Thursday & Friday, June 4-5
Our drive today took us a short way into Austria to the small backwater village of Bad Blumau, east of Graz. Here is the hotel/spa Rogner Bad Blumau, named after the visionary developer Robert Rogner. It was designed in the early 1990s by famed Austrian artist and environmental champion Friedensreich Hundertwasser. This place has a whimsical, fairy tale exterior and a meandering interior the whole of which Gaudi would have appreciated. The electronic room keys have inscribed on them "Leben im Einklang mit der Nature" - a life in harmony with nature. Everything here is quite photogenic. But even if casual shutterbugs could even find it, all access is gated. This is definitely off the Rick Steves' itinerary. We arrived in mid afternoon and were quickly in our swimsuits (no, this isn't a nudist resort) taking in the sights and waters.
The original architect's model of the development:
Norm walking toward registration:
Lots and lots of tile work and graphics on the walls:
So-called
wave pool, actually a churning, wet hell maelstrom with two lifeguards
keeping an eye out. Norm went to the deep end and immediately thought he
was in the final scene from "The Perfect Storm". Blub, gurgle, gurgle.
One of the indoor pools. There are 330 support columns, all look different - 2,441 windows, no two the same. Lots of couples here appeared to be canoodling so Norm and Pam thought they'd canoodle also.
More indoor pool, with water connections to the outdoor pools.
The spring water here, which exits the ground at 110 degrees centigrade, has the highest mineral content of any in Europe. The particular thermal spring that feeds this large pool not only has very high mineral content but also a salt content higher than the Dead Sea's. Called "Vulkania", this pool is divided in two, hot salty water on one side, cool(ish) on the other. You float like a cork. If you value your jewelry, don't wear it here.
The entire facility can be accessed only through locked gates to keep out the curious with cameras - if they can even find the place. With a dinner and breakfast included, this goes on our "tops of the trip" list for great staff, great yet funky ambience and great waters. At night, fires are lit for the after-10 folks.
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