The Alps etc

Hi all
we are now in venice which is very beutiful. Italy is much warmer than Austria, Germany and Switzerland (Alps).
Check out some new pics - not in any particular order.
John and linda xxxo

4.9.7Well, the Grenoble smashed window, stolen video camera, pack and my rain jacket ordeal over. Got window replaced today. Bought John sneakers for 14.95 euros (truly extraordinary in itself as they were under $500!!) Drove to Aiguebelle free camping aires. Lovely town surrounded by mountains in distance (think Ordor in Lord of the Rings ie high rocky mountains).
5.9.7Drove to Albertville where John almost killed a French women on roundabout and then hit a concrete block at the service station! albeit he screwed the car back together. Stopped for prawns on hill with magnificent view of Mont Blanc – peaks covered in blindingly white snow. Stayed at Saint Gervais where we met Rolland and his wife Barbara both English and retired who live permanently in their flash new van, and Catherine and Brian (Aussies from Adelaide who travel in their motorhome for half the year at a time). Late night with 5 of us chatting and drinking in our van. Improvised on space!
6.9.7Brian and Catherine came to say goodbye and we swapped dvds for books (inc. German and Italian motorhoming camping aires books). Walk into Alpine town, beautiful clear blue skies, mkts. Rolland and John had a very serious travel talk re where to visit in Spain – and where not to!
7.9.7Up early, drove to Chamonix in Rolland and Barbara’s motorhome. Took cable car to Aiguille du Midi (3842m) then smaller cable car to Pointe Helbronner on the Italian side (3462m). Magnificent day and views eg Mont Blanc (4809m) and Matterhorn. Expensive at A$180 but well worth it - John was very happy as he loves mountains. Amazing standing at a point so high up above the clouds looking at Switzerland (Materhorn), Italy and France and kms of very steep inhospitable rock mountains of snow, ice and glaciers.
8.9.7Flat battery! John played Sudoku – how unusual… Rollies birthday so tonight we all sat outside (David and Hazel, Rolly and Barb) drinking… John drank 4 guinesses, Dav’s whisky, Rolly’s Aust wine and John’s French wine!! ;-)
9.9.7Lovely day.. went for walk around the countryside. Beautiful mountains all around. Repeat of last night…!
10.9.07 Dave jump started our car. Charles in Croatia on friends yacht til 24 Sept. Left our dear friends, drove thought Sallances, Le Brouchet, Bonneville, Annemasse, Gaillard, to Lake Geneva – picture postcard pretty. Lunch on lake – fed swans. Through Thonon Les Bains, Evian Les Bains to Meillerie on Lake Leiman (other end of Lake Geneva). Beautiful spot, tiny town where everyone knew each other, grandparents with grandchildren, swans, men fishing, quiet, slow, picturesque – little walk from one side to the other.
11.9.07 Drove through Swiss border and requested to show our passports. Drove through Monthey, Aigle, Coldupillon to Gstaad (pretentious shops, where tennis open held). Lunch at Spiez on Lake – lovely and fed the swans. Stayed at Lauterbrunnen which is reputed to be the most beautiful valley in Europe. Must say – just stunning and we have never seen anything like it. Walked into town to get some swiss francs (1 CHF=1A$ approx.) All the Brits we’ve met warn us of how expensive Switzerland is.. but no more expensive than the rest of Europe for Australians eg ridiculously expensive!!
12.9.07 Fifteen km VERY steep hike today – 750m up, then down, from our campsite to Stechelberg, Gimmelwald, Murren, Lauterbrunnen, and back to our camp. Saw the snow capped Eiger (3970m), Monch (4107m), and Jungfrau (4158m). Almost at Murren (a tiny Swiss town only accessible by cable car or foot!) when the sound of cow bells could be heard – very loud – all over Switzerland the cows wear these traditional huge bells. One cow took a liking to John and started licking him!! Met 2 Israeli guys so talked biology, religion and agriculture with them for the walk down.
13.9.07 Walked from our campsite at Lauterbrunnen (796m) to Kleine Scheidegg (2061m) to Grindelwald (1034m) under the face of the mightly Eiger – train from here to Lauterbrunnen. John saved us 8CHF by making us walk to the next stop!!!! We have had great weather in the Alps (Mont Blanc also good). Saw the Eiger all day as beautiful clear day. The sign for this walk said “for experienced hikers only with suitable footwear” but I (Linda) made it anyway!!!
14.9.07 Drove the Susten Pass (2224m) and stayed right on the top with amazing views of mountains and glaciers. John totally in his element.
15.9.09 Drove through Meinen, Wassen, Amsteg, Silenen, and Schwyz where we discovered 1st and 2nd gear had disappeared. Called Charles for advice...again…. Met Reinhard Schuster (Argentinian German) who kindly allowed us to park outside his tea importing business with power and water. Rang us this night to invite us for b’fast with he and his partner tomorrow.
16.9.07 Reinhard (same age as Johnno) picked us up. Had a lovely breakfast with Reinhard and Cynthia (the local dentist) overlooking Swiss mountains discussing the problems that occurred in Argentina, and how they came to be living in Schwyz Switzerland. Went for a walk together, picture perfect Switzerland, more cow bells...
17.9.07 Drove frow Schwyz to Brunnen at 4am in the morning along a flat road as our car was pretty sick. VW Brunnen dodged up part and told us to drive to Ebikon a suburb of Lucerne (Luzern) 38 kms away. Waited 2 hours as only one person spoke English and he was out of the office. Picked up car at 5pm. Walked all around beautiful Lucerne (Charles grandmother on fathers side from here), and lunch on Four Forest Canton Lake. Lucerne seems a wealthy area. Looked at beautiful ornate Jesuit church. Stayed on Lake near Arth - rained.
18.9.07 Drove through Altmat – very scenic, towns in green valleys surrounded by mountains on every horizon, through Biberbrugg to Rapperswill. Walked around beautiful and lovely town of Rapperswill, the old part, around fish markets and lake. Camped outside Rapperswill.
19.9.07 Drove through Herisau to St Gallen then through Austrian border at Hodist. Passports requested again. Drove around huge lake and through Horbranz through Germany, through Isny, camped at Nesselwang.
20.9.07 Went for walk in mountains of Nesselwang (900m) to Maria Trost, Kappelar Alp to Sportheim Bock (1500m) where we had a cup of tea/German beer at café right up there! Walked back to our motorhome. Nice German man told us we had a flat tyre and used his pump to pump it up. Stayed in Bavaria Nesselwang again.
21.9.07 Drove to Fussen in Bavaria in German Alps. Got tyre puncture fixed. Went for 14km walk to King Ludwig II impressive Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles and saw Lake Swansee (very beautiful) where Tschaikovsky was inspired to create Swan Lake. The king was a reclusive, friendless drunk but loved the arts, and his spending was his downfall. Al – we must discuss! It is reputed that he went mad, and he was found dead in the lake with his doctor. Met Manreim a Swedish lone traveller on walk home and had dinner together at The Romerkeller. Local Bavarian fare called schweinshaxe – pork knuckle, saukraut and dumplings and they had Bavarian bier – Konig Ludwig. Stayed at Fussen.
22.9.07 Met Gerard en Helma a lovely retired Dutch couple who gave us very good travelling advice and were very helpful to Johnny by lending him their travelling books. Walk around Weilheim and stayed the night.
23.9.07 Train into Munich and walked around Oktoberfest and watched the parade. Lots of traditional costume (John now wants a pair of lederhose). Walked around Munich which had the first Jewish concentration camp – Dachau – which became a model for all others, opened by the Nazis in 1933 and in use until 1945. Thousands died from overwork, mass executions, unadulterated brutality, mistreatment, starvation, disease, exposure, torture, and medical experiments in this atrociously overcrowded prison where prisoners were humiliated and tortured by SS guards. Hitler staged a failed coup in Munich after WWI. Train back to Weilheim.
24.9.07 Left Weilheim Germany (Bavaria) for Wolfratshausen where we stayed. Met Kris (26) and Julie (24) both Canadians doing what we are doing – see www.krisandjulie.blogspot.com Long night of discussion in our van…Shower hose can’t be lengthened by VW Agent there.
25.9.07 Rained. Stayed at Wolfratshausen again. Slept in as up all night.
26.9.07 Rain continued… John went into Munich and saw the Hoptbrauhaus (Hitler’s favourite pub where much third Reich planning took place). Stayed at Wolfratshausen again.
27.9.07 Drove 25km to Bad Tolz. Cold. Walked around town, up walking track through trees with views of river to church (huge statues) with nice view of town and meandering river below. Bought whistling kettle and some fuel for stove, and embroidered cushion covers.
28.9.07 Left Bad Tolz over Isar River bridge to Bad Reichenhall (120kms)
29.9.07 Drove to Berchtesgaden – bus to Obersalzberg, bus to Kehlsteinhaus (US called it Eagles Nest) which is Germany’s highest road and only accessible by bus. The house there is at 1800m and was a gift to Hitler for his 50th birthday. However, he rarely visited as he was reputed to have a fear of heights. Hitler bought Wachenfeld House in the summer of 1933 which he’d rented since 1928 and between ’33-’36 had it rebuilt in 2 construction phases to become the impressive residence ‘the Berghof’ in Obersalzberg where he then evicted all residents of the town. One artist refused to leave and was imprisoned in Dachau in Munich for 2 years. It became fuhrersperrgebiet (the fuchrers off-limits area). Looked at Dokumentation Kentre with English audioguide all about the third Reich. Very moving and informative. In 1933 Germans could only vote for Hitlers party as earlier 1933 elections saw them receive only 43% of the German vote. Hitler then terrorised/ousted and locked up all political opposition! Interesting history about the propaganda machine, Nuerumburg (incorrect spelling) trials where most of Hitler’s men were hung or suicided beforehand, eugenics for a super, pure blood, race etc. Just read an English women’s diary throughout WWII so interesting the different perspectives.
30.9.07 Drove to Salzberg across Austrian border through Walserberg. Beautiful old city in Austrian Alps. Walked along the Salzach River which runs through Salzberg. Looked at Mozart’s home 250 years ago (apartment) – he played his first concert at age 6 in Salzberg, walked through the 13th century catacombs hewn out of rock of the Monchsberg – early Christian origin. The Sounds of Music filmed in Salzberg. Walked up to Hohensalzberg fortress high above the old town and central Europe’s largest, and completely preserved fortress dating from the 11th century. Walked through Salzberg’s garden at night, very formal, horse and unicorn statues and Greek urns abound the flower beds. Walked back to motorhome late and got lost – stayed lovely spot overlooking beautiful Salzberg below and mountains all around horizons.
1.10.07 Hard to believe all these places are under snow in winter but it is getting colder. Leaves changing to orange and red and falling – very picturesque…stayed in Salzberg again.
2.10.07 Left Salzberg and drove along the Danube River through Linz reputed to be Hitler’s favourite town but just industry now as far as we could see eg smog everywhere! to Waldhausen im Strudengau (stayed the night on small lake). Walked around lake at night.
3.10.07 Drove to Kritzendorf and trained into Vienna (notably baroque and renaissance architecture Mark). Walked around all the beautiful buildings until 7pm – Rathaus (town hall/council chambers), palace, church. Vienna home to Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, Freud, Klimt (the Kiss) and the Habsburgs – Schonbrunn Palace – Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) who was assassinated in Geneva in 1898. Also home to the Lipizzaner Spanish Horse Riding School (only one in the world and run for 400 years). Strangely all of Captain Cook’s entire collection of objects and gifts from his travels from 1768 from Pacific Islands to North America are housed here in Vienna! Largest collection of Bruegels, Caravaggios, Raphaels, Rembrandts, Rubens and Titians apparently in Vienna.
4.10.07 Leaves changing to vivid reds and falling. By Oct there will be no leaves ready for the snow. Hazelnuts very loudly kept falling on our motorhome – Confusius say do not park under hazelnut tree! Train from Kritzendorf to Vienna again. Viewed the Klimt gallery – interesting character. Walked all day around Vienna – palaces, gardens, Roman ruins (found in 1990, 2000 years old and they even had under floor heating!) and all along the Danube River. Had a lovely authentic Turkish lunch together along with Turkish Delight and Turkish strong coffee. Restaurant such a walk that it was too late to see Sisi’s palace. Bought 16 2nd hand books in English (hard to find) for 12 euros. Monet to Picasso at Albertina. Train home to Kritzendorf.
5.10.07 I now know what its like to live like a gypsy - with no fixed address – a citizen of Europe! Left Kritzendorf, 120 km to Veitsch. Steep 40 min walk to Pilger Kreuz – great view of town and surrounds – mountains and leaves all brilliant red and orange. Stayed in Veitsch.
6.10.07 Left for Judenburg about 80 km away where we stayed.
7.10.07 Drove to Ferlach where we stayed – the most southern town in Austria. Read books, cooked, washed clothes – bit of a walk.
8.10.07 Text our English friends Rolly, Barb etc to meet up but they are in the heel of Italy – Brindisi – so may not get to meet them this time around which is sad. Tomorrow we leave for Italy.

Austria

hi all
i cant attach the detailed blogg update that linda has typed in the van as i cant access the e: drive so will update in a few days. I will also try and attach a few pics. we had some magic days around mont blanc and then walking past the eiger in switzerland. I hope everyone is well. we are in southern austria at the moment heading to italy tommorow. will visit venice then drive south doen the italian east coast then accross to naples and north through rome around southern france then around spain before heading back to london in late february. The van is running well. We had a scare in Austria when we lost 1st and 2nd gear but a 5 euro part fixed that. The germans and austrians are much better at englsh than the french which is lucky as we can only say gruss got (hello). Travelling in the van is very economical as there is a fantastic network of free parking sites often with water and power(1euro) accross much of europe. diesel is about 1.10 euro which is about 1.76 and we do about 8.5km per litre. We have been eating out a bit lately (linda has discovered bavarian food - pig knuckle and sauerkraut and dumplings!!- very tasty (except the sauerkraut)). The weather is starting to get quite chilly and the mountains are quite spectacular with the trees all red or yellow.
Anyway hopefully there will be more to read in a few days. I have to get out of this cafe - they are playing johnny farnham on the radio!
regards
john