Frau Steiner’s Nachbarschaft

“To have great poets, there must be great audiences.” -Walt Whitman

Our train to Salzburg sped over the Alps through horizontally blowing snow. A steady rain upon our arrival sweetened the mountain air as we drove the recognizable 6km along Moosstrasse, the tree lined lane to Frau Steiner’s immaculate little B&B at the edge of town (http://www.haussteiner.com/info.html).

We realized again that it isn’t simply the appeal of seeing our favorite European destinations; it is, in no small measure, the comfort of returning to a familiar setting and being welcomed warmly by our enthusiastic hosts.

Frau Steiner, a petite and well mannered mid-aged widow, embraced us, and led us immediately to “our” room, a tiny white and canary nest that looked out over velvet green meadows and the looming snowy peaks that surround Salzburg.

We were immediately returned to the personal pleasures of her “neighborhood”: brightly painted and spotlessly maintained residences, small farms with horses, sheep, chickens and pigs, cozy family style restaurants and Gusthofs, a sampling of small businesses that form the array of gentrified semi-rural Austrian life.

Additionally, Frau Steiner provides wonderful concierge services for our stay: recommending musical performances (we attended an organ recital by University students in the stunning Dom Cathedral – Bach the way it was meant to be experienced), guiding us to many intimate restaurants that are steps from our room, updating us on changes and curiosities we have about the surrounding area, and directing our day trips (the gingerbread town of Hallstatt, for example).

Each morning after a Frühstück of yogurt and grains, brown toast with cheese, tea and cakes, we set out on walks in the brisk air and clearing weather. Everywhere we look we see camera-ready episodes of life revealed amidst the Austrian order and charm.

A must-see on these daily strolls is the riding academy and family farm across the road from Haus Steiner. Here well-heeled riders train and groom magnificent dressage horses. As we quietly inspected the Pferde, resting and nibbling hay in their stalls, we came across an 8-day old, black and white Noriker, named Mercedes.

On the first day we saw her she was skittish and shy behind the protective shielding of her mom, Jenny. After a second visit, Mercedes carefully approached us, licked and mouthed our outstretched hands, and allowed us the scratch her muzzle and neck. I am thrilled to say after visiting her 3 times, with her attentive mother supervising, we are now her very best friends in the whole world!

Touching a trembling and curious infant horse is indeed a special privilege of life unfolding. The other nearby horses, that we later petted, deeply inhaled the sweet bouquet on our hands and clearly were intrigued and calmed by the perfume of new life amongst them.