Woke to rain and my dry aunt laying on my grand old Mittersill gasthaus floor. Then the tv turned itself on to predict rain while playing cheery Austrian tunes. This is at 6am mind you. Yoga was a bit truncated as the ceiling was too low but frukesteke? was fulsome with eis too hot to handle let along pocket and 3 different blue cheese.
I feel like I've been riding through Cooma for the last little while.....With a fabulous Alpine backdrop which really is profoundly beautiful. The many and varied towns are long: laid out by the valley forming rushing river, made of the sharp smelling firs that cling to every mighty cliff face and populated with a serious crew proud of their work and surrounded by their history. Its quiet and many many people are into the forest calmly rejuvenating amongst the ever present and unspoiled thick forest of tall trees. And then the glorious Zell am see. Almost Swiss in its tranquility. A lovely inland sea with 5star otels and a pretty lakeside walk. Nice lunch time viewing and a calm and beautiful place.
Or cycling. Today so many many cyclists compared to 'ome. Yesterday I was told that up to 6000 in a weekend do the 42ks drop into Lienz from San Candido along the Drau catching the train back. Who can blame them? I found those ks remarkably beautiful too. There is a lovely community on the pista cyclable. Rare not to get a return Bonjour or Morrrgen or Gottt....men and women in almost equal nos. too.
Todays ride while unspoiled by art was hilly some parts walking steep (14+%) mostly tarred with pungent pig swill aromas and 99% off highway.
Hey guess what? As my darling partner has taught me to say.
I've to return this way in a few days as it is part of the Alpe Adria radweg. So those poor sweating hollandais that I raced down hill past after lunch while they ground their way up grunting allos ....haha....for me.... I've their red face soon too.
I will have also by then a better understanding of historical Salzburg and my friends' reasons for choosing it over Canberra to which to retire.
Vienna or Wien, was my first port of call as a cyclist and the Donnau radweg my first bike path OS, now 15 years ago, on an entry level mountain bike with leaky panniers. I still remember vividly my complete lack of lingo, the stunning scenery, the sheer power of the Danube and the way everything reinforced one's own inner literature, art, and musically formed images of civilization....
The route guide: in all cases EV6, Swiss nord south 3..the Via Val di Pustalet and now Bikeline Tauernradweg and Alpe Adria radweg, takes some figuring out....the scale, the symbols, accuracy, alternate routes, accompanying signage....these details contribute greatly to my holiday at the mo. They're akin to the tour guide for me. Moving quicker than expected through the little german radweg guides as they facilitated today's 80 odd ks.
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