Blogs from Austria, Europe - page 3

We entered Austria during the night, after our German feast on board. The next morning was again gloomy and overcast and the inevitable rain. Our included tour was in the town of Melk. We were driven to the highest point, overlooking the river and the town, to Melk Abbey, a UNESCO Heritage site. After alighting from the bus we walked down 60 steps and through some beautiful gardens to the Abbey courtyard. This had been a Benedictine abbey for centuries. It now houses a museum and a school still run by religious staff. We were not permitted to take photos inside but could of the splendid buildings, beautifully restored. Where we were taken was mainly set up as a museum, starting with a room concerning St Benedict and the rules of his order. Our guide described ... read more

As has become the norm, let me flip back to yesterday. Dinner was at an Italian restaurant (pizza) and then, at Jeff's suggestion, we went back for another crack at the Go-Karts. I had tried to convince him for another round when we were there earlier in the day but it obviously took a bit of time for the "fun factor" to sink in for him and want some more. This time we were on the track with two others which makes for a bit more manoeuvring on the track. We both improved our lap times from the afternoon and it was just as much fun as the first time. Back at the hotel we made use of the sauna and as we returned to our rooms we heard fireworks outside being let off over the ... read more

I'm getting used to rest days. No early start, a hearty breakfast at our hotel and, most importantly, no having to pack up everything and lug it back down to the bikes. I wasn't quite sure what to do today as I had looked around town for a couple of hours last night. In the end I started by going to the one landmark I didn't see, and that was the Linz Castel. It currently houses a technology, culture and art museum. It sits high up on a hill (of course) and there are some old fortifications around it. Some great photos of the Danube and surrounds. After the castle I made my way to the Botanic Gardens. I find it strange coming from Melbourne that you have to pay to get into the gardens. It ... read more

Yes, I'm a Beatles fan and that title track came to mind as the day's weather unfolded. Nice to see you after you hiatus Mr Sunshine. Breakfast wasn't available until 8am so we got another sleep in. We were ready to leave about 9am. On the way up to the hotel yesterday afternoon there was some very aggressive and down right dangerous driving going on. Jeff felt we should take an alternate route back to the Danube for today's ride. This meant completing the climb we had started all the way to the top of the hill and then back down the other side via much quieter roads to the Danube below. So that's what we did. What we didn't realise was just how steep the 100m meters we had to climb was at 13%. Again, ... read more

Fresh from my four-day tour of the Watzmann in the Bavarian Alps, two nights each in Salzburg and Innsbruck were all it took to have me itching to get back into the mountains, and less than an hour's bus ride south of Innsbruck lay the perfect place to do so: the Stubai Alps. This time I would need to carry something a little more substantial than a day-pack, as I had lined up eight consecutive nights at a string of mountain huts located along the Stubaier Höhenweg (High-level Route). A circular route measuring roughly 80km, it starts and finishes in the town of Neustift in the Stubai Valley, climbing straight up one side of the valley and then remaining high up in the mountains (above 2000m) for over a week, as it circumnavigates the Stubaital - ... read more