Well, I have decided that the sign of a true traveller is a pocket full of loo paper in place of tissues !!!

This is truely a lovely area - the Austrian tyroll is gentle and so pretty. Alot of the men are wearing lederhosen and the waitresses all wear their national long dress with short puffy sleeves on the blouse.

We have fallen in love with the apple struedel and are in fear of returning as fat little piggies!

mon 4 Aug and we had boked to do an English tour of The Eagle's Nest-- Hitler's mountain retreat. It was expensive at 90 Euro-- but turned out to be well worth it. what a stunning place.

the brass lined lift to the castle

the bunkers

Tues 4 aug and a visit to the salt mine just had to be done!

firstly you went down in a train and then on to wooden slides to the other levels--- that was great fun.You had a smart push at the top and it was like a roller coaster !

The salt here is drained through big lakes of water and takes 100 years before it can be siphened off! There was a beautiful light and music display on one of the old lakes underground.

Then on for a cable car ride--

wed 8 Aug and on to Fussen

what else do you expect to see in the tyroll?

the warning signs that stop you from going down the exit side of the motorway !

fussen is a lovely medievil town with the schloss and castle that walt Disney based his castles on----

we did the grand tour on Thurs with the help of a horse drawn carriage up to the top! loads of stairs in between floors, of course and the inside of every room has beautiful paintings on the walls. ----- i now know what the turrets are for----- the interconnecting staircase between the king and queen's apartment!

Fri 8 aug and an endorced day off ---- colin went to start the bike and------ nothing. he was perplexed and then altered the handlebar position --- hey presto, lights came on ---- move the handlebars again and the lights went out !

Much scratching of heads and I had the BMW breakdown number ready---- but true to form he managed to isolate the break in the main wiring and 2 hours later we were up and running - but decided that most of the day had gone, we might as well stay put.

good job we did too or else we would have missed the truely lovely castle in town that is now a picture gallery. the outside is painted with illusionist pictures-- Ie a lady standing at a window and the windows with a 3 D effect.
the Church here was beautiful inside with paintings on the roof and domes.

One of the many paintings on the houses---

you would think this was a statue but in fact it's an actor that moves slowly to give a bow when money is put into his tin.

Sat 9 aug through to the highest mountain at feldberg (5000 feet)

and through some lovely scenery

hotel where we stayed

sun 10 aug and on to Nuits St georges in france passing this novel sidecar with trailer

the difference with the french landscape after the mountains !

we have heard from Brendon and tasha- thay are now safe in Voldograd and in a 5* hotel---- and boy do they deserve that. they have had an horrendous time, including coming off the bike at 80 kph - on wet roads and a diesel slick. Thankfully they are in one piece but very bruised and the bike pannier is tied on with string.

Total miles: 5886. we estimate to be home in about a week's time. Taking a slow meander through France and the Normandy coast----- more to come.