We get into a few scrapes but we take it with a grain of salt

Interesting rooflines

---

Magnus trying to be artsy here

Finishing a ride on the lake

---

Not only were the Chinese invading Hallstatt by bus but they were landing auxiliary troops at the opposite end of town by boat. I too would've like a cruise on the lake but with the day's weather it would've been a waste of money.

Cozy corner

---

We were taking pictures of everything. We even liked the looks of somebody's backyard.

No it's not Hallstatt's new waterslide

---

This extremely fast millrace powered a little water wheel further up the mountain. The water was crystal clear and ice cold.

A patch of blue

---

For just a few seconds the skies seemed to be clearing. Just a few minutes later it was pouring rain. And that last for just an instant.

Impatiently waiting for my Bosna

---

When the rain came just a few minutes later we were safe and dry under the snack kiosk's awning. The Bosna was great but it got even better the next day.

Back to the middle of Hallstatt

---

After lunch and some liquid refreshment we walked back through town taking still more photos. By now the bus groups had moved on and a less populated central square was available for picture taking.

Winodw shopping in the Salt House

---

We left the main street through town and investigated a parallel less-commercialized street where we came upon this shop. It was full of various kinds of salt and soap but the prices were geared toward the bus tour crowd. We passed and shopped elsewhere,

Meanwhile Gail starts her career with Travel & Leisure magazine

---

Gail set a personal record (soon to be broken) for the most photos taken in one day. She took a picture of everything that existed in Hallstatt.

Another work of art for the album

---

Courtesy of Gail

A river runs through it.

---

Here was another mountain stream coming off the mountain and flowing through and under the streets of Hallstatt. In summer it works like outdoor air conditioning to keep things cool.

Such a pretty little place

---

Imagine living in that highest house and needing a new fridge. I often wonder how they hauled the materials up there to build places like this.

You wouldn't know it but these two are huuuuuge stars in Shanghai

---

I had a ringside seat watching these two fashionistas posing and re-posing for selfie after selfie as well as having their friend snap away like this was a fashion shoot for China Today. They were relentless.

"We need to get the right exposure on these shots"

---

Gail had her back to the glamour shot session but I watched every painful second of these two wannabee top fashion models preening and strutting for their own cameras.

Meanwhile...

---

Perhaps I was being a tad too obvious with my fascination with these two Chinese tourist/models but I couldn't stop watching. Gail had her back to the action so instead she spent the next half hour taking a million pictures of the swans on the lake.

Swan song

---

The swans spend their lives begging for scraps along the shoreline. The smartest and strongest hang out near the Biergarten adjoining the lake.

We are truly blessed

---

Imagine my joy and elation when the pair of poseurs I had been studying so intently decided to take a seat right behind Gail in the beer garden.

Take a close look at the "studio" setup

---

Now you might be questioning my obsession with these two but I have never seen two more self-obsessed people in my life. Not only had they been taking hundreds of photos of each other and selfies, now they had set-up their cellphone cameras on selfie sticks with tripods in order to take video of themselves. This camera was for the close-ups. There was another set up the same way off to the far left at another table. They are damned lucky the Austrians are an honest people because in most other places somebody would have grabbed that distant phone and run off.

More foto funnies

---

I don't think these two ever ordered anything from the restaurant. Super models need to stay thin so I guess our waitress knew to leave them alone. Actually, I saw her and her colleague smiling and then laughing when the two aspiring starlets left.

I wouldn't want to live her during an earthquake

---

Or during an avalanche which is more likely. It's hard for me to comprehend how these buildings stay up on that mountain with all the heavy snows they get plus Spring thaws and mudslides. But they sure look really cool.