Day 46: Katowice Poland, Czech, to Salzberg, Austria 655km. 7.5hrs

Today we ride from Katowice, Poland.
Across the border into the Czech Republic. 
To Salzberg in Austria.

The polish border personnel are checking vehicles entering Poland. We ride south without a stop. 
We ride through  many more wheat  and corn fields in the rolling countryside of Poland and the Czech Republic.
There is a also great deal of heavy industry in the Czech regions we ride through. Metal works, power generation, chemical production.

Flowering sunflowers make an appearance. Their flowers facing the sun.
We are heading toward the sun, too. 
The weather forecast is for rain in southern Poland until at least Tuesday.
We stop for coffee and a hot chocolate at a roadside cafe in the Czech Republic.
We can report is that the hot chocolate was impressive. 

We crossed the border into Austria without a pause.
We ride on the motorway heading to Vienna and west.
Tunnels take us under the Danube and the western part of the  city and soon we are riding west.
Orlanda is loving the motorway...
After a few hours on the back of a speeding motorbike I begin to like it,too...
Vehicles overtake, including us.

We cover a huge distance quite quickly.
We stop for a break and a bite to eat.
We discover how non smokers are treated in the cafe at a Shell petrol station.
The smokers get to sit in the main area with people drinking beer (gas stations sell booze in Europe)
Non - smokers get sent to a separate space with the door closed.
We also have to pay .50€ for the WC. 

Of course it begins to rain in the later afternoon, lightning in the clouds...

Wheat and corn fields accompany us  in Austria, too.
We explore Salzberg - trying to find a particular hotel.
Dick knows where it is but can't access it from the street.
We get moved on when we stop so Dick makes the most of being on a motorcycle.
He rides up between the bollards into the main square...
finds a space, finds the hotel, checks us in.
Orlanda becomes invisible as soon as he puts her cover on.

Wiener schnitzel for dinner, a walk, a gorgeous sunset.
We have arrived.


 
Pumping up the tyres before we leave on our long ride south west of Katowice. 
  
Katowice is in upper  Silesia. Coal mining is the main industry.  I felt that this was a sad place. 
The town suffered badly during WW11. Poland was occupied by both the soviets and Germany in WW11. It is estimated that over 6 million polish residents were killed. 20,000 polish miners were deported from Katowice by the soviets to Kazakhstan.
 
A Czech hot chocolate. Plenty of cream!

 

 

 

  
  
We have arrived in Western Europe! 
Apart from once in Iceland at a national Park we have not have to pay to use a W.C. Petrol stations in Austria charge .50c.
The decor is smart but the charge is not. 

 
Lunch in our smoke-free enclosed dining area.
Bratwurst, mustard and grated horseradish(good for the sinuses)

 
Yes, a little rain in the afternoon. 
Horses and wagons move placidly among the traffic.

 
Dick rode purposefully between the bollards into the main square and found a place for  Orlanda to spend the night.
There was a hotel with a room for us nearby in the aldstat.
 
 

 

 
Veal  schnitzel 
 

 
The sun goes down on a good day on the road.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Looks like you are having another amazing adventure. We are having a fantastic few days in Queenstown - gorgeous day today - up the Gondola gorgeous lunch. The view is spectacular. Love J, C n P xx
Peach blossom said…
Hello Diana & Dick! I've just picked up your journey and am now enjoying the trip vicariously. Sending Love, Jennyxx

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