July 5
The Hotel Rosenvilla has a wonderful breakfast of many cheeses; dark breads and crackers; kiwi, oranges, and other fruits; made-to-order omelets; a wide array of juices; and delicious sweets. We had a relaxing breakfast with the whole crew, who wandered according to when they had gone to sleep (the last were the cousins who partied until 4 a.m.)
Then, some of us toured the Salzburg castle,
which sits high above the town with a stunning view of the countryside. Lots of interesting artifacts inside, including an example of the medal of the Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd Class, which was awarded to my ancestor Simon Biedermann when he was knighted by Kaiser-Emperor Franz Josef in 1860.Thirty family members fêted at the Winkler Fish Restaurant at the beautiful Wallersee. There were a lot of people who hadn't seen each other in many years and also those who had never met before. The fish and other dishes were delicious, and lots of us were big fans of the palatschinken (crepes), but I especially enjoyed my dessert of "blueberry pockets."
Our family magician, Thimon von Berlepsch, put on a spectacular show with feats of magic that boggled our imaginations--card tricks far beyond the usual parlor-trick fare; mind-reading mastery; objects appearing and disappearing in creative, unusual ways; time-bending phenomena; an
d jaw-dropping illusions.
