Day 49: Hallstatt! (July 2):

   Well, today, we woke up early to say goodbye to our friends. It was sad. They were so great! We drive 1 1/2 hours to Halstatt, a cute, ancient little town, built right on the mountainside of a large lake. We don't get too far along the drive, before we stop for an adventure.

 Don't let the pictures fool you, the water is freezing! Snow melt. The kids are promised two scoops of ice cream if they swim.

Ashy's face says it all. It's cold!

Ok., she doesn't know she's cute, does she?

Tanner & I don't win a double scoop ice cream cone.

     People have lived in Halstatt centuries before Christ, mining salt. You can take salt mine tours, but Tanner is too young. We find a cool park with a water slide ending right into the lake, a rope swing, a diving board and a zip line ( another favorite European park feature - Benson wants to put one in our yard).

 There was a huge lake! I didn't get in because it was freezing. But one time, Dallin went on a diving board and did a back flip on his face! Now there is a huge red circle on his chin! 

It started to rain, so everybody left, but we stayed at the park.

It starts pouring down rain, so we leave the park. The rain lets up, so Dallin, Peyton, Benson and I walk through the cute little town 

 

and find a church with a small cemetery. So small in fact, that the bodies only stay in the ground for 10-12 years, and then they are dug up, completely dried, and someone paints their name, dates, and a design on the skull, and places them in a small bone chapel behind the church. 

 

We run back to the car to get home to relax and play. Later, we rode a horse at the hotel.

 Tonight, there is a HUGE rain, thunder, lightening storm! We feel like we are right up in the middle of the storm.