BICYCLING IN AUSTRIA
Herr Herbert Winter in back of a privatzimmer (private rooms) in Radstadt along the Ennsradweg in Salzburg Province. He has a brother living in Hillsboro, Il; and liked to talk. We enjoyed our stay so much that we came back the next year. When we left the second time, instead of saying "Auf Wiedersehen" (good bye), he said "Bis Nächste Jahr" (see you next year). (2002)
Breakfast on the deck at Villa Hlozanek overlooking the confluence of the Ischl and Traun Rivers across from the center of Bad Ischl in the Salzkammergut. Probably our most elegant stop. (2003)
Privatzimmer in the farming village of Ebbs bei Kufstein along the Innradweg in Tyrol. We awoke to a blood curdling scream coming from a barn across the street that housed pigs. We weren't able to see what had happened; but there was a truck backed up to the barn door that had a sign that said Metzgerei (butcher).
Here is where I took a tumble coming out of the barn in the rear and did serious damage to my knee in 2005. (2001 & 2005)
The couple from St. Magarethn bei Knittelfeld were extremely pleased to have Americans as guests. He drove us to the local gasthof for supper because it would be dark by the time we were finished; and gave each of us a small bottle of home made schnapps when we left.
Mayerhofen near the end of the Zillertal bike route. The proprietor got a big kick out of Yvonne pulling Ryan whose chain was Kaputt.
Farm house in St. Peter - Freienstein near Leoben on the Murradweg in Steiermark. The daughter and friend were visiting from Graz and asked us to join them after supper for schnapps. We really enjoyed our long conversation. (2002)
Privatzimmer breakfast room overlooking the Danube in Krummnussbaum an der Donau. A privatzimmer usually has all the elegance, charm, and friendliness of a B&B in the US; but in Austria they are at the bottom of the price scale. (1998)
A Ferienwohnung (vacation appartment) in Flachau near the start of the Ennsradweg. The Pullman style kitchen had been turned into a Chinese laundry. Flachau's claim to fame is that it is the home of Hermann Meyer, several time world champion downhill skier. (2000)
Haus Steiner in Neukirchen am Gross Venediger along the Tauernradweg in Salzburg province. Gross Venediger, literally "big Venetian", refers to the second highest peak in Austria that is nearby (2000)
Frau Steiner serving one of my favorite things about Austria - coffee. It is strong and flavorful. Compared to it, Starbucks tastes weak and bitter. When I complemented her, she said it was Hofer Gold, Hofer being the Austrian and East European branch of Aldis. (2000)
Breakfast room in Ternberg along the Ennsradweg in Upper Austria. When the host (second from the left) heard we had biked the Hintergeberge bike path, the former steam logging railroad, she played a video produced during its last trip. The man on left is a son who was visiting from Vienna and spoke excellent English. I always looked forward to talking someone like that because I could learn things about the country that I couldn't speaking rudimentary German. (2000)
Farm house in a small farming village near Unzmarkt along the Murradweg in Steiermark. The owner was a slacker regarding flowers - only under the first floor windows. Note the boxes had been removed from under the second floor windows. However, the lady of the house could not be faulted for hospitality. Because it was dark and about 1.5 miles to the nearest gasthof, she drove us there for dinner and talked the owner into driving us back after eating. She also let us use the internet, which came in handy because Sister Karen, a doctor, was planning a medical missionary trip to Haiti via the internet. (2002)
In the courtyard of a vierkanterhof (large farm building consisting of house, barn, and equipment shed, with a courtyard in the middle) in Ardagger Stift in the Mostviertel region of Lower Austria just south of the Danube. In the background is the house; and the other 3 sides are the barn. Because it was at the top of a steep hill and it was the local gasthof's ruhetag (literally "quiet day" meaning it's closed), the lady of the house called a restaurant in the next town, who drove us to and from the restaurant. (2004)
Gastehaus Harich in Göstling an der Ybbs with the owner standing in front of the chalk board listing the specials of the day. Because it was ruhetag the night before, he served us what is called a "tourist menu" in some countries. It started with schnapps, then salad, then Wiener schnitzel and potatoes, and strawberries for dessert. All for 6 Euros (the Euro, once under a dollar, was at this time about $1.21). Ruhetag, literally rest day designates the day of the week a gasthof is closed. (2004)
About 5 miles from Hollemberg, a small village of Wineries along the Donauradweg in Lower Austria, Jeanine's bottom bracket ring broke off, leaving only the threads. Gary towed her in using a tether. I thought we were in dire straights since it was Saturday evening (nothing is open on Sunday) and for once a sag wagon (railroad) was not nearby. Our host, Frau Seele (see below), called the church in the next village to find out Sunday service times and a gas station next to the church that also fixed bikes. She said drop off the bike at the gas station when we eat supper nearby and it will be ready after church. No sooner were we leaving for supper when it started raining. She called the gasthof, whose owner came and got us. After bringing us back after supper, he dropped the bike off at the gas station. Sure enough, the fixed bike was ready after church.
With Frau Seel (second from right). I had borrowed her bike to go to church and left it in the garage in the rear (shown) which was 3 blocks and up a hill from the front of the house on the main street where it had been sitting. The next morning at breakfast, I asked her if she would like me to return the bike to the front of the house. She said it was already there; she had already riden it to the store to get fresh Kaiser rolls for breakfast.
She was 81 and her husband, who died 16 years earlier, had been at Stalingrad. (2004)
View from the balcony at Gashof zum Heilegen Nicolas in Inzell, population 14, along the Donauradweg in Upper Austria. There were reports of singing coming from the campplatz late at night. Fortunately, I slept through it. The sign on another gasthof next door to the right says "Radlerhof", which is a home-made word that indicates it is either a gasthof that caters to bicyclists (radlers) or a place where guests store bikes. (2004)
Privatzimmer Grossauer in Mauthausen, home of a concentration camp of the same name, along the Donauradweg in Upper Austria. Unlike most places which have a separate breakfast room, we ate in the family kitchen, talking with the husband who served the coffee. (1998)
The Stickler Hütte, an Alpine hut above the tree line near the source of the Mur River in the Lungau in Salzburg province. Alpine huts are found in remote mountain areas and cater to hikers. Rustic overnight accomodations were on the second floor, and a simple gasthof on the first. (2002)
Overnight accomodations in a winery in Angern along the Donauradweg in Lower Austria. (1998)
Herberge Stiftblick (monastery view hostel) in Melk along the Donauradweg in Lower Austria. It was not associated with the famous Melk Benedictine monastery, but a school. My email contact (second from left) was a Sister Paula. She enjoyed meeting my sister Paula and her friend Karen, both Sisters of Mercy. (2004)
Antique filled room in a Vierkanterhof at Bogenhof, a small village near Aschbach Markt along the Ybbstalradweg in Lower Austria. (2003)
Der Schmiede (black smith shop) in Stein an der Enns along the Ennsradweg in Steiermark. The two doors on the left opened to a large machine shop. Upstairs was one of the nicer privatzimmer. (2000)
From the balcony of Familie Barbist overlooking the Inn River Valley in Stans, Tirol. (2001 and 2005)
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