Today was the real start of my holiday and an EXCELLENT day. It didn't really start until 1pm as I spent the morning sorting out some travel details (my German bank put a hold on my credit card because I was trying to use it Austria...huh???) and of course tackling the monumental re-packing of the car. It took a good two hours but I tell you, I felt like Linda Hamilton in T2 as I drove away. I am lean, mean and can handle anything! Of course I'm none to lean these days, but no matter. In my head I was all...
(sorry to lop over your arm, Linda, but I don't do guns...even when imagining myself as a bad**s)
Carbon and I went to Gut Aiderbichl, which is billed as an "Animal Paradise" and has mainly farm animals at this location. It was a big day for alpacas AND llamas. Many of the animal residents, including the llamas, donkeys and mini-horses wander around freely. The donkey's were the funniest, with a couple of them getting VERY cheeky with Carbon by coming up behind him and giving him a butt sniff! I talked to one of the careers and she said that donkeys were the Labradors of the equine world...always hungry and always hunting down food. Right on cue, a colleague handed her a stack of empty plastic donkey bowls and Carbon and five donkeys where all vying to try to stick their noses in at once!
The only animal Carbon WASN'T so good with was the bunnies - ironically given how much he loves his own (stuffed) bunny. He just quivered with excitement and even with the old "See the puppy" LAT standby, I couldn't get him within 10 feet of the bunny run. I use "See the puppy" with every animal and I swear that Carbon rolled his eyes particularly hard when I referred to the pigs as puppies. "Hombre, you have a very weird idea of what a PUPPY is," he seemed to be saying.
He also fell in love with horse nail trimmings in the horse barn. We spent a good 10 minutes just walking back and forth in the horse stalls with me saying, "Don't touch" and "Take it" but really...resistance is futile. This dog is a canine Dyson. Sigh.
Gut Aiderbichl also has a fabulous completely enclosed dog run that is open to dog visitors. It's green and with trees and a little pond. Amazing Austrian farm views to one side, the Alps and goats to left. That was Carbon's favourite part of the day. His new game is to run like a mad dog away from me, stop, turn around, stare at me for a couple sections and then run back - again- like a mad dog. Essentially he's voluntarily offering recall over and over and over again...for treats. I barely have a chance to shout out "Here!" and he's barreling towards me again. Now if he's nose down sniffing something and I call "Here!" does he come? Ummm.... probably not. But the game "Here!" he can do FOREVER.
OK, then finally we got to our adorable little apartment in a farmhouse. No one around when we got here but we were greeted by a magnificent black flock guardian (breed: BIG BIG DOG). I knocked and walked into the house but all was dark. Then another teeny terrier dog came out of the neighbouring house and started to bark like crazy and luckily THAT brought the owner of the farmhouse out.
The woman who came out could have been my twin. It was really kind of disconcerting and I tried hard not to stare at her. But really...dress me up as a robust farm woman and wash my make up off and that was me. Or I was her. Either way, I definitely have an Austrian dairy farm/hotelier doppelgänger!
Austrians are known for their sense of humour and my hostess proved that to be true. She thought Carbon was a complete hoot, even when he dove into the farm's creamery and STUCK HIS HEAD IN A BUCKET OF RAW FRESH MILK. The embarrassment! But the hostess thought it was hysterical and luckily I realised afterwards that the bucket of milk is actually on the floor in the creamery for the two dogs and assorted cats. Whew.
The flat is lovely with a beautiful view of the Alps from both the living room and the bedroom. I'm all set for Venice tomorrow in terms of reservations and even though I'm going to have to re-pack (again) for the fact that I'll be on foot and away from the luxury storage of the car for four days, I'm going to do it tomorrow morning. Now it's bedtime and I so need a recharge to tackle the six hour drive tomorrow.
Bottom line: it was a great day. Venice, here we come!
A few photos coming up, then off to bed for me. Carbon has been sacked out for two hours already.
He's a better lambie counter than I am.
