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Friday 22nd  September   –  Our campsite for tonight:  Fritzbauer – Saalfelden

 Around 25kms from Grossglockner to this little farm Stellplatz.  The farmers wife was just delightful and not long after we met the farmer.  He certainly was a real character.

Only a small Stellplatz but for €12 it included electricity so again took advantage to give batteries a boost.  Parking areas were mainly grass and given the amount of rain we have had over the last week, we were reluctant to park here.  The farmer agreed we could park next to the barn on gravel.

Saturday 23rd September & Sunday 24th September

Woke up to the sounds of cattle mooing, donkey braying, and roosters crowing!!!  Didn’t realise that we were parked next to the animal shed – chuckle, chuckle.  This was a real farm and upon opening the door got a strong whiff of fresh air strongly perfumed with bovine essence – nothing like country fresh air.

Walked into the shed to have a look and there were at least 15 cows and one very vocal donkey in there.  Often wondered why they had such large sheds attached to their very large houses in these villages – now understand that animals need a place to stay during the colder months and at night.

Passed through so many areas where we have skied.  So many memories.  The beautiful town of Zell Am See- one of our favourite spots.  They certainly have grown over the years and are packed even now before the start of the real ski season.  Don’t believe there is a low season here as the ski resort camp spots are really expensive compared to the country spots.

We have met many people in our travels and when asked which country is their favourite – 90% say either Austria or Norway. During some of our late at night discussions, we too have agreed that Austria is a place we could happily live in (apart from home that is).

Both our daughters want to come to Europe early next year to see us and we think Austria might be the place to catch up and do some skiing – so many beautiful places, it will be hard to make a final decision.

Our campsite for two nights:  Panorama Gasthof Friedburg, Neukirchen am Grossvenediger

Saw this one in the Parkings APP and just had to come here.  The view is more than spectacular.

Perched high on the mountain, it overlooks snow capped mountains and beautiful valleys.  Saw hang gliders soaring over the mountains – counted 20 at one time.  Colourful chutes passing through fluffy white clouds, up and down they went carried by the thermal currents.  What a buzz it would be.

The Gasthof itself is really quaint with a dining area inside and outside (when weather is warmer) overlooking this beautiful view.  The cost is only €8 per night but a discount of €5 is offered if you have dinner in the restaurant.

Ziggy is perched in the front row and in our deck chairs we sit and take in this amazing view until the sun goes over the mountain.  Then inside in the front seats with a hot toddy until dinner time where we just had to check out the view from the restaurant.  Another free night for the cook.

Rained during the night so our thoughts of staying on and doing some of the mountain walks diminished somewhat.  Best wait till morning to make that decision.

Not a good looking day and damp underfoot but rain has stopped.  Weather seems to brighten as the days go on so hoped this would be the case.   Had a late breakfast/brunch and headed off for the walk early afternoon.  Over 3kms – all a steep downhill run – what a breeze!!  Passed fields with sheep, goats and cows – with bells on.  Sounded like a small orchestra played with cow bells or was it the Hari Krishna – quite cute.

Stopped for a break for coffee and resisted the numerous fabulous cakes begging to be consumed. 

The hike uphill took five times as long as the downhill run – should have had the cake – certainly would have worked off all those calories.  Dropped two layers on the way up and probably a thousand calories but walking through the forest was so green, fresh and invigorating.

Quiet night I think, and hopefully no aching bones in the morning.

Monday 25th September

No aching bones this morning which was a surprise.

The roads are so wonderful, it is a pleasure driving.  With Autumn here now, the forests have changed from emerald green to all the Autumn shades of golden, orange, pink red and brown.  We are only travelling short distances now, as there is so much to see here.  Every little village is just so beautiful and we stop at many along the way.

Our campsite for the night:  Womo Stellplarz Fischergries, Kufstein

Kufstein is on the border between Austria and Germany and we crossed into Germany to do some last minute shopping before parking back in Austria for the night.  Dropped into Lidl and have to say this is the cheapest Lidl we have been to for wines and spirits.  Our favourite Marlborough Sav Blanc has been around $10 everywhere else but here only $6.  Captain Morgan rum 700ml $7.50 – can you believe it.  Needless to say we bought heaps of alcohol and a little food 😊.

The campsite is in a very large carpark attached to a massive sporting complex with sporting fields all around.  Only a small area dedicated for motorhomes.  There were no spots available at first so we patiently waited until we could squeeze into a spot.   The area was well away from the sports complex so had a really enjoyable quiet evening.

Tuesday 26th September

Took a walk across the bridge and along the riverbank to the town centre.  A very small old town which we wandered into and enjoyed a cuppa.

Found a pair of slippers in a local shop that did not cost the earth.  Not what I would buy at home, but no one is here to laugh at them.  None for the driver yet and we were even thinking of getting a larger size like mine but unfortunately did not have any large enough.  He looked like one of the three  sisters in Cinderella trying to squeeze into the golden slipper!

Headed off again mid morning and stopped in Hopfgarten and Soll – two of our favourite skiing towns on past trips.  Soll is just so beautiful and the gondola is already operating, though there was no snow on this side of the mountain.  The Gasthaus we stayed in at Hopfgarten has been demolished and replaced with a massive apartment complex.  Such a shame but that’s progress.

Our campsite for the night:  Koenigveldplatz, Schwaz

Again a mixed parking Stellplatz with spaces for around 10 motorhomes.  Just across the bridge again from the centre of the village, a very quiet area with views across paddocks to the mountains.

Made some friends with our MoHo neighbours – one from Sweden and the other a local Austrian man on his own.  Really enjoyed their company and shared many travel experiences with them. The Austrian chap gave a present – a handmade candle mounted on a marble stone from the local area – what a lovely thought.

Schwaz also has an old town and a beautiful church at the end of it.  Set on the side of a hill, we walked up and up and took in the beautiful views before coming back down to Old Town and then back home for another quiet night.

Tuesday 19th & Wednesday 20th September

Travelled through more rain today so decided to take the motorway.  Low cloud at times caused a few issues with visibility.  We have been climbing quite rapidly and the scenery continues to be spectacular.

Our camp for 2 nights:  Kellerbauer Wohnmobile Site, Altenmarkt Im Pongau

This place is highly rated and only a short km from centre of Altenmarkt.  A rural setting with great facilities, though no shower which is not a problem with us as we prefer to shower in Ziggy.  Internet was excellent.  Decided to stay until the rain cleared as we are keen to put another tick against our bucket list and hit the Grossglockner high alpine road but only on a fine day with good visibility.

Had a huge dump of snow on surrounding mountains overnight so the temperatures came down to single figures.  Have not been connected to electricity to fully top up the batteries for over 3 weeks now but the cold snap caused some concern with our batteries so opted to use electricity on night two to give the batteries a good deep charge.  Ziggy’s electronics panel gave us a warning and on checking the manual were informed that it is normal to get this type of warning if the batteries have not been fully charged in the last 20 days.

They have lovely fresh farm eggs and wine (either red or white) one of each to choose from so bought a bottle of the house red – 1 ltr for the huge sum of €4.  Was very young but no sharp edges.  Didn’t buy a second bottle to take with us!!!!!

Still think New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs are some of the best whites anywhere in the world and are finding it difficult to find reds that we really like.

Tried to make friends with the local pet black rabbit (scared as a rabbit) and tried to feed the pet pig – blind in one eye.  He ran into Ziggy a couple of times and refused to eat the lettuce and carrot we offered him but he did scare the old lady in the Moho next to us – who ran when he blindly made advances in her direction.

Took time out on day two to visit downtown (took Ziggy for a run as the weather was horrid).  Really great little town – bought two pairs of warm outdoor/snow boots – one for driver and one for the navigator.  Forgot to pack these in Oz and have been suffering with cold feet for a while now.  Still looking for the illusive pair of slippers for indoors – don’t have a KMart or Target here so have not been able to find reasonable pair for under $100.  Still angry we didn’t buy these in Poland. 

Thursday 21st September

Still raining when we left, however, the long range forecast for Grossglockner was some sun on Friday and Saturday so opted to get as close as possible until the weather cleared.

Bought a new vignette as ours ran out today – another 10 days in Austria – crying shame – just love it here.  Arrived in town of Bruck at the northern end of Grossglockner and weather was just clearing.  Decided to head towards the toll gates at the start of the road for more information – only a few kms away.  There is a huge carpark at the entry where fellow travellers have parked for the night so hoped to stay there for the night.

I have a huge amount of still and video images of the Grossglockner and have published just a few.  When I have more time and more Sim Card Data I hope to publish the videos on You Tube and will provide a link for my You Tube Channel

Because of the huge dump of snow the night before, the pass had been closed but reopened just before we got there.  With the help and information of the beautiful lady at the info counter, we decided to take a day ticket for€35 and do the road today.  The road is only 48kms long and for a day pass you can do it as many times as you want.  We left from the northern end with the hope of being able to get to the bottom and return in the same day. 

We took advantage of so many places along the way to stop and take photos and extended the trip by going to Franz Josef Glacier along the way – really, really worth the extra mileage.

Words and photos can’t explain the beauty of this region.  The numerous hairpin bends left the driver totally focused on getting us around each corner whilst I enjoyed the view though the eye of the camera – absolutely stunning!.

So much snow the night before kept the snow ploughs busy and they were still operating on different parts of the pass during our adventure.  A white snowy fairy wonderland, mile after mile.  The camera just didn’t stop trying to capture every moment.

We didn’t have enough time to do the return trip today, so found a great stop for the night just outside the southern end of the Grossglockner toll gates.  A return trip on any consecutive day is only €11 or you can take a monthly pass for €55.  They certainly get you for the day pass only but it is really so worth it.

Our campsite for the night:  Gasthaus Schwaiger – Mortschach

 Half way between the toll gates and Lienz, we stopped at this Gasthaus.  There is no cost to stay in the carpark which allows for 4 motorhomes.  Really great little place so just had to have a night off cooking – great menu at a very reasonable price.  So much food, we waddled back to Ziggy and sadly went to bed on a full stomach – very uncomfortable and really bad for the waistline – disappearing quickly now!!!!

Friday 22nd September

Had to fill up on auto gas so continued down to Lienz.  Not many spots in Austria to get auto gas and they are hard to find as not available in most service stations.

Straight back up the mountain and back through the toll gates to do a south to north run at Grossglockner.

The beautiful lady at the northern end of the pass informed us of an Oldtimers Car Race being held late afternoon today. A large section of this road would be closed from 3.30 to 5.30 pm so we were eager to find a good viewing area to watch the race before the crowds arrived.

Certainly steeper going up from south to north but both ways were just as spectacular.  South to north necessitated a lot of second gear driving whilst north to south required much engine braking to give the brakes a breather.

Perfect blue skies today and we were just so pleased we opted to stay the extra day.

Stopped at the finish line at the top of the pass and parked Ziggy so we had a full view of all the cars coming toward the finish line and a good section of hairpin bends.  Massive carpark and restaurant here and it filled up quickly.

There were 65 cars due to start including the following marques :- Bugatti, Lagonda, Alvis, Bentley, Marmon, Veritas, Borgward, MG, and of course my favourite marque – Porsche as well as many others.

There were also 2 Audi Auto Union 2 silver arrows one of which had a 16 cylinders rear mounted engine with dual rear wheels.

Moved out of Ziggy to get a better viewing point and sat in our deck chairs rugged up in three layers – plus coats, beanies, gloves and rugs – it was so cold out there.  The closer to the start of the race, the colder it got as the blue skies disappeared and the clouds came over and then the wind.

Everyone braved the cold to see the race but quickly left when the roads re opened to allow us all to get back down the mountain.  

 

 

 

 

Thursday 14th September

We are now in very familiar territory, places we have been to before and just had to stop again to revisit for nostalgia.

Followed the “Not so blue Danube” through picture perfect countryside with little alpine villages popping up at every corner.  Came around a corner and right in front of us was the Melk Abbey.  We visited this in 2001 but in the winter when everything was white and not green.

The abbey is one of the biggest and most beautiful European baroque monasteries and is one of Austria’s most visited art-historical sites.  The Benedictine monks still live and work in the abbey.  It still has prayer services on Sundays but mostly now a tourist attraction with museum, exhibitions and the stunning gardens.  It is perched high on the hill overlooking the town and of course the Danube.

Our camp for tonight:  Abadja de Melk, Melk,

Parked Ziggy in the last motorhome spot (right on the Danube).  The fee of €6 covered us for an overnight stop (bonus as we only wanted to stay for a few hours).  Headed into Melk Old Town, only very small but lots of character then up to the Abbey but our trip was cut short as the black sky and thunder clouds overhead threatened the start of a serious storm so we scampered back to Ziggy at a fast rate of knots and sat and watched the storm pass overhead.

Friday 15th September

Temperature dropped considerably overnight after the storm, so was difficult to get started early.   Can’t believe summer is over so quickly.  Really sorry we didn’t buy those warm slippers in Poland when we got the chance – will definitely have to invest in some warm woolly boots VERY SOON!  Went for a long walk across a bridge to the other side of the Danube where there were several river cruise boats moored.  Melk Abbey is one of the stops along the Danube for these cruise boats. 

Again we kept away from the motorways and spent time in the smaller villages along the way.  Stopped in at a place called Ybbs (spelt correctly) where there was supposed to be a camp spot on the Danube adjacent to a grassy riverbank, but when we arrived, there were signs up everywhere prohibiting motorhomes.  We stopped illegally for an hour or so and had lunch and then moved on.  Shame they missed out on the millions we were going to spend in that town!

Our camp for tonight:  Stellplarz Edbauer, Aschbach Markt

Further into rural Austria we travelled, just breathtaking scenery all the way and arrived at a farm just 7kms outside of Aschbach Markt.  Corn fields and fruit trees everywhere.

This little place allows for only a few motorhomes but the setting is just magic.  A private house with manicured lawns for the motorhomes to park on.  Apple and pear trees scattered around everywhere ripe with fruit and a vegetable and herb patch right beside us.  The facilities are first class and the farmer leaves you to roam about the gardens and lawns.  There is no fee as such but they ask for a small donation to cover costs.

Saturday 16th & Sunday 17th September

Now deep into the ski areas and mountains, we came across some beautiful lakes.  It has been raining all day, so no opportunity to take photos today.  Had planned to stay at Traunsee at Ebensee but when we arrived, the motorhome pitches were boggy and the fog was so thick, we couldn’t see any more than a few feet into the lake.  Decided we didn’t want to stay here until the weather cleared.

Checked our APP and found another campsite around 7kms away – up the mountain.

Our camp for tonight:  Parking Langbathsee, Ebensee

What a gem.  A really windy road but so picturesque with waterfalls cascading down beside the road.  Shame about the fog and rain but still amazing nonetheless.

The mixed carpark at the top is the start of many walks in and around Langbathsee.  A large beautiful mountain lake with thick forests bordering the walking tracks and white sandy beaches.  The shortest track is a brisk 50 minute walk with others extending to 4-5 hours.

When we arrived there were people setting up marquees and what looked like the finish post for a marathon race.  A bit reluctant to stay here but after speaking to one of the workers found out that the following day (Sunday) was a fun day and running marathon day for the locals.  He said we were welcome to stay and enjoy the festivities.

Settled in for the evening and after all the workers left, there was just the three of us (Ziggy, her driver and navigator) to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature (the rain) for the rest of the evening.

Next morning, bright and early, the cars rolled in with food, drink and people.  This carpark and the one adjacent to the restaurant here was packed to the brim and so was the road coming up the mountain.

The rain continued to fall, though not as heavily as the day before.  We sat in the front seat and watched the races to begin with and then joined the crowds at the finish post.  The first race with toddlers holding the hands of their excited parents, dragging them to the finish line and then the joy when all received the coloured balloon of their choice and a medal.  Brought back memories of not so long ago when we participated in a similar fun day with our grandkids.   All ages raced with the final race being a half marathon around the lake.

Really enjoyed the day’s activities but then we were so wet and cold we retreated to our Ziggy bus to warm up.  Shame the rain spoiled the day for so many, the end result being many leaving earlier than they might have.  Apart from a few couples going to the restaurant in the evening, we were the only ones left after 9pm.

Monday 18th September

Light rain fell during the night but woke up to a sky with small patches of blue.  On with the walking shoes for a power walk around the lake.  Several locals had also arrived to enjoy the walking tracks (most with their four legged friends).  Temperatures during the last two nights had fallen to single figures but with the sun peeking out for a minute or two occasionally, it soon warmed up a little.

Returned back to Traunsee am Ebensee to see the view we missed out on a couple of days before.  Like something out of a travel video, the view was spectacular.  Two gems in Ebensee Paradise and we were lucky enough to experience and see both.

Again our planned stop for the night changed as we were informed by NAVIE that the highway to this destination was closed.  The alternative route put on another 70kms and took us in a direction we did not want to travel.  It took an hour before we realised this so had to double back.

Our camp for tonight: Parking Kaiservilla, Bad Ischl

Back on track now, we stopped here for the night.  Bad Ischl as we saw it in winter many years ago, is very different now.  A thriving tourist town even in the non winter months.  The parking place is in the centre of town so did not take long to venture out and explore the village.   Remarkably quiet considering the location.

 

AUSTRIA

Monday 11th September & Tuesday 12th September – Vienna

Stopped at the border to buy a Vignette (Austrian road toll) and were surprised to see border officials pulling over all cars and trucks. They were checking all car boots and all vans were required to open cargo doors for inspection.

We fully expected an inspection of Ziggy but the officials just smiled and waved us through without passport or Ziggy checks.  Seems they are not interested in vehicles with GB number plates or maybe the Aussie sticker had something to do with it – then maybe two old folks were of no interest to them. 

Now well over 6 months into our travels and no Schengen checks so far.

We had met two German motorhomers in Bratislava who gave us the thumbs up for a place to stay just outside of Vienna so we thought we would try it.

Our camping spot for two nights: Parking Pillichsdorf 15kms from Vienna

We are travelling in familiar territory now as we spent some time here on our first European tour in the summer of 1978 (July and August) with my mother’s relatives in Eisenstadt (just outside Vienna).

Since then we have had a few other trips here but always during the winter months  – 2001 skiing in Saalbach and Hinterglemm, 2002 skiing in Hopfgarten and Soll and 2005 skiing in Obertauren.

Very different now in Summer with the lush green pastures replacing the snow covered trees and mountains.  Both very beautiful seasons of the year.

We visited many places in Vienna back in 1978 including Schoenbrunn Castle so did not revisit these places again -(think we had 4 Weiner Schnitzels in 1 day for lunch and dinner with 4 different sets of relatives)

Pillichsdorf is only a very small village and the Stellplatz is provided by the local tennis and sporting club.  It only takes 5 motorhomes and provides all facilities one might need.  WC and shower are in the tennis club house and are really great.  They leave a key outside in the meter box.  You can have a game of tennis if you want but they do not provide racquets – plenty of balls though.

Only small negative is that you have two trains to catch into Vienna – one little train (station is just across the road) but that connects after only one stop (Obersdorf) to a fast luxurious train that takes you right into Vienna within 30 minutes.  Both trains work on the same timetable so no waiting (return trip get onto back carriage of fast train so that you can quickly get to small train before it departs – only waits a minute for you so if you get off at the front, you may miss it – we did and had to wait half an hour for next train.

Weather was miserable in the afternoon so opted to take a walk around the little village today and head into the big smoke next morning.  Very little to see in the village but the bikeways are excellent.

Left early to make the most of the day (still miserable) and easily caught the trains right into Vienna Mitte.  There is a huge shopping mall opposite the train station and a city map which also shows the subway systems – available in English from the Information counter.  Also picked up a prepaid SIM card there from the “3” shop which covers all EU countries and can be topped up monthly via Internet.

Spent the whole day walking through this romantic city which is full of every conceivable museum you would ever want to see. – statues, fountains and old architecture mixed with the modern and ultra new.

Some of our favourite spots being Church of St Charles, City Hall and the most amazing St Stephens Cathedral and the wonderful malls in and around here.  Stadt Park itself takes a couple of hours to explore.

You could easily spend a week in Vienna and the easiest way to explore it is with the Hop On and Hop Off Buses.  Most major cities have them and whilst we chose to walk it ourselves, we were completely exhausted at the end of the day and welcomed the rattle and hum of the train on the way back.  I think we both fell asleep at different times on the homeward journey but managed to get off at the right station.

Thought about taking the Hop On and Hop Off Buses next day to see anything we missed the previous day.

Wednesday 13th September

Woke up next morning (very late) to a beautiful blue cloudless day but decided to move on and spend more time driving for a few days instead of walking.  

Roads are just super here and Ziggy just purrs along.  We are opting to avoid the highways and motorways and pass through many quaint little villages, often stopping along the way for breaks and sightseeing.

We are keen to revisit some of our favourite skiing spots and places we have been to before and heading toward the Danube and the Romantic Road.

Our camp for tonight:  Parking Ottenschlag

Set just on the outskirts of this small town, this camp stop borders a forest and a small lake.  It is a Stellplatz run by the community here and a small payment of €5 is requested to be paid at the Town Hall.  No cooking for the chef tonight so we head for town to pay our fee and to find the illusive quaint little bar/restaurant.  It is Wednesday and we find the many eating places closed (“Ruhig Tag” it is known as which means “quiet day”) it’s their day off. – ugh!.  We pass by the Town Hall which is closed and on our way home, the alluring smell of food hits the nostrils and like the Pied Piper we are drawn to the castle grounds where the smells seem to be coming from.   Part of the ground floor of the castle has been transformed to a bar and restaurant with so much character.  Dimly lit bar with stone walls, Austrian artefacts and pictures in every little nook and cranny.  “Heuringer Im Schloss” is the name and run by Helga Wimmer.  We ordered two beers (in German) and Helga speaks back to us in English!!!  Didn’t know our German was that bad.

Had a really great conversation with her and talked about a soup my mother used to make – Griessknodelsuppe.  It wasn’t on the menu but chef made it for us – how good is that. Got to say it wasn’t as good as mums but really special that they made it for me.  The place was packed and every man and his dog (yes dogs are allowed in everywhere in Europe) came in.  Had a great night.