Thoroughly Modern Mimi

In one of the most gorgeous scenic landscapes anywhere in the world, you will find one of the most bizarre mortuaries.

The tiny town of Hallstatt (population 1,000) lies precariously perched on the side of a mountain. Little A-frame houses cling to the hillside as if they were magically suspended or stuck on with Velcro. Main Street rests at the base, along the shores of a shimmering blue lake resembling a fjord.  A stone church with a tall pointed steeple seems close enough to teeter on the edge.

    Walk along Main which runs up and down like a staircase throughout the village (cars are not permitted during the day). Climb up to the Roman Catholic Church with a fine 16^th-century altarpiece and cemetery with an eerie bone chapel. Compared to the Capuchin Cemetery in Rome (see my previous blog) , the Hallstatt collection is more a one room schoolhouse. Called a Beinhaus or charnel house , it crams in 1,200 skulls painted with floral designs and in some cases the name, date and cause of death.

You see, shortage of space in the graveyard limited the number of burial plots.  So, bodies were removed after decomposing for ten years to make room for the new.  The practice makes sense when you understand and see the territorial constraints. The bone chapel is a sacred place to the close-knit residents.

Most tourists come to Hallstatt to see the beauty of the setting and visit the salt mines.   A nearby funicular runs up the mountain transporting guests to observation point with a storybook, awe-inspiring view.  Then, they hike a path to the mine entrance and don pajama-like jumpsuits.  Group tours enter a tunnel and then progress deeper underground via fast wooden slides.  This makes a fun adventure and eventually you exit by straddling a small train.

Hallstatt calls itself Austria’s oldest town with solid evidence dating back to 400 BC. The town name derives from the Celtic word “hall” meaning salt. Hence, salt mines near the village provided the livelihood for the region, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site .

Another fascinating attraction in the area is the Dachstein ice cave.  To get to the cave, ride a gondola, then hike uphill about twenty minutes to reach the entrance. Spectacular and certainly worth the effort. Warning:  even in summer the temperature in the caves is cool enough to require a jacket.

Absolutely don’t miss the Reinanke trout fresh from the lake. The local fish is served on a slab and tastes luscious, buttery and mouth watering good.  In fact I’ll make a bold statement– Reinanke is the best fish I have ever eaten. I devoured it both nights we stayed in
the Salzkammergut region .

My family loved visiting Hallstatt in the month of June, but I can’t imagine stopping there in winter.  Well…I do live in Florida.  However, if I got that chance, I’d go- with the warmest parka I could find.

With Halloween approaching, I thought I’d blog about a few of the eeriest places I’ve visited over the years.  Without a doubt, the Capuchin Cemetery in Rome, Italy, takes the dubious honor.

You’ll find the cemetery, actually a crypt beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, on the Via Veneto near Palazzo Barbareni. The ghastly chamber reeks with decay and is divided into five tiny chapels linked via a dim passageway.  The place is so weird, even Dan Browne never mentioned it in his book, Angels and Demons.

Within lies the final resting place for over 4,000 Capuchin friars, who died between 1528 and 1870. Some were first buried elsewhere, and then transferred here. The soil in the crypt was brought from Jerusalem. A few dozen skeletons remain intact, draped in hooded Franciscan habits. Large numbers of bones adorn the walls in complex decorative patterns; some resemble bas-reliefs, others hang from the ceiling as working light fixtures. One chapel overflows with countless leg bones and  another with skulls.

A plaque in one of the chapels reads, in three languages, “What you are now, we once were; what we are now, you shall be.”

The first room, known as the crypt of the resurrection, features a picture of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, framed by parts of a human skeleton. Visitors are encouraged to interpret the displays of funereal art as the Christian belief in resurrection and everlasting life.

I honestly can’t describe the macabre, grotesque effect, albeit with a certain artistic merit.  The unearthed skeletal array makes this sacred shrine more a ghoulish tourist attraction. One needs only a few minutes to see the place, if at all.

Disney theme parks will offer free admission to those who complete a day of volunteer work in 2010.  Yes, a free day’s admission to 1 million guests who complete a day of volunteer work next year.

The “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program will provide certified volunteers with a one-day ticket to any park at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, or Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, in 2010.

Disney is partnering with HandsOn Network , a clearinghouse with 70,000 affiliated agencies, from Habitat for Humanity to local food banks, churches, health-care centers, and educational programs.

Once their service is verified by HandsOn, volunteers print out an online certificate that can be redeemed at a Disney park. See www.DisneyParks.com.