Planaihof Schladming

... focusing lens :-( We took it to a shop later and they said it would cost more to fix it than to buy a new one. Oh well that camera has been through a lot and was due for retirement, and what better excuse to buy a new one!!

Anyway.... The finals were brilliant. We got the gondola to the top of the mountain and walked down the track watching the riders come down. First up ...

... room.... but it got the thumbs up as it was clean, tidy and modern. The view from the room was amazing, perfect view of the Planai mountain slope, so good we could have sat there and watched the biking from our room!! Dropped our bags and went for our first meal out since leaving home, chilli fahitas and chicken burgers went down a treat, god bless Papa Joes!!!!

... but I'm getting worn out. Once to the top we had great views of the region and the lake. We also hiked down the mountain - thats probably worse then going up.

Before we had left for Hallstatt I had done a little wash in the sink - underwear and socks, and put them outside to dry. When we returned that evening my underwear was ALL over the room. Our little old lady friend had come into our room again (!) and brought in my stuff from outside. She put them on 2 ...

... br>So tomorrow morning Derek arrives at the Salzburg airport about 9:30 am, and we’re meeting by the Mozart statue in Mozartplatz (the main square of Salzburg). We’ll have two days in Salzburg before heading up to Germany. We’ll have three days in Munich, one day in Nuremburg, and one day in Rothenburg. Then Derek will return home from Nuremburg, and I will continue my travels up the Rhine Valley in Germany.

Auf Wiedersehen!

... I normally would have done. But I just didn’t feel like it, so I stayed in my room and ate leftover munchies.

I almost didn’t want to go to bed, because I didn’t want to have to leave my room in the morning. But eventually I got really tired and couldn’t concentrate on my book anymore, so I went to sleep.

Tomorrow I’ll leave Hallstatt and go to Salzburg, where my brother Derek will join me on Sunday!

Auf Wiedersehen!

We arrived in Hallstatt in the Austrian Alps on Monday. Its so
beautiful! Reminded me a lot of NZ in one way but also very different
at the same time. Its one of the top UNESCO world sites. We got there
in time for a sunbake and swim but by god the water was FREEZING!!!!!
Took your breath away! You could tell we were in the ...

8/19 Austria, Salzburg. This morning we drove to town and parked in a parking lot next to a Chrysler minivan of all things, who was driven by a guy from Utah and his large family. He is civil service of some sort, and wanted to know all about our most excellent luge experience, as that is high on his family's list as well. We walked the old town, toured the Hohensalzburg Fortress, marveled at the primitive decadence those in medieval power seemed to enjoy ...

... family (his favorite activity when travelling in Europe). He told them he was (originally) from Tata... they said they were also from Tata; he said he was from Szomod (a subdivision of Tata)... they said they were also from Szomod! They asked his family name... they said they not only knew his family, but they bought his grandfather's house!!!! Now what are the odds of that?!

The Ice Cave ...

... was true. I had overshot my turnoff by 50 kms. This was the first problem in a what would turn out to be a very long 20 hours or so. Once I got back onto the right road I started getting into smaller and smaller villages. These were really cool as they looked like pictures from postcards. The road also started getting harder to follow as these towns, like Vienna were not built for cars. At one point I missed my turn several times before ...

... languages in South Africa are, that race is still an issue. I have enjoyed Africa music from Jabu's and my CDs, but also from the swinging radio station Kaya FM 95.9, listen online http://www.kayafm.co.za. I also have enjoyed reading the Star newspaper everyday and the weekly The Mail and Guardian. I have enjoyed my little cottage and the discussions I have had with the owners Linda and Rey van Heerden (yes, Dutch descent). This is probably my ...