Swimmen in dem Badesee!

Yesterday we walked up to the Badesee, a swimming lake between Bad Hofgastein and Bad Gastein.  It is a 40 minute walk from the apartment along the Achen River.  I like the water but Doris loves the water.  Ever time we get near any body of water – stream, lake, sea or a large puddle – she has to go in.  As soon as we arrived Doris was in the water – she wanted to swim to the other end of the lake and back  - we did.  Doris is graceful and quick in the water like an otter. I, on the other hand, swim with the grace of a rock being dragged through the water. The Badesee is a beautiful, little lake surrounded by mountains.  The water is clear and cold.  It is shaped roughly like a kidney bean – 100 meters wide and a half of a kilometer long.  It has a grassy bank and thick reeds at the far end of the lake.  There is a diving platform in the middle of the lake with two diving boards.  It was covered with children as thick a ticks on a hound dog.  One would dive or jump off and two more would appear. The sun was warm with a cool breeze – a perfect day.  After swimming we sat in the sun.  We read or talked or sat quietly and enjoyed the beauty of the day – we even dozed off a time of two.  There is a small restaurant at the lake with white sand covering the floor– a Tiki Bar Austrian style.  The tables in the bar were built from solid slabs cut from a single huge tree.  All of the craftsmanship here is extra-ordinary, especially the woodwork.  After a pleasant afternoon at the lake, we came home and ate supper on the balcony – always a beautiful view.  We then walked into town for a wi-fi hookup.  The free wi-fi provided by the town sucks.  It is hard to find a good hotspot so we have to keep moving around.  Even when we get access, we keep losing the signal.  It’s very frustrating.  We have decided to hit one of the coffee shops that have “free” wi-fi.  For the price of a cup of coffee, we can get a good reliable wi-fi connection and Doris can enjoy a cup of excellent coffee - maybe we can even share a strudel - yummmy.   On the way home, we stopped at the free concert for a few minutes.  They have one every day from 4-5 pm and 8-9 pm.  Last night it was classical music – very lovely.   We then walked across the park, admiring the meditation garden on the way.  We stayed up until 11 pm watching the news and then off to bed – vacation in paradise.