Friday, July 27, 2007
Sunday 15th July
We meet in the middle of Halstatt where we are taken to the Charnel house. An interesting place where the skulls and long bones of the local residents are set on display after having been painted. The reason for having the charnel house is due to the cemetery not being big enough. After 10-20 years of being buried the skulls and long bones are removed from the grave, cleaned, bleached in the sun and then painted by the family before being put in the Charnel house. The last one to be put in there was 1983. Most people are cremated now. It is a fascinating if somewhat morbid place.
After this we head off to walk up the mountain; it is a hot day and the climb is hard going but the boys do really well. The walk down is understandably quicker. After this we picnic and go to a lakeside park where the boys enjoy playing in the water. We return to the same restaurant and then say a fond farewell to our guides, interpreters and friends with the possibility of meeting up again in France in August.
