumpling soup, roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut and Beer with lemonade - finally, a beer Margaret likes!
After lunch, we went back to the house for coffee and cake, served outside. Shirley and Wette enjoyed some relaxation in matching lounge chairs.
We met the Scottish Highlander cows that live on the nearby farm. We loved their hair styles!
Wolfgang kindly drove Teresa, Margaret and Tori to the Leitner Linen Manufacturer nearby to select our "Austrian Apple Strudel Cloths." We were told there is actually no such thing, and that any small tablecloth can be used. But we found beautiful linen tablecloths made locally by the Leitner company to bring back home for making strudel.
Back at the house, we took a hike at dusk around a nearby lake and children's summer camp.
Nora gave each of us an individual Lintzer tart with a hand made angel ornament so that we will always remember our visit.
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