Bad Ischl

Much better sleep thank goodness so felt more human today. And the sun came out so we could see the mountains!
After a delicious breakfast - lots of local products including home made jam, yogurt and bread - we caught the bus into Bad Ischl. The town is set among the mountains and has a summer palace built by the Kaiser.
We started with coffee and cakes sitting by the river and then went to explore the Kaiservilla. Having read about it, it seemed that the grounds would be the best part so just bought tickets for these. An added benefit, which we didn’t realise was included, were the large outdoor Ai Wei Wei installations - part of an exhibition. These installations were fabulous in themselves but also perfect in the setting of the grounds of the Kaiservilla
A quick lunch - delicious carrot soup with a drizzle of hazelnut oil for me - necessitated by the large number of wasps around. They were a real nuisance today and because I was wearing wide legged trousers I was really anxious about getting stung!
After travelling back on the bus, Richard and I sat in the garden and read our books while Toby had a rest. The hotel has a garden by a stream where I had a paddle. Haven’t tried the spa yet but hope to soon.
Dinner in town where most places were having their rest day but found an outside table at a pizza place which was very good. The wasps had gone to sleep by then which was a relief.
After eating we found an outdoor concert by the lake and sat there for a while listening and eating ice cream (banana - a rare treat!!).Read more