The Danube River Trail: Passau, Germany to Melk, Austria, Days 2-4

The Danube bike path and a little Austin Powers humor.


The bike ferry (my Trucker is on the right).
The rest of my second day did not goes as smoothly as the morning. It too me to the Danube Loop where the river could not cut through a granite mountain so it took a different route. The bike path stops there and you have to take a ferry down river or across the river. First up, I can't believe this bike trail is so popular that people make a business shuttling people back and forth across the river. I think there were 10 people on the ferry. They all crossed. I chose to continue down river on the same side because I wanted to ride on the trail instead of country roads. Unfortunately, while it was really peaceful riding, I did not get to next ferry point in time to get over to my campsite for the night. I could bike back 10km to a different campsite or stay in the one guest house they had. The guest house was only 40 euros and the room felt air conditioned. As soon as I felt the cool, I was game.


A huge rowing facility: lanes, building, floating transport, and who knows what else.
After getting the room, I explored all twenty feet of the one inn town. There wasn't really much of anything, but it was peaceful, which I liked. They did not have a grocery store so I had to use their pub for dinner. I got a pizza because it was easy, but I think this meal broke me. The entire time with my brother in Austria, we had been fighting flies at meals. Not just one or two, but five or six. At this meal, I counted eight. Very, very frustrating. I don't mind them being 'unsanitary' I just hate that they won't sit still. That is my job. I think someone could make a killing with flypaper in Austria. Anyway, after a meal so quick the waitress commented on it (though in Europe going out to eat seems like a longer affair than in the US), I headed back to my room. It had been hot. I had AC. I wanted to soak up as much of it as I could. Unfortunately, the room seemed a little warmer when I got up there. It turned out that I didn't have AC. The room was just that much cooler without the afternoon sun shining in. Oh well.


Check out the 'walk' signs just outside of Linz.


I love that so many people bike that they have these giant lots for bikes and they are still over full.
My third day, I found out I am an idiot. The ferry might have been running, but you have to page it with some weird intercom system. Once I figured it out, I got the ferry and put my foot to the pedal as fast as I could. I had great ideas for passing through Linz and sleeping next to the castle in Grein. I had been riding past a number of castles, but none were easily visitable or super visible from the river. I wanted to fix that. I get excited about castles. They inspire some romantic ideas of the King Arthur legend. I wonder if people in Austria are nearly as excited by them. I do not think you can go 30km anywhere in Austria without getting to a castle. There are so many, it can be as low at 5 euros to get in. It was a long haul to see it, but worth it.


99 castles in Austria, 99 castles in Austria, go visit one . . .


A great statue in Linz.


Linz.
My night in Grein was entertaining. I chatted a few people up, but the best part was that I was camping next to other bike tour folks. We had an automatic bond. One couple wanted me to help them check in since I knew Spanish and English. They only knew Spanish and three other languages that were not English or German. The most notable part of the night was the soccer club next to the camp site. I do not know what they were celebrating, but I distinctly remember the men going from singing Ole, Ole, Ole, to Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive. Perfect.


Grein castle.


I really wanted to let this squirrel out. He was just hopping back and forth non stop.
After the long haul and a short night of sleep, I was tired. I was passing through a lot of great land, but I did not feel I was experiencing it enough. I was enjoying the towns I was sleeping in or taking my afternoon break in, but there were small sights on the way that I had been skipping. To fix that on my fourth day, I planned another big day with a ton of side trips to slow me down. Those side trips turned out to be my best decision of the trip so far. I hope to use them as a model from here on out.


Beautiful river scenery.


I do not think I have ever seen a lock being used. The Danube has a ton. Very cool.


The smell these guys give off will stick with me when I think of Austria.
After cruising the river for a few kilometers, I detoured to a climb up to Maria Taferi, a pilgrimage church. From there, I was off to Artstetten Castle and it did not disappoint. Big, inspiring, and just what I was looking for. Also, there was a fireman's carnival going on just below the castle that was great. From there, I cut across the farmland to Leiben Castle before dropping down to Melk. Leiben seemed more like a big mansion than a castle. It was still neat to get up close in the courtyard though. After that, I took my afternoon break in Melk. Melk was not the big city I was hoping for. I had left Linz without doing my trip shopping, assuming I could get it in Melk. I was wrong.


The Danube from Maria Taferi.


Artstetten Castle.


The farmland between Artstetten and Leiben Castles.


Leiben Castle.
My lack of planning is going to bite my in the butt eventually, but not yet. Who needs guide books, chargers, or whatever else I was looking for? Just details. I planned a lot of this trip, but also left a lot open. Some of those openings are falling into place. Others, not so much, but that is the point isn't it. We (or at least I) don't travel to stay in our comfort zones.


A bike race passing through Melk. I was tired, but I can't believe this guys arms were still pumping.

Salzburg to Passau: Riding the Taurenradweg, Days 1-2

July 15th. It is a day well marked on my calendar as the start of my bike tour to Budapest, over to Croatia, along the coast to Athens, across to Turkey, and down to Turkey. More than a lot of miles and less than a hundred days to do it in. I had planned to do it solo, but a friend might join me in Turkey and another in Jordan. I am sure it will be great to have some company by then.


An inlet to the Salzach River.
For my first day, I had no definitive idea about what I was doing or where I was going. I shook off my hesitation, loaded up my bike fully for the first time, made a list of stuff I still needed, and set out. The river route was great for a while, but I had heard too many people talk about Salzburg's lake district so I eventually just hooked it right, climbed my first giant hill, and kept going until I found the closest lakes. I have a hunch the best ones are farther in, but I just wanted a short detour. However, I should have taken a bigger detour. This was the best part of my day. The Austrian country side is where its at. I guess I was in that along the river, but it was river on one side and bushes on the other, not too much variety.


A typical scene on the bike route I was following.
After my trip to the lake district, I made my best decision of the day. I broke up my 100km day by taking a big old nap and eating in the middle. After that, I just put my head down and went for it. I wanted to make sure I was ahead on miles instead of behind. 100km was the maximum that Brian and I did in Tasmania so it seemed like a good stopping point. When I rolled into Obernberg am Inn, it was listed as having a campsite so I tracked it down and set up camp with plenty of time to have some chai and watch the sunset dip under the wheat fields.


Sunset over Obernberg am Inn.


Downtown Obernberg am Inn.
Day two started out like day one, but without the hesitation. I was in the middle of no where and had to get somewhere else. That is one of the beauties of bike touring. You don't have to think as much. You just go. You can stick to your route or think about it and head somewhere else. My map was in German, so I was probably just as likely to head one way as the other anyway. I chose to set out for Germany, my first border crossing. Before I got to Passau though, I took a wrong turn and ended up in Germany too soon. I pulled a U-turn and followed the river the rest of the way to Passau.


The Inn river.


Looking across the Inn river at Germany from Austria.
On the way, I almost ran down a 7" lizard. I saw hares/rabbits that were as big as some medium sized dogs. I would guess they were 30 lbs. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I swear it. I saw other ones later that were only big enough to give a chihuahua a beat down. Pulling that U-turn to approach Passau on the south bank instead of the north bank was a stroke of good luck. Approaching it from the south gave a great view of the old city walls and all the great architecture. Since I left from the north side, I am not sure I would have seen it otherwise.


I thought I had biked too fast and already made it to Cairo, but this pyramid came up a little short . . . hahaha.......ugh terrible...laugh with, maybe at me.


Passau, Germany
Passau is another medievil town. They have small streets. Lots of cobblestones and tons of quaint buildings. I love it, but the the cobblestones were a bit much with my bike fully loaded. I found a farmer's market to grab some fruit and then set to exploring. My favorite part was found on a lark just as I was about to leave. I realized there was a park where the two rivers met and was hoping for a repeat of my first day's nap. I didn't get the nap, but I did get the mixing of the Danube and Inn rivers. It was so drastic to see them beside each other. However, going into an 'internet cafe' with no computers where they hand you a laptop to use came in a close second. After spending half a day in Passau, I started my journey east on the Danube River Trail.


The mixing of the clearer Danube and milky Inn rivers.

Summer Luge and Salzburg, Austria

After a quiet morning in Hallstatt, we were off to the summer luge and Salzburg. We also planned on visiting the Eagle's nest, but it turned out to be more of hassle than it was worth. However, the summer luge was the unexpected treat of the day.



Jill gets towed up to the top.


Tait's short video of the trip down.
It cost us each ten euros for two trips up. I was pretty skeptical, but figured it would not hurt. This is another one of those things that traveling with others got me to do that I would normally skip. Not too much of a surprise, it turned out well too. The first time down, none of us went quite as fast as we could. I think we were worried about rolling out. I tried to record and go faster the second time, but it was beyond my abilities. I got the first two seconds and final two. Apparently, when I thought things were getting turned on, they got turned off and vice versa. Annoying, but oh well. My brother got some first person footage that works.



Our concert hall . . . or room.


A statue in the Mirabellgarten.
After the luge and our failed Eagle's nest visit, we headed to Salzburg to enjoy a string quartet and quintet (I had to look that one up) playing some of Mozart's works. While I can recognize a few classical pieces by sound, I do not have a chance of naming them. The first half was a treat. I enjoyed some pieces I knew and got to know some that I did not. Unfortunately, after intermission the breeze seemed to fade and room heated up. I was very ready to be done by the end. It felt like something I had been drug to as a kid. Curiously enough, just before the concert started, a high school group of 30-40kids came in. They also seemed very ready to go by the end. Afterwards, we met up with Hannan who had enjoyed about half the concert from the courtyard below, for free. Smart.



A large square and fountain from the Sound of Music tour.


Modern art.


The front side of the Von Trapp family home.
Our second day in Salzburg left a much better impression with me than the first. On the first, it did not seem bad, nor did it seem great. However, on the second day we took a Sound of Music tour. I can't say that I have ever seen the whole movie, but one day I will. If I am watching Julie Andrews, it tends to be Mary Poppins. Watching the Sound of Music should have been on the to do list for my winter in Antarctica. If only it had subtitles (for those of you who don't know, by chance I kept getting movies with subtitles to watch on my 12 inch TV screen).



Wheat and an Alp, if a singular form of Alps is Alp.


Seeing all their well behaved dogs definitely is making me miss Sabah.


I do not know why, but Salzburg had more unicorn statues than anywhere else I have been.
The first thing our tour guide, Yaltov, told us was that the movie actually is not popular in Austria. After that, we rolled. I loved it. I got to see the city by bike, learn a little bit about an American classic, and appreciate Salzburg a lot more. I even heard a few ideas to flush out my bike tour. For those of you who have seen the movie, feel free to name the scene that goes with the photograph. Our guide told us, but I have forgotten all of them. I just know that ice cream, cold weather, and Salzburg's bike plan are just a few of my favorite things, favorite things.



Bike paths along the Salzach River.
In the afternoon, Tait and Jill headed for the fortress, while I settled into upload photos with my brother's computer before he left with it the next day. I also took a glorious nap. It amazes me how much a hot day can put me to sleep which is so better than sweating through it. When we met up that evening, we went out for dinner where we had a great overlook of the city as the sun was setting. Afterwards, we went out to a place called Eisbar or something like that for sweet treats and beer. I got a strawberry milkshake that I devoured in about two minutes. I wanted another, but it was not to be.



Old city Salzburg and its castle.
I liked Salzburg. It seems like another super functional, livable cities that has great milkshakes too! Actually, could any city that is that hot in the summer be functional if it did not have a proper sized ice cream industry? Salzburg is also the right size at 150,000 (factoid, that small population is served by 24 churches). Sign me up for the US (or Kiwi) version!

Hallstatt, Austria

Kayaking up to Hallstatt.


Hallstatt in the morning light.
I think my favorite spot in Austria has been Hallstatt. It is a tiny one road town smooshed between a beautiful lake and a mountain. Mountains also surround the entire lake. I believe Hallstatt was founded to mine salt and lays claim to be the world's first salt mine with activity over 7,000 years ago.


Jill reads just outside our hotel.


Up the hill from our hotel.
What is there to do in Hallstatt? I'm not sure. I don't think it has that much going on anymore except for its scenic beauty. Even the tourist industry has dropped off. People come in for day trips, but don't spend the night. We had hoped to go kayaking on the lake, but by the time we found a place I had nixed the idea because it would be too hot. I guess I just liked ambling along in such a beautiful place, eating by the water, and having no where to go. In bigger places, I try to explore more. There wasn't more to explore so I just stayed put. Maybe that is why I liked it so much.


Hallstatt waterfront.


A cygnet, a baby swan. Do all their legs start out like this?
I am really trying to figure out what we did there. The answer is nothing, I guess. We just relaxed. I mailed postcards and packages home from here (if you want to visualize it). We found the only bakery in town. We fed the birds. I had mac and cheese dinner for the second time in Austria. I remember at this point that I was getting sick of the same four vegetarian dishes. Every restaurant we went to seemed to have the same thing. Maybe we were suckers for the tourist Austrian places, but there did not seem to be any other places either. The problem might just have been that we were eating out for two meals a day. Normally, I don't do that.


Hallstatt's very own Schmuck. I thought that was normally a person.


Houses on the main street.
Anyway, Hallstatt is peaceful. Go. Do nothing. Enjoy. Oh, factoid from Tait who got it from a bartender. They were going to widen their one major street through town. Instead, they voted it down and built a tunnel around town. The town stayed quaint and I like it, of course, they are also missing some of the tourists they used to get it. Balance.


A chair at our hotel. They do need a few more tourists.

Paragliding and Zell am See, Austria

We had hoped to get in early and explore Zell am See. We didn't, but I did get to see the World Cup final. Super bummed that Spain won it, but glad it did not go to penalty kicks too. Zell am See reminded my brother of Camden, Maine. I thought it was a little too outdoorsy for that, but if you want outdoor activities and tour goodness, check it out. Beautiful spot with a lot of stuff to do nearby. For us, that meant paragliding!


The landing zone for paragliding.
Any time that I do something I am unfamiliar with that is too far removed from what humans are built to do, I get anxious. Fear kicks in. When I got SCUBA certified, that irrational fear washed over me as I submerged myself in the pool and tried to breath. It is so unnatural. I briefly considered bailing out of the class, but I love the feeling of pushing through and succeeding despite my internal struggles.

Our first take off zone.
When planning our trip to Austria, my brother decided that when we stopped over at Zell am See we should paraglide. I knew that same fear would be coming along because I hate the feeling of falling through the air. However, I didn't wait to rain on his parade and, if I could get over myself, I would enjoy it, so I agreed to it.


Tait and Jill are the two paragliding specks above the cloud.
As we drove over to the landing zone, I could feel my whole body tightening up. I was able to do some breathing excercises to mellow out a little, but my body was still preparing itself for excitement, firing out adrenaline, trying to empty itself out. Unfortunately, I wasn't going to get to go for a while. There were only two pilots available so one of us would have to wait. I knew that the best way for me to get through was just to do it and not give myself time to think about it. So, in backwards psychology, I opted to wait to make getting over myself that much harder and that much more fulfilling.


Wheeeeee!
We all loaded up into Hans' van and off we went to the gondola. Hans tossed me his keys and had me drive back to the landing zone on my own without any directions. Tait and Jill carried two of the four gear bags up the gondola. I couldn't help but appreciate the difference from the US where everything would be done for us. I like being more involved.


Post paragliding thoughts.
After getting back to the landing zone, I just waited. Eventually, I saw some parachutes at 2000m. That was Tait and Jill winding their way down. Claus is more aggressive so Tait got a much longer and more exciting ride. He thinks Claus is crazy though. They both came down with spins, twists, and smiles. It was hard to get pictures of them. No pictures would convey the experience anyway.


A real smile from Tait!
After they landed, we repacked the parachutes and loaded the van again. It was my turn. Time to buck up. I could feel the nerves really starting to chat it up, but I just focused on breathing and whatever task they set me to. We rode the gondola up to some spectacular views of Zell am See. When we got to the top, it was go time. There was no exploring or picture taking. We hustled over to the launching zone, harnessed up, and unpacked the parachute. I thought we were all set to go so I got myself mentally ready. Unfortunately, Hans got a phone call and started chatting it up. Waiting. Then, the wind died. More waiting. More time than I needed to let my mind undo itself.


Jill after paragliding. I think she liked it or likes being on the ground.
I could start to taste the fear. If you don't know what this means, I don't think I can explain this. I think it is tied to the realeasing of pheremones. It tastes bad and I've experienced it whenever I pass a cop going to fast and think I am going to get a speeding ticket. It happened when I have been in car accidents. It happens when I see a bad wreck coming on my snowboard or bicycle. In New Zealand, my friend Galit thought I might be a supertaster, which I think means I'm super sensitive to bitter stuff. That might be why I can taste the fear. I don't like it. Sign me up for ice cream afterwards.


Tandem paragliding.
Instead of dialing in to get over it while waiting, we moved to a new take off zone with better wind. There is nothing like getting the adrenaline ready and then not being able to use it. At the new landing zone, there was a fence in the way. I don't know why it was there, but Franz gave me his gloves, told me it was electric, and had me go clear 60m of it. No, I'm not kidding. It was a welcome relief from just sitting there waiting though.

Landing.
In that spot, the wind was whipping by pretty well and soon we were off and running. I saw the steep edge coming and started to get concerned. However, it didn't matter. We didn't even get to the edge before the parachute filled and I was running on nothing. I was like a cartoon character getting ready to sprint. As soon as we went airborne, my body tried to fall back down to earth in my loose harness. I only moved an inch, but it made me remember how much I am trusting man made equipment to overcome nature' laws.


Landing. Feet up, bum down, thump, slide, stop.
A little later, we had the seat out and I didn't even need to worry about the harness pulling up so hard every time a guest of wind came through. Our next challenge was gaining altitude to clear the ridgeline. Hans is a little heavier, especially with me tied to him, so getting higher took a little more work. For a short while, I wondered if we could clear the trees and when Hans told me to lean right, raised his voice said it again, and then did it one more time with even more authority because I wasn't leaning enough, it gave a little fuel to my concern. We were fine though. Just my inexperience talking. I finally settled in to enjoy myself.


I think I liked it!
After a short bit, Hans asked if I liked action. Wanting to get the most out of my experience, I said sure. He started rocking us hard left, then right, then back again until the sun was catching the underside of the parachute. Eeek!! After that, we tucked into a downward spiral that might have had more G forces pulling on me than I have experience at any other time in my life (roller coasters?). We just spun and spun. I had watched Jill go through this same move and it had seemed so gentle from the ground. It isn't. Not focusing on a single point while we spun didn't help. A small wave of nausea washed over me, but it didn't matter. We were done. We buzzed a final tree in the landing zone and came rushing toward the ground. I thought we were coming into a little fast, but at the last second Hans pulled the parachute up and slowed us almost to a stop where we just picked our feet up, hit the ground, slid a meter on our butts, and stopped. The only thing left was smiles. Lots of smiles.

Full video:

Paragliding in Zell am See, Austria

Lake Zell.

The town of Zell am See, we paraglided off the backside of the top of the mountain.

Tait and I on the shore of Lake Zell.

Krimml Falls, Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria

A town on the way to Hohe Tauren National Park.


Krimml Falls.
Our first big stop after Innsbruck was Krimml Falls in the Hohe Tauren National Park in Austria. I was excited because we were getting out of the city and this was also the start of one of the bike paths that I would be using later on (from Salzburg). It was a chance to walk in the woods, which I was missing.


Franz-Josef is everywhere.


Fifth highest?
When we arrived at the overlook of the falls before descending to the hike, there was a lot of signage about what we were looking at. Unfortunately, most of it was in German and my german sucks or is non-existant. I can figure stuff out with the help of a book, but it isn't pretty and it's slow. However, there were a few bits that jumped out at me. The most curious one was the glacier that shared part of its name with New Zealand's Franz-Josef glacier. I guess the Austrians have always been big mountaineers, but I tend to attach New Zealand's history to England and, to a small part, France. I didn't realize the Austrians had been down there enough to earn naming rights. Maybe they explored it first.

Another sign touted the the Krimml Falls as the fifth highest in the world. I cannot confirm this. It was not listed in a fifth tallest or largest when I saw it, but maybe highest refers to altitude.


The bottom part of Krimml Falls.


A view from the top.
Once we finally got off the country roads, we were able to start hiking up to the top. It seemed like most people went to the bottom and left. Some went half way. The only people we saw at the tippy top took a cab there. I have got to tell you, these old countries have done a great job of making themselves accessible, but sometimes it is a big bummer when someone can drive/gondola up what you just spent hours hiking. On the other hand, just like New Zealand's hut system, it allows people to get into the outdoors who would otherwise never get back there. If I really want to go somewhere to be OUT there, I would treat it like Colorado, get to know the area better, and just go farther back.

The hike up was paved the entire way, but also very steep. It made for some tired calves and achy knees. It was a treat though. There were so many great views and places to get misted from the falls to stay cool if it was hot, which it wasn't, but if it was . . .


A lizard or gecko or something that was very, very still on the trail.


My brother, Tait.
It is rare that my brother smiles in a photo. We are going to call this a smile. Next up, World Cup Final in Zell Am See!