On Sunday morning we all got up, ate breakfast, and headed to the train station. We got loaded up and started the 4.5 hour train trip to Villach, Austria. It was a beautiful train trip. We went through the alps in the region, and so there were towering mountains around us. There were beautiful valleys with towns in them. We went through a few tunnels, some of which were rather long, and saw waterfalls along the way. When we arrived in Villach we then changed trains and took a local train for an hour to the next town, Hermagor, where were were picked up tin taxis to be taken up to the resort. The taxi driver we had was a speed demon. She must have been a race car driver in another life. She FLEW up the mountain. And this mountain had a lot of curves to it. She never slowed down and was using both lanes of the road when she could to get up the mountain as quickly as possible.
Then we arrived at the resort. We were staying the week at the Hotel Gartner Kofel. It is located in a ski area. This was an all inclusive resort week. There were lots of activities to do all week, and so much food. We got checked in and headed to our rooms. When we got to our room we found that our girls didn’t have bunk beds like we had requested, so we called the front desk, and they immediately apologized and moved us to a room with bunk beds that was just down the hall. The room was big. It had two bedrooms, a toilet closet, a shower room, a sitting room and a balcony to sit at. We then wandered around some. My family took the ski lift up the mountain and looked around a little. Then we did a hike down the mountain back to the hotel. Then headed to dinner. It was a buffet that had a lot of tasty food and good desserts.
Monday we woke up and had a mice breakfast buffet. There was plenty to choose from so we all had something we like. We ate as a full family of all 10 of us. We had assigned seating for breakfast and dinner each day. My father and I took the ski lift up the mountain to look around. My mom, “B”, “G”, and “A” went and did yoga on the mountain. My brother and his family were also at the top when my dad and I were up there. So we hung around together for a while. It started to sprinkle a bit while we were up there. My dad and I agreed that it looked like it would be a nice place to take some pictures later. We met up for lunch, which was a low key buffet. They had some good pulled pork. Then just my family went for a walk to Italy. Yes, we were so close to the boarder with Italy that we were able to walk there. There was a nice lake just on the other side of the boarder and so we walked there and then hiked through the woods some. It was nice, but a little muddy in places. Then we made it back to the hotel in time for dinner. It was another very tasty dinner and dessert.
Tuesday after breakfast we were planning to do family pictures, but it was raining and so we were able to move that to the afternoon. So we spent the morning playing cards and relaxing some before lunch. My 3 ladies had signed up for paddle boarding that day as well; the issue was that the lake where it was happening was a 25 minute drive from the hotel. We weren’t sure how we were getting there, so we asked the day before and the hotel said that because of when the paddle boarding was occurring that we could borrow one of the hotel shuttle vans. So, I drove my girls and my parents to the lake. I got to drive down the mountain, and it was intense at times. I didn’t drive nearly as fast as our taxi driver did on Sunday. We got there and the ladies had a great time.
My dad and I took our large format cameras along with us. My dad found an issue with his camera and wasn’t able to take any pictures that that was a bummer. I was able to take one though with my new camera. I don’t have the film developed yet, but we’ll see how that goes. Then we headed back up the hill to the hotel. The girls and I headed straight to archery and they were doing a “competition” for the adults and the kids. I haven’t shot a bow and arrow in who knows how long, but I ended up doing ok. Out of the 6 adults I came in second. “A” came in second of the 6 kids as well. Then we got changed and headed to the lake in Italy to get the family pictures done. We met the photographer and she took us to a few spots around the lake to get pictures of all of us. This was a special present “B” thought of for my parents for their 50th wedding anniversary. I don’t have the images yet, but it was a beautiful afternoon and so I am sure they will turn out lovely. Then back to the hotel for dinner. This night was a set meal, rather than a buffet, and it was delicious. Then off to bed.
Wednesday “B”, “A”, “G”, and I signed up to do an adventurous hike. This was listed as a 5 hour hike with 780 meters (over 2200 ft) of elevation gain over 7.8km (just under 5 miles). We were also told that it had great views. We were driven into Italy to the side of the road with a few other people and a guide. This hike was intense. We hiked up over a 1000ft in less than a mile according to my Garmin watch. It was easily the steepest hiking I have ever done. At times I wasn’t convinced it was a path at all, but I knew it was. There was even a section where we had to use chains to climb up rocks. But the views were worth it.
These are just some of the views. We made it to the top finally, and there was a book to sign and a bell.
Then we headed down a different route to end at a picnic area where everyone from the resort was. We met up with the rest of my family and had a massive picnic meal of: chicken, fish, sausages, beef, salad, corn, and potatoes. Then for dessert there was a bread “thing” that they added rum to if you wanted it. The owner was there and everyone was told that he would add rum until you said “STOP” in proper Oxford English (we were the only native English speakers there I think), and he wasn’t lying. I saw many people getting a lot more rum than they wanted added to their desserts. I was able to avoid it thankfully. After lunch I chose to walk the 1.6 miles back to the hotel, and had a nice conversation with the person that lead archery the day before. The rest of my family took the tracker pulled trailer back. I then decided to head back up the mountain to see about taking more pictures with the large format camera. I took a few, but I missed the last ski lift down the mountain so I had to walk back down. So another 1.7 miles and 1000ft of elevation (but all downward). On my way down the mountain I saw a whole bunch of marmots. I did a lot of walking that day. Then we had dinner which was another lovely meal and desserts.
Thursday after breakfast we had decided to all meet up as a family at the top of the mountain to do the gravity coaster and the adventure park together. So we got up to the top and then took the gravity coaster part way down one side of the mountain (not the side I had been up and down an earlier in the week). The gravity coaster is exactly what it sounds like; it is powered only by gravity. You start at the top and then are released to go downward. You can control how fast you go with a lever that controls the brake, but that is it. It twists and turns, and along the way there was a speed-meter and when I went past it said I was going 39.6 kph (24.9 mph). It was a lot of fun. I would have done it again, but we only got 1 50% off pass and it wasn’t enough fun to do again. Once off that we went to the adventure park, which was included in our stay at the hotel, and this was a ropes and zip line park in the trees. After the initial training lesson we were allowed on he rest of the park, and it was a blast (at least for most of us). “B” wasn’t thrilled with it, but she was a troopers and tried a couple courses right away then took a break and did another at the end. “A”, “G”, and I went on a bunch of the courses there. It involved being in a harness the entire time and we had carabiners and zip line rollers that we were responsible for clipping and using during a course, and once you started a course you couldn’t get off since one of the attachments was not something you could updo once you hooked up. You had to continue to guide it through along a cable the entire time. There were zip lines between trees, there were wood bridges, and ropes to balance on and more. It was loads of fun (well some of the climbing things weren’t as much fun to me). My brother joined up with the girls and I toward the end after his kids were done and we did two of the more intense courses of zip lines. They were awesome. They were high up in the trees and the zip lines were fast and long. We also went over a kind of deep canyon section on these and that was cool. Normally height bother me a bit, but not on these at all. I am sure it was because I knew there was no way I could fall to the ground.
Once we were done there we headed back toward to gondola to try and get back to the hotel. My brother mentioned that the area had a track or pulled trailer that was faster back to the hotel than taking the gondola up the mountain and another ski lift back down so that was our plan. On our way it started to pour, and I mean really pour. The rain was intense. We ran to the trailer (which was covered it open on one side) and then we had to wait about 15 minutes before it headed out. “B” got soaked from the rain coming in at a 45-degree angle into the trailer while we waited. By the time we got to the hotel the rain had all but stopped. We had missed hot lunch and so we had sandwiches and some vegetable broth along with more desserts. The rest of the afternoon I hung out with “G” and my niece and nephew and my parents some. My dad was able to modify his camera enough to be able to take some pictures; that was a relief and a good thing. Then we got ready for dinner. That night I had duck and salmon. They were both amazing. This was a set meal, and the buffet was 50 different desserts. It was also AMAZING! I ate way too much and as a result had trouble sleeping (or it was jet lag). Then off to bed.
Friday “B” decided to do the sunrise hike starting at 4:30am.
Since I slept so poorly I chose not to go, but didn’t get any sleep after she left (in fact I wrote most of this post during the time she was hiking). We al met up for breakfast as usual. Then my brother, my wife, my mom, and my 2 kids went to a diary tour. They said it was very interesting. They to try everything from unpasteurized milk, whey, cheese curds, and a variety of aged cheese. They said it was very informative as well.
While they were doing that my dad and I went up to the top of the mountain and took a few pictures and also talked about modifications to the 3D camera. I had a very good time up there with him. Then back down for lunch. This day’s lunch had a Mediterranean theme, and I had musaka, spiced chicken, and spiced meatballs, along with veggies and such. It was delicious, and as I have everyday this week I ended with a spiced carrot cake that was amazing. After lunch it started raining so no outside stuff then. “B” rested, I did some laundry, and the kids played together at the indoor kid play area. Then we had to get packing done since we were leaving the next morning. Dinner time came and it was an amazing seafood buffet or a Thai Beef Curry. Most of us had the buffet. It was amazing. There was so much seafood. I had curry salmon, swordfish, tuna, shrimp, some other fish, and the ladies also had scallops, lobster, and so many other things. And to top it off the dessert was a brownie with raspberries and raspberry sauce and some other chocolate on it. It was all amazing. Then it was off to bed, eventually.
The next morning we had breakfast with my family one last time and then it was time for us to head out towards Salzburg for the next day and a half.
It was an amazing time at this resort. I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone that is looking for somewhere to vacation in the this area of Austria/Italy. It was a lot of fun, the rooms were great, the people were wonderful, the views were breathtaking, the activities were good, and the food was amazing.
Here are a couple food pictures
