Posthotel Schladming

... the women then the men to follow. Got to the bottom of the track just in time for the final few riders. Sam Hill won for Australia by 3 seconds with Fairclough of Great Britain in 5th. Great day. The riders partied through the night so we put our ear plugs in and got some sleep ready to move on to Salzburg the next day.<br><br>Here's some pics before the camera broke....<br><br>

Early start had us at Verona station for 8.30am and we were soon on the train heading for Innsbruck, Austria. After Clare scoffing a chocolate custard doughnut in record time we boarded our connecting train in Innsbruck to Scladming, finally arriving at 6pm. Clare was sweating at the thought of a similar room to Verona, so it was an anxious walk up the stairs to ...

... Maybe this was a good time to go alone but we stuck with our group and did pretty good, but the singles definitely kicked our butts in speed.<br><br>All together we spent about three hours in and around the mines before going back down the funicular to find mom and Lincoln. They enjoyed their relaxing time so in the end it was a nice day for everyone.<br><br>And now, back to the highway!

... soon as we arrived that this is no backpacker town and nothing is cheap. She must have called 10 places for us. Most were full or too expensive. So again, we ended up at a little old woman's house - but it was really nice. It was a big, traditional Austrian mountain home. We had quite a hike there but once there we could finally relax on our balcony overlooking the mountains. Very stressful day. It was another case of not being able to communicate with our hosts. The ...

... cool hostel. It was up on top of a hill, beside the old part of the city. I actually had to take an elevator up to the top of the hill. And then I had to walk on a path through the woods until I got there. It was actually a restaurant downstairs, with the rooms upstairs. And the view of Salzburg was amazing. I could see the Salzburg castle, towering above town on top of a neighboring hill. And it was a very impressive-looking castle indeed ...

... it was just as Rick Steves described it. It&#8217;s a little town on the side of a large lake, surrounded on all sides by towering mountains. It was cloudy and very cool, but the lake was very calm and black. It was quite beautiful. The train station for Hallstatt was actually on the other side of the lake from the town. I had to take a boat over to the city itself. <br><br>When I got to Hallstatt (about 1 pm), I was feeling very exhausted and didn&#8217;t ...

... as when<br>the sunset it got instantly cold....hmm this wasnt in the emma and<br>kathleen brochure! Tuesday morning we got up and went for a walk - well<br>mini hike really. I looked totally out of place... everyone had their<br>hiking boots and poles etc... then here I come, shorts and cardi,<br>converse sneakers and long pink ...

... and then hit the road for areas less populated. Destination: Hallstatt in the salzkammergut area of Austria.<br><br>An hour and a half out of Salzburg, the little village of Hallstatt sits perched on the edge of a lake. It is built on a hill, has really only one street suitable for cars, and is in a gorgeous mountainous setting. The camping is half a kilometer out of town, and across the road from the main city park with swimming area in the lake. Wahoo ...

... had the same creamy, rich depth that panna cotta has, and almost felt the same as when panna cotta melts in your mouth. Wow! Overall, it was a quiet night - it's a peaceful little town, and I'll most likely be pretty bored here tomorrow. I'm going to have a hectic final week coming up, so maybe it's good to have some time to relax. I am getting a little bored and homesick in all these small towns - it's time to hit up some bigger cities!

... the grounds of the fortress, followed by an organic Indian dinner at the "Spicy Spices" restaurant right around the corner from my hostel. Upon returning to my room, I met Gabriella, a woman from Regensberg, Germany, who told me that she once spent several months travelling the US with a woman from Boulder selling Grateful Dead t-shirts... She also told me about the rooftop patio, from where I watched the sun set over the city.