Gasthof Eschbacher Piesendorf

... hand at an ariel assault course....he came back a shell of his former self after 3 hours in the trees hanging from bits of wire and trying to keep up with 9 year old girls who were more agile than him..for my penance I had to play pitch and putt with Lauren using carved putters and wooden balls..no danger i'll be joining a golf tour anytime soon. 

Definitely worth a visit in winter for you keen boarders out there.

We took a bus from Salzburg over to Berchtesgaden, Germany which is only about 45 minutes. It's nestled in the Bavarian Alps. We stayed on the outside of the city in a little Bed and Breakfast. It is usually cheaper to stay in a B&B then in a hostel (if the town has a hostel). We thought it would be much easier to find cheap hostels here but in Austria and Germany we're finding it harder and harder. But this place was great ...

... through Berchtesgaden is an amazing colour, like blue-green-white. When you look into it, it is absolutely clear. Berchestgaden is a very pretty little town. After walking up and down a couple streets, we had a sandwich and some Cokes for lunch at a little deli. It was good to tide us over until supper but not too filling. With no further shopping prospects, we rested in our car until it was time to meet for ...

... of challenge and reward, leading ultimately right back to the farmhouse and that long-desired beer. There was a smell of burning coming from my rear brakes!

We packed ready for departure. Keith and Manu joined us for dinner, serving up a lovely home-made quiche followed by goulash made from one of the farm's own cows, and a home-baked apple-strudel. All great stuff.

... but it's steep and challenging in parts and has added challenges from the wandering cows. Further down it lapses into fire road then tarmac, and winds along the valley's Radwanderweg back to the lift station.

I did this three times then broke for lunch at a restaurant near the lift station where I had a rather salty burger. It was a poor choice as it was a bit too heavy for a ...

... technical singletrack which was much more of a challenge for me and I had to work on shifting my balance on the bike, keeping the weight much further back, and trying to take a more balanced approach to braking, as I was heavily favouring the back brake (to such an extent that the rear tyre showed significantly more wear at the end of the week). Mountaintop lunch was a "Strammel Max" (ham, eggs ...

... views. We made it down to dinner just in time for the last servings, and celebrated by buying some local red wine recommended by the tour guides en route. Staff seemed very friendly too!

It was a bit dark to go out exploring so we took in the atmosphere from the balcony, drank our wine which they let us take upstairs and considered our plans for the next few days, the peace of the mountains slightly spoiled by the disco music from the triathlon!

... for the harvest that has been brought in. It was neat to see the community coming together. Our plane tickets were supposed to come today, but they have not yet arrived. So we have been people, duck, and swan watching. Talking to Fed Ex Austria trying to determine where the package really is, and waiting patiently. God has been talking to us to. It has been enriching to spend time in His presence and talk to Him about all that is happening and all that is ...

August 26-Monday
We left Kitzbuhel at 8:30. There was a brief stop in Berchtesgarden, in Germany, at 10:00. Up on the side of the mountain, we could see Hitler's Eagle’s Nest. It was rather chilling to see that part of history. The bunker is now a restaurant. Our rest stop overlooked a valley filled with wonderful homes. What a view! Back on the bus and on to Salzburg. Time 10:35.

... When the parade ended, we went to an outdoor cafe to have lunch. As we had lunch, we noticed that the parade kept coming around and around and around and we watched it again (and again) while we ate. It just did not want to end…and we didn’t want it to end, either…it was just so delightful. We could not have asked for a better way to start our vacation.

That evening, we went to St. Johann in Tyrol (a nearby village) for dinner and ...