My Stay at Vivamayr Altaussee: Day 6
Day six is a Sunday, so I suppose it is probably safe to describe it as a non-day. There is literally nothing on my schedule other than breakfast, lunch and dinner. I wake up at what is now the usual time, just before 7 a.m., and get to work. Don’t look at me like that — chewing, gargling and sucking the Vivamayr mouth oil for up to fifteen minutes without swallowing it is genuinely effortful and definitely counts as work in my book. Again, I will not miss it. Not one iota.
I head down to breakfast at the earliest possible opportunity and am presented with the agreeable combination of an omelette and a portion of boiled potatoes…hooray! Its a wonder I haven’t metamorphosed into a potato yet but, damn, they do such a good job of them here. I could live off Vivamayr potatoes covered in herbs and oil and probably not miss other kinds of food all that much, to be honest. I’m not sure what this would achieve from a nutritional standpoint, however I would still be willing to give it a go. After all, the potato-heavy diet doesn’t seem to have done my digestive system any harm so far.
Seeing as there is absolutely nothing on the agenda, I decide to devote the morning to reading and writing — two of my all-time favourite pursuits. I leave my phone to charge in my room and settle into one of the many comfy chairs in Vivamayr’s lobby/tea bar area. For reasons unknown, I haven’t mentioned this area much, and this is something of an oversight on my part as it really is lovely. There is a roaring fire, a bookcase full of reading material in English, German and many other languages, and floor-to-ceiling windows offering spectacular views of Lake Altaussee and the mountains beyond. And fittingly enough, given that it is a tea bar, there are also plenty of teas to choose from, including everything from green and peppermint to more unexpected infusions involving mallow and St John’s Wort.
Because I’m still missing coffee (yes, even in spite of yesterday’s transgressions), I make myself a mug of green tea as a substitute and set about finishing Notes to Self. When I do eventually finish it, I feel like I’ve had the stuffing knocked out of me, albeit in a positive way. This probably doesn’t make much sense, however if you’ve read the book yourself you will hopefully see where I’m coming from. In any event, Emilie Pine is a phenomenal and refreshingly lucid writer, and I am grateful to have happened upon her collection of essays.
At lunchtime I do something unprecedented and opt for bresaola, despite having forgotten what bresaola is. I order potatoes to go with it, because of course I do. Whatever bresaola is, it makes for excellent chew-training material, and I end up working on it for the best part of half an hour. As I look out at the lake I think about how, unlike the mouth oil, I will really miss my meals here. The strict timings, having a designated table for the duration of your stay, the impeccable presentation and service; although not all of this sounds desirable on paper, it is all certainly conducive to better eating habits and, in turn, better digestion. Hopefully I can recreate it at home.
I spend the afternoon writing, again. First in longhand, followed by lots and lots of typing. Writing about my experiences here, and of course the events of the weeks leading up to my arrival, has been a huge help. Some of it I have shared via these posts, some of it I am keeping just for me. All of it has been deeply therapeutic. Once I’ve finished writing, I make a pathetic attempt at packing, but give up just in time for dinner. I thought I might get something interesting for my final dinner but, no, its just clear broth again. Dammit.
I’m due to leave at noon tomorrow, so this is very much my last full day at Vivamayr. Although I am, ironically, full of cold, and sounding almost laughably nasal, I feel significantly better than when I arrived. For various reasons, the timing of my visit couldn’t have been much more strange, but then it has also been pretty perfect. After messing around with my phone for an excessive amount of time (sorry Vivamayr, I have been trying my best to detox digitally, too) I eventually fall into a fitful sleep.
This piece was originally published on Part Time Beauty in 2020.