Salzburg is a beautiful city with many treasures. A fine lunch with good friends. The bike not ridden once., resting in the hotel. Rain abating with 30 degree days prognosed ahead.
Big booming bronze bells greeted me sensibly just before the garbage trucks arrived to clean the street insensibly already being flushed with meaningful rain. Downed a couple of the Golden Krone's free machine coffees, borrowed the hotel's brolly and went off in search of well wrought narrative artworks.
Found aplenty in the panorama museum where I saw a 15 meter diameter by 3 high superbly detailed backlit panorama of 1800's Salzburg and environs. Absolute marvel and then to be told t'was travelled by its maker and shown in a tent in 20 odd european capitals over a 10 year sojourn in which it was almost lost at sea in a shipwreck. Still in great condition and an amazing thing made by Johann Sattler and Joseph Schindler.
Then a small part of an archbishop kings huge and wealthy palatial complex. A very interesting set of plaster ceilings with hats and cockerals flung by chubby cherubs towards the viewer....again precise detailed work. Whacky but mannerism in all its forms can be.
Then a bus out to my old colleague (I can say that cause I'm old too now) and his partner's place for a very lovely lunch, which I fear I delayed by my tardy arrival as I showed my feet to a car park operator thinking him a bus ticket seller.
After which Mozart's balls were consumed with much pleasure. Then a tour of a verdant and lovely garden with a bee friendly lawn of blue flowers, and an alpine rivulet with its own squirrel planted orchard covering of nut trees. So green and peaceful its hosts today made me very relaxed and happy in the post storm mists.
My hosts also enlightened me as to an ominous very straight line right through the Tauern mountain illustrated in the Alpe Adria manual..... Turned out to be a tunnel for trains onto which cars simply drive and are bourne every hour at 20 mins past. And bikes in a carriage. Very relieving information. Thank you M and H for a peaceful arvo chatting and my first home cooking in 5 weeks.
I'm constantly on the lookout for pedicab operators seeking tips, and Salzburg has no lack. There in Mozartplatz (he's everywhere here) in the rain, a young woman running a training session for no less than five others in the subtle art of Salzburg Hautnah where "you always get the front seat with plenty of legroom". Front loaders with a transparent roll back hood. Very well spoken and friendly operator. I've promised my Salzburg friends a free tour in my pedicab, when they return to Canberra to visit family.
Another thing they interested me in today is an impossible set of steps which scale a serious alpine cliff immediately outside my hotel window. I mean immediately too, I shall attempt to scale it tomorrow before 11 when we lads will seek out castles together for my last day in this surprisingly interesting and restful place.
A bus driver on the way home told me of 24 years working as a Salzburg bussie with only another 20 to go before retirement. We aussies have it good especially single employer types like me. I'm really appreciating this cycling vacation accordingly and having the fitness to be vulnerable to the world on my bike is something I certainly don't take for granted and thank my lucky stars for everyday.
I've had a great rest day today with friends.
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