Grossglockner Plus.

Pictures of what Sarah was scared of... The Grossglockner. 

Have YOU done the Grossglockner drive?

Hello! Sarah here, it's a while since I've written - as you know, I try to stay away from the internet on holiday but Anthony has convinced me that blogging is a good idea this time - so I leave most of the postings to him. But sometimes I just have to write to recount some of the experiences we've had, and this is one of those times.

So, two days ago we found ourselves needing to get from Austria to Slovenia, and it just so happened that the best route for us included one of the most famous drives on earth - the Grossglockner mountain highway. So, of course, we took it! I wasn't convinced that the SnuggleTruck would make it up and down all those mountain passes and round all those hairpin bends, but hey, we decided it was worth a try! So with some trepidation we shelled out the entrance fee to this National Park and hoped it was worth it. And, it was.

This was definitely the scariest drive I have ever done. We experienced many, many hairpin bends and switchbacks, with stunning mountain views on either side, and reached heights of around 2500 metres above sea level (6000 feet? for all you imperials). Mostly I was very, very scared but Anthony helped me through by providing reassuring comments and helping me count the bends to see how close to the end we were! Having a British-side-drive vehicle was not ideal, as I got the scariest views of all when taking bends round to the left, but at least Anthony was protected as he's the one who's scared of heights! We stopped for a brief lunch stop (when I could find a reasonably level parking space, as I was scared of having to do hill-starts in addition to all of this) and enjoyed a slice of good old Austrian bread with some cheese (me) and ham (Anthony), and took in some mountain air. Mostly, however, I was just scared. So we continued on up and eventually started the downturn, and all the while Anthony was snapping away and taking in the views. I was glad that he, at least, could enjoy them! On the way back down we stopped at a roadside restaurant to explore a bewildering display of stuffed animals and have a reassuring drink of Almdudler local lemonade (me) and beer (Anthony). Finally after a good couple of hours we arrived back on level ground and headed through several beautiful valleys on to Slovenia. More about Slovenia later.

What did I learn during my Grossglockner experience? Well, how to use the gears in an automatic, for one thing! We read in the advice leaflet given to us at the park's entrance that it was best to use engine braking on the descent and to only use brakes 'in an emergency'. 'But, Anthony, how do we do that? We have an automatic!' I asked in probably a scared voice... However it seems that below D there are 2 other gears, called 2 and L, which on reflection we remembered the rental agent telling us we would only need 'if we were going down a very, very severe gradient' or something. So it turned out that the Grossglockner was the perfect learning curve! - straight up, and then straight down...

To summarise, we had a great day driving the Grossglockner and now we are convinced that Austria's scenery is particularly spectacular. Note to M&D Ford and to Grandad Lamb: you are correct, we are sure we won't see a more beautiful country.


More photos of this brilliant mountain drive to follow, courtesy of photographer/navigator/all-round excellent co-pilot Anthony. :)

Life in the van.

Pictures of me doing things in the van.

Day... er... A couple and some more: Austria

Well that holiday feeling has officially set in. The days have become other days and the nights have been spent exhausted. Sorry to all and sundry for the lack of posting, but we have been busy doing things... Like Spas and going to the Eagle's Nest, but more of that later.

Austria. What should I say about Austria? We love it for one. The views are breathtaking. Just look at the pictures that are on this post! Yesterday we went on a guided walk advertised at our campsite. In 4 hours he took us along the beautiful Saalachtal valley and straight up a mountain. Luckily at the top was a Mountain hut, fully stocked with Schnaps!! Yum!! (Ok, the food was yum, the Schnaps less so, though equally Austrian)




This valley is amazing and we are already planning a return journey. Don't just take our word for it though. Last night we went into the nearest town - Lofer - to watch a performance from their village marching band. Half way though this performance awards were given to two families who had returned to spend their holidays here for TWENTY YEARS. The band were spectacular. So much so Sarah had to hold me back from finding a time machine and signing up for the 17th Century Austrian Army. On a serious note, it was impressive to see the community of this small Austrian town truly appreciating both their own cultural heritage and the tourism that allows the community to thrive in the present day.

Today we visited the Eagle's Nest in nearby Berchtesgaden, Germany. Hitler wasn't there so we and a bunch of tourists had a nosey around his place. We focused on the fixtures and fittings largely because the view was obscured by clouds. Yes, the weather was bad. Darned bad. We missed out on those spectacular views that Father Ford told us about, but we saw plenty of photos of them on postcards. Either way we had a lovely time and a picnic lunch at the top.

A quick note to mention the drive down. Father Constable, you advised us to "Burn rubber, see stuff and drink beer." Well, the first of those instructions was achieved as Sarah kept her foot firmly (and wisely) on the brake pedal down the steep descent back to the valley floor. The result was a safe return and a shocking smell, of yes, you guessed it, burning rubber. Is that what you meant, Father Constable?!?!?!

After such a hard day's touristing we repaired to a spa. And had a jolly nice relax. Great!

Next stop........ Somewhere else in Austria Austria or Slovenia (the plan changed over night) via the Grossglockner Mountain Highway. Go google it, the drive will be special.

Grubhof, Austria - a day of three countries - two of them twice.

Good afternoon all and here we are with a quick update from the Lofer tourist office in Salzburger Saalachtal. It's hot, humid and absolutely beautiful. Yesterday was a long drive in and out of Czech Rep, Germany and Austria including highlights of being stopped by the Deutsche Polizei about 2 mins after arriving in Germany, and zipping along the Autobahn to arrive at our destination. We arrived in Grubhof around 7.30 last night and fell in love with the place - it is beautiful. Surrounded by mountains, our tent and van are stationed on a grassy meadow footed by a lively river, with brown cows ringing their bells all around.  It is truly lovely here.

Today we are heading off for a swim in the local outdoor pool, together with a stroll around the local area.

All well so far! Hope everything's good with  you too.
S & A