Schnitzel, Strudel, Und Dumplings, And The Wurst

This may be the very first vacation where I've gained weight while traveling, thanks to spending a month in Austria and its environs. It's not that I haven't walked a great deal, I have. It's the food. Yes, I have been known to brag about eating my way through Europe, and you might see more than 2 roasted potatoes on my plate at one time, but I shared them, and never before wore them on my way home.

 

Austria and for that matter, Eastern European countries, as well as the Baltics, are bastions of meat and potatoes, or in this case, dumpling sorts of countries. I'm thinking that harsh, cold winters and unfavorable soil conditions may be to blame, but for whatever reason, these countries never seemed to get beyond root vegetables and cabbage, when it came to vegetable varieties. Leafy greens seemed  to be reserved for wilting in pre-made sandwiches, or as accents for nondescript salads.

If you look through a menu as many times as we did on this trip, you will see at least 2 or 3 schnitzels, made of veal, pork or chicken. The Milanese certainly made a lasting impression on Austrians for these dishes.