Salzburg monday 30 june

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.

Salzburg sun 29 june

A soft and rainy 79 ks into Salzburg and more clearing predicted for tomorrow. The day made for some beautiful moments in my solo adventure. A quietly dripping deep green forest lunchstop. A sharp rocky  precipiced valley and clouds so low they filled it like a vast white pillow. Alpine weather for the high mountains humbling me and my preference for dryness.

The dawn, clear skyed, arrived over enormous mountain sides prompting a impromptu sleep- in enclosed in my little tent.  I walked barefoot past two docile hungarian hunting hounds, into the washroom, past floor to ceiling shoe cupboards (filled with flip flpps) and an incomprehensible injunction on a large yelliw board. I felt guilty then got over it, happily not suffering from mould infections. Touch me wooden leg. If only they'd been with me in municipal camping Toury....

Set off along a beautiful riverbank path with lots of sunday morning exercisers. By 11's the rain was wind bourne. I battened down. Ortliebs are reliably waterproof. My mapbook has its cover. Kitchen on the back, less rainproof but mostly stainless steel. And its great mudass prevention. I change into my raincoat and really with my new Stelvio cap I'm riding waterproof. I decide to try for Salzburg after tossing a coin in Hallein with 15ks to go. No sense in getting wet twice.

I misread the map and plough through 11ks of wet gravel. I arrive in the many gold topped zentrum of Salzburg a complete red faced mudball. And this is a well dressed city. Was pretty forest nonetheless and will become more so in memory.

In the rain induced early evening  light, I  seek out a hotel in which to clean up, prior to wifiing hullo to my friends who live nearby. I'm two days ahead of schedule and don't want to put them out.. It is going to be great to meet up with a work colleague of 20 years at the gallery. I'm beginning to understand the attraction of proud Austria, with its profound strong landscape and ancient grandeur.

St.Viet im Pongau sat 28 june

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.

Mittersill Fri 27 June

A beautiful if slightly Kafka-ish day. Lovely radweg Lienz to Matrei 30 odd ks beside the Isel. Up 200 meters a gradual ascent mixed with the odd paved but very steep forest diversion. Signed without fail. Cloudy with a foggy start after rain in the night.

Then reaching Matrei the path ends and I must catch a bus through a 3k tunnel. I'm told to catch it at the tunnel mouth or that there is a number to ring for a shuttle bus. I ride up 900 meters over as many ks and no one at the top. Simply to prove I'm healthy again after Brixensnott.

After some inward debate (90 minutes ride up is to my mind a slog I was a sweatball with the traffic up my butt)  I speedily return down to Matrei.

Not speedily enough . Tourism info is closed for lunch so I try to find the postbus which I miss by 5 minutes because I'm searching for the bus station. The streets in this town are very steep and I'm at the bottom of the town in granny gears only to see three buses zoom by on a road a half k above me. Finally I find the bus station only to have to wait 3 hours for the next.

So blog gets written before the end of the day for a change at a friendly cafe "kuckuck" where my faith in it all is restored with a free powerpoint and wifi being  provided in very good english. That's holidays in Thailand for you...I gave em €5 for treating me so well and we parted laughing.

After a cold buspark wait I'm treated to a very friendly driver who chats the whole way explaining an avalanche has  reduced the only road to Mittersill to single lane meaning delays in the tunnel bike shuttle bus attendance.

I'm actually glad because I know I rode the mountain all but the 3.7ks tunnell and the 14ks down to Mittersill don't really count. With full baggage I'm too slow for real roads and hence my passion for the radweg which greatly enhances my  cycling joy and safety.

Todays sojourn was  brought about by a 26k joining stretch of real road  over an enormius mountain pass between the Drau and Isel radwegs and the Tauern radweg which will become the Salzach and thence take me comfortably 160 odd ks mostly down to Salzburg.

The rivers, mountains and roaring rivers are the main  attraction along with the art. In 5 weeks I've had to train or bus it for max 80ks  to link up the paths . Not bad when the pista cyclable have bourne me so gloriously for  many more hundreds.

For the next section I've a bikeline book which will mean I just can't get lost. For very long...and pleasantly so in the spirit of the unplanned adventure.

Lienz thursday 26 June

Today's 82k welcome into Austria was a top 5 in my life bikeride. Simply marvelous. Huge mountains perfect asphelt bikepath glorious forest dramatic waterfalls into the Drau running beside...medieval architecture at every turn.....all in 25 degree sunshine and mostly downwards.....

Woke early in wildbeng said goodbye to the couple who suggested the Alpe Adria route from Salzburg to Venice via Udine base camp for Zoncolan.....

The radweg was great today. Must have been 200 cyclists (not a biker to be seen all day) the train the loudest noise.

Families with quite little children out on a thursday ride, couples on fancy mountain bikes and 4 or 5 of me like snails with full baggage.

I so enjoyed the radweg today. Beautifilly signed, surfaced with almost as many benches and tables than cyclistes. All finely made with wooden joints. Pride in workmanship is everywhere.

Natural wonders all day. Full throated talkative birds, stupendous ranges peeping over profound forest from high above, rushing waters green and white over smoothed rock rapids, large leafed tropical rhubarb like greenery....just too good.

Started rising and had 400 meters up by 12 in San Candido followed by 42ks well surfaced down into Lienz. Came within 10ks of the Furka pass (route 2 Swiss) which Cameron Meyer zoomed off to conquer when he won stage 2 TdS. I came the long way as unsure of my ability to durmount the Furka, but it has been great cycling.

Camping again 2ks out of Lienz in Amlach. Set up the aunt in the face of the arvo storm and shot off to tourist info in town to work out how to gain the Tauern radweg.

Directed to a very helpful woman up the back of Geiger Paperie....who sold me bikeline route guides for the Tauern and Alpe Adria radwegs in German but that's ok. Yay feel like my unreal radweg expectations are coming true replete with the little riding books sported by so many German cyclists.

Tomorrow there is a tunnel which requires a bus trip. I looked at this road from australia and saw it simply stopped and then started again on the tauern and now I know why.

Im eating  schlipfkrapfen a kind of homemade Austrian potato tortalinni  I'm told (surprisingly tasty ) in the shadow of an ..unpronouncable but very striking Alpine clifface. Spitzkofel..its name means maybe  "sharp riverstones' in anglais ...everyone is smoking and I'm getting ready to chase wifi at my aunt's place.

Salzburg is soon. How soon I will know tomorrow after my tunnel trip and a chance to read the route book.

St. Lorenzo di Sebato wed 25 June

Woke in light rain not feeling 100% surrounded by loud bikers cooking sausage. Great that Italy and Germany won their games. Took to the path back to check out the befrescoed church in Brixen.

Met two very efficient German cyclists with full kit who told me about Eurovelo 7 having just returned from Palermo. They were much quicker than me....last seen whizzing down a superstrada (illegal). I ended up in the forest doing 2ks of single track again and realised why they'd stuck to the highway.

The rest of today's ride was lovely. Rolling hills some 12% were taxing but 20* sunshine and beautiful scenery were well worth it. Met some aussie paragliders who fed me coffee on the radweg rest stop.

Trees and lovely mountains filled my day. And now camping for the 3 night in a row I hear of a path from Salzburg to Grado near Venice which goes close to the base of the Zoncolan. The Alpe Adria railtrail sounds wonderful and will ease my way into Italy's wild south.

Am very glad to have decided to visit friends near Salzburg as the riding has been very beautiful.

Brixen Tues 24 June

50 odd ks of beautiful asphelt radweg after through and in light rain. Beside the Isarco through 1300s church towns, past radweg rest stations, under immense throbbing auto strada made for simply great riding today.

My aunt was equal to last nights heavy downpours and breakfasting with a german walking couple (politely asking to use their trangia (metho stove) in the salle de relais) was amiable and informative.

Then lining up to an ICOM gratis entry to the 10,000 year old man exhibition which I thought well done. Three floors after a little window into his minus 6 freezer all done in ice blues and whites. I still find it amazing that his shoes replicated by a modern researcher proved comfortable at first wearing over a day's alpine walking. He was probably dragged by crows over the Italian border contributing tremendously to Bolzano's evident wealth. Had a good experience and said hullo again to dr Francine and engineer Philippe from Ales with a beautiful old pompiers van and tremendous enthusiasm for alpine bushwalking, for flowers, stone formations and a gentle sensibility. They knew Florac and understood why my brakes overheated la roue and ended my last sojourn 4 years ago. Genuine freindly and lively Francaise.

Then after buying a €2 bracelet from the local African outside the Spar ....set off to the Brenner pass on a beautiful wide tarred bike path beside a wild river and an immense motorway with enormous architecture far off up above.

Todays ride while uphill all day and with an ugly and unfriendly detour (for work on the pista and so worthy) was made on a simply beautiful path.

I nearly auberged it in the rain but true to form found camping 4* with a 4* hotel attached. The weather is clearing and my washing drying amongst the ever present motor bikers while I am having a beer watching Italian soccor players singing their anthem prior to playing Uruguay.  The 4* chef knows I'm vegetarian and I feel that tonight's retirement to my aunt will be peaceful, full and dry. Will Italy win? I hope so for all my brilliant and hardworking Italian friends back 'ome. Lucky it's on telly cause the German commentary to me is incomprehensible.  People here are so good lingually I'm put to shame...