A final dinner in Vienna last night with John and Merie - we part company today in Salzburg - must have a final Vienna Schnitzel in Vienna - do so - two bottles of a local sav blanc - Merie concerned when it is described by the waiter in faltering english as a welsh wine - pacify Merie - hear about the terrible Mexicans that disturbed her sleep the previous night - suspect there is a Mexican travel blog describing with both amusement and awe this short, mature blonde bounding out of her apartment in her short blue, spotty night attire to berate them for talking loud and long in the foyer of the apartments.
Up early to catch the train to Salzburg - metro to Westbahnhof to meet the train - train and metro travel in Europe is ridiculously easy after you discover you are not a dog and buy - full ticket.
Arrive in Salzburg - railway station chaos - renovations extensive - up the wooden stairs -down - up - find way to some lockers -store the bags.
Now to get to town - signs not helpful - which way is north - too many cooks - no idea - is that ticket machiine woirking - no idea - giveup - taxi please - but it is only 500 metres growls the taxi driver - get in - say goodbye to Merie and John - less cooks now.
Remember the iPhone has a compass - it could have been the master chef
Market in town - typical of those in France - winds up to reveal a nice little square - get tickets for tour - search for a cafe - eventually find one - Wine and toast -Back to the tour start
Smallish van - Bernie gets claustrophobic - she survives just - we are joined by the ugly Indian and his nice family - He snores - fiddles with the air conditioners - argues with the ticket seller - barges between people - selects the premium seat.
Nice little tour - 150,000 population including 15,000 university students - need more time here -salt mining was important.
Back to the station - up the lift - down the lift - up another lift - down another - bugger - drag the bags up the stairs - train arrives - is this the right one - don't know - ask the conductor - sure is - let's go - make sure those bags do not go astray.
On through the Austrian country side past lots of small villages - sun is shining, kids out on bikes and people having their first swims of the season.
Changing trains at Wels onto a regional train to Passau - will we have time to find the next train?
Multiple greens - forests - more greens - so many greens - stripes of green, swords of green, spots of green, specks of green, carpets of green all greener than the emerald isle. Green trees, green fields, green crops, green weeds - even green power transmission poles.
Change trains at Wels - no problems - sit beside nice young Austrian mother - goes to tech school in Linz everyday for 20 weeks - conductor comes along - in rapid German tells us something. - she intervenes - there has been a derailment down the line - we will have to change to a bus and then back to a train before we reach Passau - never mind she says - she will guide us!
On to the bus - where in the hell are we going? - never mind - having to take a bus rather than a train makes us feel at home!
The rain clouds gather - will they be followed by our first rain of the trip? - maybe - maybe not - yep - probably - light and tolerable so far.
Arrive Passau - nice taxi driver - arrive hotel - are you from Albury too? - where are the others - restaurant down the street - meet and greett - snchnizel and white wine - a bit m more rain - retire with the. Other for the complimentary glass fo bubbly - swap travel stories - head to bed
today' photos
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| slazburg 2 |
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