Europe Adventure 2007

Salzburg to Vienna by train was via Linz and took just over 3 hours. The timing of our arrival at the train station in Salzburg was slightly delayed due to us being indecisive about one very important thing. Although we recognised that it was a Sunday, the English shop window had vegemite in it and therefore we travelled entirely across town to see if they were open. Unfortunately, our cravings remain. As we determined which platform our 11:10am train would depart we realised that the 10:15am was still delayed.

Making haste we arrived at the delayed train just in time to see the 4 security gaurds watch the mechanic emerge from the undercarriage. Putting any strange thoughts out of our mind we boarded the ancient carriage at the end of the train, only to realise later that we could have sat in the first class cabins anyway.

Vienna - 24 June

We only realised later that the first city stop our train made in Vienna within walking distance of our campsite had passed so we made the metro detour via Westbanhoff Station. Metro systems are now thankfully second nature, particularly for Camilla who without hesitation determines our fastest route with the least changes with ease. We relieved two young travellers of their tickets valid for a further 24 hours at a reasonable fee as they were leaving town early and made our way to Huttledorf.

Pitching the tent in the sweltering heat was not something we had imagined doing in Vienna. There was little shade in the large paddock where the other tents were placed, so we made haste then packed for a late afternoon adventure in town. Our adventure started with a complete backtrack of the same trainline to the edge of the Danube Inlet. Confident that the walk to the Danube river was only a few minutes away we set off with MacDonalds icecream in hand and got completely lost.

Taking a u-turn Camilla thought it wise to weigh herself (following Maccas icecream and chips) and was pleased to note that all that lugging of packs and walking has cancelled out some if not all of the French cheese, Italian pizzas and Greek salads. Finding a comfortable spot in the thick grass in one of the beautiful parks with other Viennese locals soaking up the late afternoon sun we knocked up a mushroom rissotto with the portable kitchen. A good night sleep was in order so we headed out to Wienerwald (Vienna Woods) where our home lay waiting.

Day 1 - 25 June

Getting high on opium for breakfast (poppy seed bread) we packed our bags to explore Vienna throughout the day with respite regardless of wanting to sit and drink coffee and eat cake all day. Walking past the major theatres, concert halls and impressive fountains we were lost in the back streets (please note, back streets in Vienna as 6 lanes wide and perfectly positioned between towering architectural gems) we stumbled across the main English book store for the city. As you know we completed our Dan Brown marathon in Italy and were therefore craving some literary inspiration.

On the back cover of our selection there is a priceless quote from the famous author C.S.Lewis 'The englishspeaking world is broken into two categories, those who have read Lord of the Rings, and those who are going to'. Needless to say you can guess that we purchased a Jane Austen masterpiece... kidding, the 1,100page 50th anniversary edition of this great work may, and we are not certain, fit into our packs. If it comes to it we will discard unnecessary clothing, toiletries and survival gear to make room, number one on the hit list is The Lonely Planet.

Lunch was a less than admirable affair although after 3 months without the better burgers of Hungry Jacks it was high time. As we worked off the calories it was a hot time walking in the 34 degree plus heat of summer. Our first notable touristic venture was a visit to the immense gothic cathedral which is surrounded by both modern and renaissance classic buildings.

Onwards we dodged the horsedraw carriages, of which there are literally hundreds, to a smaller ornate church by the name of St Peters. The major drawcard of this little gem was the free Organ concert to demonstrate the accoustics and fine note of a 300 year old instrument. While normally a huge marble cavity is cool, and the reverberations that could be heard from Switzerland would keep anyone attentive, Steve obviously was a little overcome by the heat, Hungry Jacks and excitement of J.R.R Tolkien and unfortunately got the noddies. 'HOW ON EARTH COULD YOU POSSIBLE GET THE NODDIES' Camilla exclaimed as we exited.

Vienna is world renowned as one of the great classical music cities and this comes across at every turn with talented buskers, sprukers in period costume and reverberrating churches. Clearly it would not do to play the impoverished backpacker card at this point so we committed within 30 minutes of each purchase to two impressive programs. Outside the Palace, and almost overcome with heat exhaustion we admired the tickets which were our invitation to be inspired.

An evening with Mozart was held tonight in the Musikverin where the global NYE telecast of the Vienna Philharmonic is held, and tomorrow we would be enjoying a renowned ensemble of opera singers to the NYE program at the Vienna Musikhaus. As you can imagine we were very excited that evening to enter the great hall well known by many as the NYE stage.

Unfortunately they do not keep the floral arrangements in place for the year as one can understand when you see the venue 'dressed' for NYE. The performance was a real treat with a superb female soprano opera singer complimenting wonderful arrangements of some great well known pieces including the infectious Blue Danube waltz to finish. As if arranged by Mozart himself and coordinated by the conductor, mid way through the performance the entire hall shuddered to throaty claps of thunder. As we exited into the cool night air the heavy air reminded us of every great afternoon thunderstorm.

Making our way back to base camp was easy enough and we had the pleasure of meeting a very friendly couple from America, Ryan and Louisie from Texas. Sharing travel stories late into the night we parted ways as the wind picked up and hoped to see them again in the days to come.

Once cocooned in the bombshelter we were glad it was rated for 4 seasons. At one point during the night Steve dove out in his boxer shorts to retighten the guidelines as the wind whipped and lashed at the tent till early morning. Our outdoor entry mat (the Red Carpet as it is lovingly called) was later found at the opposite side of the campground yet no damage was done.

Day 2 - 26 June

Without a full compliment of clean clothing (primarily clean undies were scarce) it was time to catch up with the mundane. Around 11:30am we rescued Ryan and Louisie from outside the closed minimarket offering what little we had in the pantry. It has been a long time since we entertained anyone other than each other so it was a great delight to share a meal with new friends. As it turned out Asparagus soup and 3 burenwurst sausages (rather larger than a thin BBQ sanger) with bread is more than sufficient for 4 people.

Blogging is now categorised at the equivalent level of importance as no clean underwear. We found a reasonable @Cafe and got our thoughts out before moving onto a classic must-do for visitors to Vienna. Cafe Sperl was established in 1882 in the classic Viennese coffee house decor. It has been maintained with the element of authenticity difficult to find in newer establishments. Had Steve been wearning spats and a bowlers hat with Camilla on his arm in gloves and hat it would not have been out of place against the rich dark woods, red velour upholstery, bevelled glass windows or bronze fixtures. Viennese iced coffee, chocolate marmalade gateau and Lord of the Rings page 1 were enjoyed simultaneously.

Dinner was less of a traditional affair however as AustralAsians it is difficult to go more than a couple of weeks without a fried rice fix. More importantly we had been strolling around town all afternoon and knew that the Chinese could prepare the meal in time for us to get to the concert.

Early for the evening, we strolled around the war memorial and watched the trams go by before stalking one of the musicians to the hall. We assumed if he was still on his way, we arn't late yet. Vienna Musikhaus rivals anything we have ever seen for the prototypical classic renaissance entertainment venue. You could not more accurately recreate the grandure of a room such as the Grosse Salle where the performance was to be held. With cameras in hand we entered along with the other 1798 guests for the spectacle. Camilla was able to capture just moments before opening the performers-eye-view as it were of this grand room

As Opera performances go the evening was not only the best we have ever seen, it is the only one we have seen live in full to our recollection. It may become a more regular event, however the bar has certainly been set very high. What a stunning performance from the duet Soprano Diva and Barratone who have been working together for more than 30 years. To hear a womans voice in perfect pitch fill every crevass of a room of this size is a marvel to behold.

Leaving Vienna the following morning for our next destination we had been given somewhat average advice. Arrive at the sudbahnhof station and you should be right exclaimed the campsite attendant. After purchasing our tickets we had less than 20 minutes to cross Vienna to Westbanhof. This would otherwise be impossible if it weren't for the direct tram line. Obviously still on a high from the previous evening Camilla was humming the blue danube and accurately observed that 'everything in Vienna has fantastic acoustics, even the trams!'

Leaving by train from Innsbruck took only a couple of hours to bring us to Salzburg. While the scenery at the start of the trip was mountainous it slowly gave way to open rolling fields of richly coloured farmland.

Salzburg trolley bus network (buses attached like trams to overhead electric cables) is the most comprehensive we have seen. Having chosen our campsite from the 3 within a few minutes ride of town we were pleased to find that the site had a filtered view of the fortress and rooftops.

With a threatening sky full of dark clouds we made haste to pitch the Embassy. In the scuffle of pegs, strings, rocks and flysheets Steves finger made use of itself in a way not ordinarily recommended. Fingers, like Lonely Planet publications are not the best thing for hammering in tent pegs. Oozing quite a bit of blood he smiled and asked for a nurse (to finish pitching and packing the tent, not fix the finger).

Salzburg - 22 June

After a quick meal and checking the 999 satellite TV channels (only a few in English) the sky cleared somewhat and we headed into Salzburg. Walking through the old town we admired the popular shopping promenades, looked at the facade of Mozart's birthplace then retreated from the returning rain and thunder for a hot chocolate.

Warm and happy we dove back into the cold night air under our umbrellas to explore the other side of the river. Just our luck the annual music festival was in full swing, unfortunately the rain had kept the revellers from packing the streets. We enjoyed rock, jazz, classical and latin stage shows interrupted only marginally by thunder overhead. As the days are getting longer it is hard to judge what time it is so we found ourselves heading back for camp around 11pm.

Walking through the field of knee high grass leading to Campingplatz Panorama we turned suddenly to what appeared to be a huge clap of thunder. It turned out that the festival was concluded for the evening with a spectacular fireworks display, illuminating the valley, red roof tops and gleaming white fortress.

Day 1 - 23 June

It is always a good day when we start with French toast, juice and tea. While it was not absolutely decided the previous day Camilla had a plan. Salzburg is renowned for numerous things, Mozart, music, art, universities and the very cheesy 'Sound of Music' Tours. Arriving early at the Mirabell Gardens we admired the famous horse fountain, dwarf garden, open air theatre, long hedge lined passageways and the local music school performers.

After Camilla has worn herself out dancing on the theatre stage, singing and skipping through the vine covered archway it was clear that the 2pm Sound of Music tour 'needed' the Halls. Lunch was held by the river where we devoured an entire pack of Speck (Tirol smoked bacon), camembert and dips while watching the passing parade of families, boats and dog walkers.

While we are not tour-group travellers we do know some of the tricks of the trade. Once the tickets (worth every euro) were acquired we asked precisely where the bus would pull up, estimated the length of a coach and stated our claim at the front of the queue. We were accurate within centimetres and greeted heartily by the yoodelling bus driver Marcus. Trudy the tour leader bounded out behind him in full traditional Austrian highland attire.

On the front seat of the bus Camilla was grinning from ear to ear as Trudy introduced herself, asked who has seen the movie to squeals of delight (Steve ashamedly had to join the only other Aussie Bloke in putting up his hand at not having viewed the masterpiece). Our destinations included lake, gardens and back view of the Von Trapps home, Love Gazebo (which has been relocaed as the music school could not bear the singing and dancing tourist hoards back in 1970s), the monastry and drive around the fortress. Once the in town sights were photographed we headed, singing and cheering, to Lake Wolfgang (splendid) where the mountaintop steam train is located, and Lake Mondsee where the trees the children climb have now grown enormous.

Finally, an icecream to placate Steve and quick visit to the church where Maria married Captain Von Trapp. All together, the tour was a great sucess and an interesting insight into a film which is not only world famous but based (fairly accurately) on a true story of a Salzburg romance during WWII.

Walking over the Mozart bridge (also featured in the Sound of Music we now realise) we headed through town to the traditional beer gardens for our first Austrian stien. To work off some of the calories we climbed the hill for an uncompromised view over Salzburg and the surrounding districts.

Winding our way back down the narrow stairs past the festival halls we rejoined the music festival that was in full swing and well attended due to blue sky. Dinner and drink included an enormous donut pretzel, half a BBQ chicken and two glasses of wine next to the jazz and salsa stage till late in the evening.

We have visited many pretty towns so far and Salzburg is one that present in immaculate condition complete with soul and points of interest for all.

Awaking very early we were the first to breakfast and therefore had pick of the first slice of fresh apple strudel and tea cake. Warm and full of food we boarded the bus at 8am with the locals off to work and enjoyed listening to a dialect that is not entirely Italian, German or Slovenian. Our bus took a familiar route down the Val de Fassa before diverting to Bolzano where we connected with a train to Innsbruck.

ITALY: Our final thought on the splendid time we have spent in Italy (totalling just over 5 weeks) is that it is jam packed with some of the greatest sights, tastes, adventures and people. Having reviewed our time and destinations it is impossible to say that we would have been happy to miss anything however we do feel that the route has been relatively comprehensive without being excessive. We will be back, most likely during Winter for the snow as soon as we win Lotto so that we can go crazy with the fashion, food and Ferraris.

Crossing the border to Austria we were totally engrossed in a Gravitational Physics 101 lecture from a very friendly Assistant Professor working on the LISA project. It is not every day that you get to ask what gravity really is and get the most up-to-date laypersons answer from someone who is helping to launch rocket ships into space to find out. We now have a very brief understanding of black holes, laser beams and other useful galactic cooking tips.

AUSTRIA - Innsbruck - 20 June

Steve may be good at some things; carrying heavy loads, eating leftover pasta, pitching a tent almost anywhere and playing charrades with non-english speaking bus drivers, however, when taking directions from the tourist office at the Innsbruck train station regarding the closest campsite he was obviously dreaming about strudel.

We walked, and walked... and walked some more before arriving at the campsite in the rain where the very friendly blonde receptionist asked how the bus ride to the front gate was. Steve broke a small sweat and said 'eh...I may have forgotten about the second bus connection... would you mind not mentioning it to my wife'. It should be known that Camilla had an inkling that we had taken a rather longer approach than was necessary and probably read that from Steve's face when he offered to carry all her bags to the pitch.

As it was raining heavily all afternoon we caught up with tenthold items such as cooking, tea, washing and drying, reading about Innsbruck and planning our following day. To make it interesting the gliders were wizzing over our heads to finish their decent and the thunder in the hills could be heard echoing off the 3000m high cliff behind our tent.

Day 1 - 21 June

Innsbruck is fantastic for adventure sports of all kinds with a great program of free, inexpensive and exhuberent activities to choose from. As impoverished backpackers we thought it best to join the free guided walk through the mountains. After a dry bread breakfast we arrived at the congress building early to be met by Martin the Austrian tour leader and one other hiker. Not the crowd of thousands we were expecting, it may have had something to do with the thunderstorm looming overhead and hailstone warnings which those with a TV may have been privy to.

Setting off on a 50 person coach we wound our way up to the 1964 / 76 Winter Olympic skifield venue to commence the walk. With the pass we were aiming at visible up in the clouds we were keen to get going. Martin on the other hand set the pace a little slower than expected. As we dodged the butterflies overtaking us we at least had time to admire the thick flower growth, old trees and noisy bell-bound livestock.

Nearing the top of our ascent the thunder clapped louder and we realised that it was coming from overhead of the valley we were aiming at. With only seconds to have the new information register Martin pointed out that we could see the highest peak in Germany and the Italian Alps from our vantage point. As Steve pulled the camera out from under his jacket Martin could be seen leaping like a mountain goat hundreds of metres further down the ravine.

Our shoes and knees got a real workout as we slipped, slided and cursed having to keep up with the ill prepared mountain guide / pace setter who evidently did not choose to bring all weather gear as we had. After 30 minutes of non-stop scramble down from the pass the weather fined up slightly and we arrived at a traditional Austrain mountain hut at 1740m. Only seconds from devouring our somewhat squashed salad rolls Martin had a hissy fit that we were not going to partake in a full hot lunch. Whether he missed out on his kickback from the takings or not, we are just not use to lavish hot meals being available on every bush walk and tucked into the soggy rolls.

Running in the rain the rest of the way downhill, only to take a snails pace on the remaining uphill sections were were greeted at the end of the walk by sunshine and a spare 30 minutes before our pickup. Martin, please don't quit your dayjob! The walk in all was wonderful and the free time in Tesfel afforded us the time to admire one of the stunning 17th century churches with elaborate frescos and a fully adorned mummy / skeleton.

Back on the now shrunken minibus we drove along the Autostrade across a 190 metre high bridge in horizontal rain. Back in Innsbruck however the weather was breaking into pockets of sunshine. Walking through the old town was a real treat including admiring the famous Golden Roof before a well deserved reward of Strudel and silver service tea in a charming little Strudelhaus.

After adminiring the Swarovski crystal displays we got lost in the two main multistorey outdoor adventure stores. After our kneebreaking experience Steve has invested in some alpine walking sticks (hmmmmm) which are expected to get some use in the coming weeks.

Dinner was soon to follow where we planted ourselves in the main square watching the trams go by and framed by the towering mountains behind. Dinner was a traditional affair with Snitzel and chips for Camilla and a country chicken, speck (smoked bacon) and potato casserole for Steve. Austrian beer was the chaser and well deserved at that.

On our way back through the network of trams and buses we joined a retired Queensland couple at the infamous second bus connection to chat about motorhomes. They had only two days before taken delivery of a brand new mobile mansion in Strasbourg. Keen to discuss every detail of the purchase, design, delays, and general operation we were privy to the grand tour on our arrival (no walking) back at camp. It should be noted that although we love our little Chateau the inside of a new motor home is shmick, maybe when our knees can't cope with hauling luggage and crawling into tents will we consider this upgrade.

Innsbruck is fantastic, very pretty and a real gem in the Austrian Alps. Like Italy, the location looks superb under a velvet cover of snow and may require a visit again in the coming years.