Trip miles 1,358
+26 daytime
The drive up into the Alps proper was made easy by the
wide lanes of the motorway and long slow inclines. At 1000 meters we stopped to
rest Bertha’s steaming tyres and take in the views of the peaks with a
mid-morning coffee. Our travelling compass and altimeter ‘the orange thing’
confirmed our height as being 1005 meters above sea level. We had started out
at 350 meters from camp.
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| The "orange thing" displaying the altitude |
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| Bertha taking a rest after climbing up to 1000m |
A six km toll tunnel took us through the peak of
Hochfiend as the illuminated road reached 1148 meters above sea level – well
done Bertha!
Camping at a luxurious 20 euro a night rate (not planned
but various park and tourist taxes were added) we had fabulous views of the
mountain peaks and free-flowing solar powered hot showers which used the
freshest mountain water. Flocke the pretty white and apricot camp cat made a
fuss and as one of only three vans on the site we pretty much had the run of
the place which was being spruced for the season by its charming family of
owners.
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| Camping Maltatal |
We headed out early the next morning on the cycle trail
to Gmund, an artist’s town to rival Gordes in Provence. The route took us up
the mountain sides and through farm yards which seemed to present a picture of
spring in the sunshine – contented dairy cows, gleaming ponies, flustered
ducks, clucking chickens, friendly cats, fluffy rabbits and waving farming
families were all out enjoying the gorgeous sunny morning.
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| Gmünd in Kärnten - main square |
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| Gmünd Castle across the Lieser river |
Gmund is an utterly beguiling town centred within its
medieval walls and boasting original public and patrician houses now renovated
and worked in by artists and sculptors. Ringed by mountains and set on a pretty
river it simply has the best of everything but does not feel pompous or
self-important, rather quietly traditional and charming as typified by its
award-winning town dairy herd contentedly chewing in their stables within the
dark cool town walls.
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| Award winning town cows |
We meandered along the winding streets and had coffee in
the main square watching everyone’s delight in the Fruhling day. At noon the
square emptied as shops shut and workers headed home for the lunch break. The
roasted chickens being sold fresh from the spit by the street seller tempted a few
others but we headed on out to cycle the route back along the riverside with a
picnic salad lunch.
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| National Park Hohe Tauern |
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| Onion domed church in Hohe Tauern Park |
Passing Bertha’s camp we continued on for another few
miles at a steady pace alongside the river to Fallbach – a 200 meter waterfall
dropping precipitously down its mountain side and still forming a 60 meter high
but rather grubby snow mound at its bottom.
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| Fallbach - the highest waterfall in Austria |
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| The charming Grossfalls |
Fortified on a goat cheese sandwich and salad (!) we
headed further up to the picturesque Wasserland, a two and a half hour trail of
waterfalls and mountain springs. Cycling up to the first stop at Grossfalls we
called time on further inclines and turned around for home. Barely touching the
pedals we flew down the mountain road the 6kms or so to Bertha. An exhilarating
end to a largely mountain climbing day on the bikes!
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| Cycling back though the Hohe Tauern Park |
The first day of Spring ended with the trusty outdoor
catering equipment ‘the cadac’ set up for the first time since Normandy in June
last year. The tantalising aroma of curried chicken wafted across the site as
the sun set slowly behind the snow-melting peaks.
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| Curried chicken doesn't get better than this... |
