Rally Day 5: Final Day

Today was the last day we were able to send-off the boys. What a beautiful day for a drive!

We then proceeded to drive through the mountains. Today's stop was determined by Joice's craving for a dessert known as Saacertorte (?) which she remembered this particular town for having and excellent version of decades ago when she was here for her study abroad student orientation. It's got a beautiful church and was pleasantly full of German tourists, so it felt a bit off the beaten path. I also found an excellent hat-- I may have to start practicing my yodeling skills.

From here we continued on to the big racetrack! Apparently this whole facility is where Austrians have their driving lessons (and it's run by the equivalent of AAA). (The last racetrack I wrote about in day 3 was also run by their equivalent of AAA.) We missed our mustang's run, but caught up with them before they headed off to the parade.

Into Baden we went, racing at the very back behind all of the Rally Round cars so that we could meet the cars at the starting line (luckily, Joice was fluent enough in German to yell out and ask a local if she could park in a spot about a block away from the parade). It so happened that the rally finish coincided with a 50's festival in the town center.

At the last minute we were all asked if we could attend tonight's dinner (black tie, which, except for Drew, Silas, and Kevin, no one was prepared for). As Joice got ready, Grandpa and I went over to see the baths that Baden is so famous for.

And the boys received the "Spirit of the Rally" award. There were cheers and standing ovations from everyone (and lots of cheers when their photos came up on the projector during the slide show as well. They were even offered introductions to young, single women (I'm not sure those daughters had a clue that their parents were trying to set them up with two American men).

Thus concludes the rally though you can bet we're already planning what we're going to bring to the next one....