Day 7

Suzlemoos, Germany to Altenmarkt Im Pongau, Austria

Today was spent mostly driving into our 5th country in 7 days!

We used the services provided by the Motorhome salesroom before heading out onto the motorway. It must be holidays here as the roads were very busy and we sat in a slowoving traffic queue most of the way. Heading into Austria is treading new ground for us with the unknown complexity of a ‘go box’ (toll box to you and me) that allows us to use Austrian motorways and major roads.

Gareth had found loads of useful information on social media groups but it can also be a bit contradictory so we approached Austria’s border with some wariness. We started to see signs advertising the Vignette and Go Box at services so popped in to see what exactly we needed.

Gareth went in while I waited outside with Meg. When he emerged he was a little paler and €200 lighter. We now have a little box stuck to the windscreen that beeps everytime we pass under a toll point. We can keep it if we are coming back next year or hand it in when we leave Austria. At that rate of toll I think we’ll steer clear of Austria.

Anyway, back to the trip. The landscape changed as we neared Austria, the houses now had roofs with large overhangs, to deal with the snow in winter. The Tyrolean Alps had snow on them and in some places you could clearly see the ski runs. The hills had woods and forest of multiple colours looking just like a painting and the rivers were running very fast. It was beautiful. Every now and then the sun would hit the peak of a mountain and gleam it’s snowy landscape like a light being switched on.

We chose a family run Aire, (here they are called Stellplatz) at the bottom of a ski resort. It has everything you need and is a short walk from the very pretty ski village.

I’m not a very good skier but do love everything else about skiing, the snow, the hot wine, the chalets and lodges and of course, the snow .

We took Meg for a walk around the village and found a little park area with a stream running through where she could go off the lead, one happy dog.

Used the on-site laundry when we got back and settled in for the night.

Off to Slovenia tomorrow