“If you drill into the earth in Wimsbach, you’ll come out in Hawaii”

Who doesn’t dream of traveling around the world once in their life? Beate and Alois Schlattner from Wimsbach made their dream come true. The retired teacher couple wanted to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary in exotic regions.

“I wasn’t really that motivated at first. I still remembered the flight from Rio when we went to a World Cup match in 2014,” says Alois. He was so crammed between the seats that he couldn’t move for two weeks after he got home. “For this reason, we avoided extremely long flights.” 14 were booked. They flew via Ireland’s capital Dublin to the Canadian city of Toronto, from where the Schlattners made a detour to the world-famous Niagara Falls.

A pint of beer for 13 euros

The Wimsbach couple explored each of the eight destinations for between four and eleven days. From Canada they went on to San Francisco to the Golden Gate Bridge and Napa Valley, where the couple visited several wineries. “You don’t travel around on a budget. The only thing we did without were tickets for the 49ers football club – $1,100 for two people was too expensive for us.” The Schlattners also remember the USA as an extremely expensive holiday destination. “A pint of beer cost 13 euros without a tip, and an eighth of Sauvignon Blanc was 15 euros.”

After San Francisco, they spent eleven days in Hawaii, one of the highlights of their trip. They remembered the impressive sunsets, hospitable people and the public stalls everywhere – even in the residential areas where the rich live: “Unfortunately, you can only dream of that on the Salzkammergut lakes,” compares the former middle school principal in Sattledt. They absolutely had to see the house of former President Barack Obama, the most famous Hawaiian. They also practiced the hula dance, which is typical of the country.

Image: private

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In San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge by bike
Image: private

The Pacific island group was at the top of their wish list. As an outsider, you might ask yourself why: “If you drill vertically into the ground in Wimsbach, you’ll eventually come out in Hawaii,” says Alois, half joking.

They continued on to Tokyo and then to Singapore. “Very clean, a gigantic skyline. You can practically feel the wealth.” Relaxation was the order of the day in the Maldives. A seaplane took the two to an island resort, “where you could walk around the island in 15 minutes.”

White beaches, turquoise water and togetherness – what more could you want? The fact that after 40 years of marriage you can spend 42 days together without arguing once suggests a happy marriage. To be honest, ex-director Schlattner adds a small correction: “At home, things aren’t always so harmonious.” Regardless, the Schlattners’ world trip was at least exciting enough, despite the lack of feuds, that others wanted to take part. Several lectures were given. In Sattledt, over 100 visitors flocked to the event center. And how much did all that cost? “20,000 euros per person for flights and hotels,” reveals Alois Schlattner, who promises to travel more modestly in the future: “We spend our summer vacation in the area around Semmering.”