After a few days staying at our mate Matt’s unit in Munich, it’s now time to hit the road. Today we’re travelling from Munich to Salzburg. Well actually Attersee about 30 kilometres away from Salzburg, where we will be housesitting for a week or so.
Although the skies were clear there was a slight chill in the air. Just in case it started raining everything was packed in waterproof bags. Heading out of Munich I wondered whether I’d made a mistake as I was steaming in my jacket.
The autobahn from Munich to Salzburg was pretty packed with holiday makers heading south. About 50 kilometres out of Salzburg the rain started hammering down. It was hard going in heavy traffic trying to keep the screen clear whilst riding. The only option and the safest was to find services to take a break.
Sure enough a services came into sight so we quickly took the exit and parked up outside the cafe. As we peeled our bike gear off a pool of water spread around our table. The rain continued to hammer down and we were so glad to be watching it through the window whilst drinking coffee.
Lake Attersee
After about twenty minutes the rain eased and the sun came back out. It coincided with the arrival of a bus load of Chinese tourists, so time for us to go.
The last leg from Munich to Attersee was fairly quick however we came off the freeway a little early at Mondsee and followed the road around the lake. It was a beautiful ride with the road tracing the edge of the lake. The lakes were just so beautiful with snow capped mountain peaks in the distance.
The satnav couldn’t find the address so after arriving in Sankt Georgen im Attergau we rode up and down but couldn’t find the address. Eventually we gave up and stopped at the local hotel for a drink. We asked the waitress if she knew the address and sure enough she pointed back the way we’d came.
After a drink we headed back over the hill and sure enough we found the road we were looking for. A few minutes later we were arriving at the housesit.
After introductions and settling in we were invited to join them at Attersee for mid summer celebration. The town had turned out in true Austrian tradition with men in lederhosen and women in black skirts and lace up blouses. Pigs roasted over open fires, a guitarist played and people sat around wooden tables drinking beer. It was good fun and the roast pork was excellent. There was a real family atmosphere with kids all dressed in traditional costumes. It was a nice introduction to Austrian village life.
Our hosts were busy introducing us around the town to all the people who we could call on in case of an emergency. We eventually ended up at a small local pub to watch the Austrians playing Portugal in week two of EUFA Euro 2016. The game ebbed and flowed with neither team putting the ball in the back of the net. The air in the pub was pretty electric as the patrons got behind the Austrian team willing them on to victory. By the time the final whistle blew everyone in the pub was hoarse and a little three sheets to the wind.
It was a great night out and if this is an indicator of the rest of our stay, we are going to have a ball.
