Less Letters, Even Less Kangaroos

Smile. They sure know how to build a cycleway in Austria!

A simple church along the Murwag cycleway.

Go Janey, go! This day included 4 climbs, (2 over 1000m) but overall we dropped 1000m to the Danube.


Funny lot, Austrians. Ride their bikes along the Danube all serious like, until you smile and say "Morgen" and their faces light up and back they come, "Morgen". I couldn´t understand it really, cycleways everywhere, (I mean cars even stop for you to cross the road) and there´s beer and schnitzel enough for everyone at the Gasthuas, so why the long faces.

After a few hard days of riding in the mountains, yesterday we cycled 101km west along the Danube cycleway (take note RTA) from Pochlarn to Linz and I tried to raise a few smiles on those serious oncoming faces.

"G`day" in a broad aussie accent usually resulted in a smile and a "Morgen" or "Hello" in return. "G´day cobber" (or "tiger" to the kids) just left them puzzled, so I started with a bit of physical comedy. I took to riding with my right foot hooked up behind me on my pannier to appear to these fortunate on coming two legged riders that I was cycling away happily on one leg. Well, I thought it might cheer them up.....

Here are some serious Australian photos (minus three letters and containing no marsupials).

No ´roos but lots of flowers. Every house has them. This window was part of an old barn by the road. Take note CWA.

It´s Austria, it´s not meant to be flat.

The pretty and holy town of Mariazell. Beautiful church on a beautiful setting. Way over the top in every sense. I took this at about 8pm, very nice light...

Mauthausen from the river. They have a boat to take you and your bike from one side of the river to the other. Now that´s something to smile about, isn´t it?

Flowers everywhere, big ones too!