Friends from Australia were in Europe during this time and so drove over to Vienna to see us on Thursday, 20th of August. We walked around Vienna on the Friday when a surprising number of street festivals were going on such as the Wurst Festival, Aerial silk ribbon dancing (think Cirque du Soleil), cheerleading). As we had to leave for Munich to meet Richard (from climbing) on the Sunday, Suz and I caught the train there with the bikes on the Saturday afternoon. Chris and Mags had left in the morning to meet us in Salzburg but via the Salzkammergut - Austria's 'lake district' and where I raced last year. We had dinner at the local brewery, Stigl Brauerei, where there was a wedding going on complete with a very enthusiastic umpaba (+ samba?) band. We moved tables three times.
An early goodbye on Sunday and we catch the train to Munich. The view westwards from the recently refurbished Salzburg HauptBahnhof Railway Station. Untersberg mountain is in the background.
Munich to Chiemsee, day one, ~ 100km
As we were planning to ride back with only one stop over, we had a pannier each - unlike Richard who had to pack for a week. Rather than a big tour, we thought it would be easier to base ourselves in Salzburg and do day trips from there. We met up with Richard at the Munich station without much fuss. Unlike getting out of Munich which took a lot of effort, stop, start, go back. In retrospect, we should have caught a train to the outskirts.
After getting on a rather busy and high speed country road, we managed lunch near Ayling and found a much nicer way.
Simsee, the first of the lakes, photo op and not far to go but not so flat either . . .
We stayed at a place right on the shores of Chiemsee, the Bavarian Sea - biggest lake in Bavaria. It had been a long, hot 100km day but we had just about finished dinner when the heavy rain came in.
A general comment about touring in Europe; there can be lots of stopping and starting because the route can be any which way. An advantage is that sometimes you are a long way away from motorised traffic and the air is so sweet because that. Sometimes avoiding the gravel can mean going up a steep hill with traffic.
Chiemsee to Salzburg, day two, 90km
Above, a cool, tranquil morning on the lake. We continued riding around the lake to Prien where we caught the boat to Herreninsel, the island where Mad King Ludwig II tried to built a palace modelled on the French Versailles. It has a monastery predating Ludwig's effort. On another island called Frauenchiemsee there is a convent.
The boat we were actually on was somewhat more ordinary than the pride of the fleet, the 1926 paddle steamer, Ludwig Fessler, which passed us en route.
Most of the time we road on paths away from the main road, not all of them sealed like this, above. Below, our last second last summit.
Final hilltop before the flatlands of Salzburg, with Untersberg mountain visiable as the massif on the right
