Austria 3 - Golling and the most expensive swim in the world

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Where is Suzy? Well she is on her way home. She is heading out of Croatia over the bridge back to the mainland. Our plan is to drive through Slovenia sadly as we have no time to linger and spend the night in Austria just south of Salzburg near to Golling. We crossed the bridge and did not have to pay . For some strange reason you pay on your way in but they let you escape for nothing. Bit like the Severn Bridge then. We skirted around Rijeka stopping only for petrol. We waved to a british couple in a motorhome before we headed off to the no mans land between Croatia and Slovenia. A final goodbye to Croatia and we found ourselves in green Slovenia. It is a lovely country with endless green fields, cows grazing and pigs roasting along the roadside.

We passed a military museum on the way. It looked interesting with communist style tanks being driven by civilians in camoflage. Smoke belching out the back . it all looked good fun and was earmarked for a visit in the future if we pass by again. We probably should have stopped and with hindsight it would have been a better option as when we hit the motorway we were greeted by a lorry with a sign flashing that the road was subject to closure. A second flashing sign showed delays, road works and a car being hit by another car. We came to a stop. Suzy was stuck . Traffic was clogged up for 6 kms ahead of us. Suzy was going nowhere fast . Still going home you are not always in a hurry to get there. One good thing about being in a motorhome if you get stuck in traffic it doesnt really matter you can fire up the cooker and cook your lunch . you have a toilet so those needs are addressed and you can go for a kip if you want. We sat for a while inching our way up the motorway. Eventually we did manage to get to the bottle neck. A lorry had hit the central reservation and had blocked the road . The roadworkers were clearing the road and we eventually crawled past the accident.

Through the border and we entered Austria. Clean, ordered, neat and tidy. Green fields as far as the eye could see. Pristine farms with picture perfect cows and sheep. Tunnel after tunnel and most with a charge of 7 or 9 euros to travel through. Our overnight stop was going to be a spa centre in the town of Golling.

The stellplatz had spaces for about 15 motorhomes. To pay I had to walk over to the spa . A modern building with excellent facilities. The cost of an overnight stay was 10 euros 90 cents . There was water at an extra charge as well as an extra charge for electricity. It was a peaceful site with just a few of us parked up. However through the evening the site did fill up. I decided as I had been lazy all holiday and I was at a health centre then I had to swim. What an expensive swim. I went up with 10 euros and was told it was 10 euros 40 but for some strange reason the receptionist agreed to accept 9 euros 40 for a swim. I was issued with a wrist band which let me through a locked gate. Down some steps and into the biggest changing room I have ever seen. I changed and put my clothes into locker 1097 . I couldnt work out how to lock it so left it open. Then I entered the maze. I found the toilets but I couldnt find the swimming pool. Eventually by more luck than good judgement I found the pool.

Well what a pool. It had two normal swimming lanes but most of the pool was devoted to fun. Instead of seating around the side there were seats worthy of a beachside location. Some people swam, others took photographs of their offspring and others just messed about in the warm and clean water. Unlike my pool at home this one was warmer, more like a health club and none of smell of chlorine. I swam 40 lengths as I watched the lighting changing colours. Pink lights turning to purple, to green and then to blue. A fantastic swim but I found myself thinking for less than 17 euros I could swim for a whole month at home. This was the most expensive swim I have ever done Mind you I would not have the fantastic view of the high mountains from my local pool at Clay Cross .

When I came out I got lost again but eventually found my way out to the outside world and Suzy. The rain was pouring down . God was not happy in his world as the thunder was rumbling around the valley and the lightening was flashing. Ginger Baker was busy drumming on Suzy's roof.

Well we thought that the evening would be a relatively quiet one but partway through we heard drumming. No not the drumming of rain on Suzys roof but the sound of drumstick on drum. Around the corner came a group of men, each carrying a gun and one carrying a sword. They stopped. They presented arms. They marched a lot up and down the car park before finally leaving drum banging into the distance. What was that about? I doubt we will ever know.

Tomorrow we head into Germany. German Motorways and a campsite near to the Mercedes Benz museum.

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