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Yes, sweet treats are back on the menu for morning tea in Austria. This makes a pleasant change, given the Balkan states bakers skill at removing the joy from eating a biscuit by removing it’s taste.
And yes you have heard it here first. Austria is the most beautiful country ‘in the world’. In fact it is almost Disneyland like, in the scenery stakes. There is always a downside, and I guess being buried under snow for a good part of the year is it, as well as never being able to be alone. Like the rest of Europe, there appears to be no public land that is easily accessible. You are never allowed, as is the case in OZ, NZ and to a degree the US, to camp alone. Everything is so structured here it drives us crazy.
Our fridge spat the dummy the other day. Inconvenient (warm beer and no yoghurt) but manageable here because you can shop anywhere, anytime. But, if we get back to Africa down the track, a real pain in the **** when you can only shop very occasionally.
A quick call home to Cory confirmed my view that a replacement fan was necessary to prevent a compressor meltdown. This expert advice had us picking up a replacement fan within the hour from a computer store for five Euro. So unless there is an underlying problem, all is good!
The last week or so have seen us continue to experience some of the best scenery that rural Austria can provide. The lakes district to the east of Salzburg was memorable as was the town of ‘Bad Aussee'.
What also has become apparent is the Europeans passion for a fag. This habit (of which I did myself partake when I was a pathetic wretch) is encouraged in the young through ease of availability. Cigarette vending machines are everywhere.
Heading north we pass quickly through Czech Republic stopping for the night after crossing the Polish border. Whilst still very scenic like it’s neighbour Austria, it’s citizens are less affluent, and as a consequence it’s towns appear less well loved. A manufacturing past is also evident through the amount of abandoned factories falling into disrepair.
Camping for the night sees us at a alpine hostel. Gael strikes up a conversation with some young Czech geology students on a field trip. A great bunch who were amazed at our travels, and consider Australia to be the ‘holy grail’ for budding geology graduates. They were concerned to hear that mining was ‘off the boil’ in Oz. However they were still hoping for a bright future for the coal industry. They were interested that there were people that didn’t share their enthusiasm for coal, and were concerned for their career prospects if these views caught on.
We followed the Polish border towards Dresden, which we gave a wide berth, passing through the scenic feature Bastei. The focus here appears to be on a concrete bridge built for no apparent reason, other than to encourage 1800’s tourists. In some perverse way the bridge seems to fit amongst the rock towers, that were the original drawcard. The hotels however, that have been built since right next to the natural feature, are appalling. Unregulated or inappropriate tourism development throughout Europe has gone a long way to destroying it’s once beautiful natural attractions. This type of development, as promoted by the current Tasmanian Liberal Government, will be the end of Tasmania as a unique Wilderness tourism destination.
The drive from Dresden north to the Baltic coast offered little after seeing Austria to the south. Mostly flat farmland laced with high speed motorways. Having another vehicle shake your truck as it overtakes at what appears to be twice your speed is a real bowel loosener.
We took the opportunity to visit a Concentration Camp called Sachsenhausen, in the town of Oranienburg just north of Berlin. You can read about these places but being there adds a whole new dimension.If only Japan was as open about it’s past as Germany is!
Germany has it’s large rivers,one being the Danube which we tracked for a while, but the towns along their banks tend to be trampled by tourists looking for the perfect stuffed toy for the grandchild. Generally speaking the rubbish on sale in these towns tourist traps had little to do with the local area or culture.
The weather, as one would expect for this latitude, is becoming cooler and more cloudy as we move further north.
Being late May the day light hours are many. It’s light by about the time for my third pee at around 3.30am and is still light until the sandman comes after 10pm.
How we are going to be able to sleep when we get to Norway is beyond me.
Soon I find myself updating the blog from deck six of the good ship ‘Huckleberry Fin’, as we sail the Baltic Sea to Sweden. A historic day not just in our travels, but also because, and more importantly, I celebrate my 66th year with the celebratory email messages flowing in over the internet. The fact that the majority are from insurance companies, and airlines, etc, is perhaps a little disappointing.
From our research we have read that Sweden and Norway have it written into there constitution (or something similar) that one may camp virtually anywhere one can find a flat piece of ground. So it was with great anticipation that we looked forward to camping in the wild, so to speak. Unfortunately the theory, as is often the case, doesn’t relate to the practice. These two countries are as restrictive as the rest of ‘civilised Europe’. Not only are we still restricted to camping grounds but the price has skyrocketed with no apparent improvement in the facilities that are offered.
In fact the price of everything in these two countries is frightening for two Aussie campers on a budget. To add insult to injury it hasn’t stopped bucketing down since we crossed the Baltic on the jolly ship Huck Fin. It is 5 degrees at 2pm as I while away the time writing this and I’ve got nearly all the clothes that I own on in an attempt to ward of hypothermia. Gael has just filled her hottie (hot water bottle for the non Australians out there). People who say Tassie is cold have no idea. Come to Norway in summer.
To add to the woes of the weather the truck has given me another kick in the family jewels.
In an attempt to avoid the situation we now find ourselves in I replaced the head gasket at home in Tassie. Let this be a lesson to you all. “Leave well enough alone”. “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke”.
Being close to the UK means that I can get the parts I need in a few days, and with the help of the local garage owner Einar, a space we can hire to get us undercover so I can carry out the necessary repairs out of the elements. Replacing the head gasket is as big a job as I would want to tackle on the road and comes with the potential for increased stress levels. Unfortunately you never know how well it has gone until some thousands of kilometre later, although fitting a new head as well as a head gasket should help I hope.
Wish us luck!
And yes you have heard it here first. Austria is the most beautiful country ‘in the world’. In fact it is almost Disneyland like, in the scenery stakes. There is always a downside, and I guess being buried under snow for a good part of the year is it, as well as never being able to be alone. Like the rest of Europe, there appears to be no public land that is easily accessible. You are never allowed, as is the case in OZ, NZ and to a degree the US, to camp alone. Everything is so structured here it drives us crazy.
Our fridge spat the dummy the other day. Inconvenient (warm beer and no yoghurt) but manageable here because you can shop anywhere, anytime. But, if we get back to Africa down the track, a real pain in the **** when you can only shop very occasionally.
A quick call home to Cory confirmed my view that a replacement fan was necessary to prevent a compressor meltdown. This expert advice had us picking up a replacement fan within the hour from a computer store for five Euro. So unless there is an underlying problem, all is good!
The last week or so have seen us continue to experience some of the best scenery that rural Austria can provide. The lakes district to the east of Salzburg was memorable as was the town of ‘Bad Aussee'.
What also has become apparent is the Europeans passion for a fag. This habit (of which I did myself partake when I was a pathetic wretch) is encouraged in the young through ease of availability. Cigarette vending machines are everywhere.
Heading north we pass quickly through Czech Republic stopping for the night after crossing the Polish border. Whilst still very scenic like it’s neighbour Austria, it’s citizens are less affluent, and as a consequence it’s towns appear less well loved. A manufacturing past is also evident through the amount of abandoned factories falling into disrepair.
Camping for the night sees us at a alpine hostel. Gael strikes up a conversation with some young Czech geology students on a field trip. A great bunch who were amazed at our travels, and consider Australia to be the ‘holy grail’ for budding geology graduates. They were concerned to hear that mining was ‘off the boil’ in Oz. However they were still hoping for a bright future for the coal industry. They were interested that there were people that didn’t share their enthusiasm for coal, and were concerned for their career prospects if these views caught on.
We followed the Polish border towards Dresden, which we gave a wide berth, passing through the scenic feature Bastei. The focus here appears to be on a concrete bridge built for no apparent reason, other than to encourage 1800’s tourists. In some perverse way the bridge seems to fit amongst the rock towers, that were the original drawcard. The hotels however, that have been built since right next to the natural feature, are appalling. Unregulated or inappropriate tourism development throughout Europe has gone a long way to destroying it’s once beautiful natural attractions. This type of development, as promoted by the current Tasmanian Liberal Government, will be the end of Tasmania as a unique Wilderness tourism destination.
The drive from Dresden north to the Baltic coast offered little after seeing Austria to the south. Mostly flat farmland laced with high speed motorways. Having another vehicle shake your truck as it overtakes at what appears to be twice your speed is a real bowel loosener.
We took the opportunity to visit a Concentration Camp called Sachsenhausen, in the town of Oranienburg just north of Berlin. You can read about these places but being there adds a whole new dimension.If only Japan was as open about it’s past as Germany is!
Germany has it’s large rivers,one being the Danube which we tracked for a while, but the towns along their banks tend to be trampled by tourists looking for the perfect stuffed toy for the grandchild. Generally speaking the rubbish on sale in these towns tourist traps had little to do with the local area or culture.
The weather, as one would expect for this latitude, is becoming cooler and more cloudy as we move further north.
Being late May the day light hours are many. It’s light by about the time for my third pee at around 3.30am and is still light until the sandman comes after 10pm.
How we are going to be able to sleep when we get to Norway is beyond me.
Soon I find myself updating the blog from deck six of the good ship ‘Huckleberry Fin’, as we sail the Baltic Sea to Sweden. A historic day not just in our travels, but also because, and more importantly, I celebrate my 66th year with the celebratory email messages flowing in over the internet. The fact that the majority are from insurance companies, and airlines, etc, is perhaps a little disappointing.
From our research we have read that Sweden and Norway have it written into there constitution (or something similar) that one may camp virtually anywhere one can find a flat piece of ground. So it was with great anticipation that we looked forward to camping in the wild, so to speak. Unfortunately the theory, as is often the case, doesn’t relate to the practice. These two countries are as restrictive as the rest of ‘civilised Europe’. Not only are we still restricted to camping grounds but the price has skyrocketed with no apparent improvement in the facilities that are offered.
In fact the price of everything in these two countries is frightening for two Aussie campers on a budget. To add insult to injury it hasn’t stopped bucketing down since we crossed the Baltic on the jolly ship Huck Fin. It is 5 degrees at 2pm as I while away the time writing this and I’ve got nearly all the clothes that I own on in an attempt to ward of hypothermia. Gael has just filled her hottie (hot water bottle for the non Australians out there). People who say Tassie is cold have no idea. Come to Norway in summer.
To add to the woes of the weather the truck has given me another kick in the family jewels.
In an attempt to avoid the situation we now find ourselves in I replaced the head gasket at home in Tassie. Let this be a lesson to you all. “Leave well enough alone”. “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke”.
Being close to the UK means that I can get the parts I need in a few days, and with the help of the local garage owner Einar, a space we can hire to get us undercover so I can carry out the necessary repairs out of the elements. Replacing the head gasket is as big a job as I would want to tackle on the road and comes with the potential for increased stress levels. Unfortunately you never know how well it has gone until some thousands of kilometre later, although fitting a new head as well as a head gasket should help I hope.
Wish us luck!
- comments
Jo Like the look of that town near the Danube, Krems. Very entertaining blog Brother!