Hello, again, Blogonauts!

On Friday, we bid "Arrivederci!" to the Dolomites and Cortina d'Ampezzo. It was bitter sweet, because the grandeur of the scenery left us all a bit spellbound. However, there are still other places to see, hear, feel, and experience, so we were off to the next spot.

Our pathway out of the Dolomites took a might more time than we at first anticipated. The roads were narrow, the ascents and descents were filled with switchbacks and hairpin turns, and we couldn't keep from gawking at the endless variations in light and scenery.

Eventually, however, we passed into Austria and made our way to the next port of call, Pörtschach am Wörthersee. This is a relatively small resort town whose population explodes during the summer months, due primarily to the scenic backdrop and varied recreation on the rather sizeable lake known as the Wörthersee.

We, however, arrived in late September, and those warm weather occupants have been pulled away from life in the lakeside playground. The place was not deserted, but certainly most hotels had shuttered for the season.

Luckily, the lake's ferry system was still operating, and so on Saturday we hopped aboard for a one-hour journey to the largest city on Wörthersee, Klagenfurt.

We wandered through town, had lunch on the main town square, took photos of the Lindwurmbrunnen (a fanciful fountain featuring a dragon and Hercules), and climbed the belltower of the St. Egid church.

Before taking the ferry back, we took the advice of several people who had recommended we see the "Forest In A Stadium" exhibit.

The name says it all. In the large soccer stadium, an artist had installed a full-fledged woodland in the field. This was meant to suggest that at some point in the future, we would only be able to see a forest in an enclosed environment, much like we see endangered rhinoceroses in zoos.

The drama of that statement was diluted, however, by the lush, wooded mountainsides that surround Klagenfurt. (Unfortunately, we were unable to similarly find any rhinoceroses.)

Pictures drawn from our time in Pörtschach can be seen in the Wörthersee Photos album.

On Sunday, we were to make our way to the 3rd counter on this year's itinerary: Slovenia. More on that later!

Blog to you later!