07 August 2014 Hallstatt, Austria (0 miles; Total = 526 miles) Today’s blog is dedicated to our good friend Nancy, with whom I share a special bond: Claustrophobia. He’s grabbing my jacket in the pitch dark, calling me Papa, Papa. He’s only grabbing me because as soon as the lights went out, I wasn’t able …
06 August 2014 Hallstatt, Austria (0 miles; Total = 526 miles) We’re using Gina’s how-to-hike-with-cows approach (“don’t look them in the eye”) on the horses that are standing atop the viewpoint, around whose backsides we must tread in order to keep hiking. I’m not sure if this approach will work for horses, but then again, …
05 August 2014 Bad Ischl to Hallstatt, Austria (15 miles; Total = 526 miles) My sister recently shared a post on Facebook that stated “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” I think that perfectly sums up one of the life lessons for us around …
04 August 2014 Traunkirchen to Bad Ischl, Austria (15 miles; Total = 511 miles) This beauty adorns our bathroom here in Bad Ischl, a nicely vibed town on the Traun River south of Traunkirchen. What I like about this artistic toilet is that it fills the cultural hole left behind from us not being able …
03 August 2014 Traunkirchen, Austria (8 miles; Total = 496 miles) He’s tall and scruffy with his 3-day old growth, he smells like beer and sweat, and he seems to be taking a particular glee in standing next to me and loudly declaring “EEEWWWWWWEEEEEEE” every time our cable car glides down through a tower, causing …
02 August 2014 Schwanenstadt to Traunkirchen, Austria (30 miles; Total = 488 miles) We have reached the mountains! From the Danube to the Salzkammergut to the two beers on the table (well, one Bier for me and a Radler for Gina and make them both Big ones), we have officially entered the second stage of …
01 August 2014 Enns to Schwanenstadt, Austria (49 miles; Total = 458 miles) I have just shaken hands with the town drunk. It’s nice he wanted to welcome me to this town of Schwanenstadt, barely believing that I was from America and having quite a bit more to say, about which I’m not sure what …
31 July 2014 Durnstein to Melk / Melk to St. Valentin / St. Valentin to Enns, Austria (30 miles; Total = 409 miles) I’m fairly certain that was a waft of cat pee I just smelled, but I’m going to keep that thought to myself and hope instead that it’s my bike shoes. I’ve sat …
30 July 2014 Vienna to Durnstein, Austria (55 miles; Total = 379 miles) I see them coming in my mirror but really, I heard them coming first – their American voices loud enough to raise the dead and I think to myself Oh Brother. And then they are passing us on the trail at a …
29 July 2014 Vienna, Austria (0 miles; Total = 324 miles) We are following Dominique up a steep trail, through the vineyards and forests that stand watch over western Vienna. It’s a good thing she’s playing tour guide for us today or we would no doubt be back in the old city, wandering about indecisively …