To - Melk
Distance - 115km
Time - 10 hours
Total - 2729km
Yes, last nights accommodation was dodgy! It was a good job the mattress was covered because I don't think I would have liked what I saw. The was mould on the wall near the Windows's and the picture on the wall had fallen within the mounting and it had no glass front. The chairs and the carpet were worn. I did sleep though and wore early before anyone else and got on my way.
It was wall to wall sunshine all day but with a strong breeze that was a nuisance whilst riding but probably kept me cool, so no complaints.
My major stop of the day was up a hill to the Mauthausen Concentration Camp! Apparently it was worse than Aushwitz! Over 123,000 people were murdered by the Germans here. Much of the camp is intact. I have taken a few photos. The ritual dehumanising of the inmates and the different methods used to kill people were horrendous. I won't go any further in trying to describe what happened but you may get an image from the photos.
The visit put me a bit behind on the cycling front, so it was a long day in the saddle. I met a local man cycling called Conrad. We had a reasonable chat with his limited English but he told me about a big Danube flood in 2002 when local villages were washed away and the water rose 5 metres higher than it is currently. More importantly he pointed out a food restaurant for my lunch.
I am starting a new game where I show you a photo of a meal I have finished and you have to guess what it was. The next day I will show you what the original meal was! I'm sure you will agree that it is a really good game.
My next place was Grein. Especially pretty town with nice Schloss. I got a little ferry across the river again and carried on on the other side. This avoided cycling alongside a busy road so was well worth it. During all this time I had been trying to organise accommodation in Vienna. The Vienna Tourist Info offer a service to find accommodation and I had phoned them and they were trying to contact places that suited me and had vacancies for the following three nights. The lady was going to ring me back. Of course whenever she rang back the phone call died. These of course are all classed as international calls and must have cost her, and me a pretty penny. When I got to a sizeable town I called her back and rejected her first suggestion and we went through the whole process again with the failed calls. Eventually I called her back when I got to Ybbs and agreed on her second offer. I am staying for 3 nights so I may have to try some waltzing.
The Benedictine Abbey dominates the approach to Melk. It is massive and its a cross between a big yellow church and a palace. With the sunshine it looked gold. You will know what I mean when you see the photo. Overall Austria is a beautiful country. The people so far have been friendly and a couple of people have started conversations with me whilst cycling. The cycle routes are pristine and well used (but it was a sunny day).
No mechanical problems, so one more long push to Vienna and I can have a rest from the bike for a few days. The back tyre is showing signs of wear but (dare I say it) I haven't had any punctures yet!! I hope that statement doesn't put a curse on me.
It must be getting warmer, I heard crickets in the fields and I have just been bitten by a mossie for the first time whilst writing the blog!
Photo 1, Mauthausen Concentration Camp
Photo 2, Ditto.
Photo 3, The Gas Chamber.
Photo 4, Can you guess what the meal was. You may need to zoom in for clues! Answers tomorrow.
Photo 5, Town of Grein.
Photo 6, My best side.
Photo 7, Benedictine Abbey at Melk.
Photo 8, Same place but taken from within the town.
Photo 9, There were 4 in a box but they go off quickly. They were beautiful and moist and had a little alcohol in them as well!
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