Wet, wet wet

Friday August 9th was a wet day in Bayreuth...

Carol had to dry herself off in the Arvena  public bathroom when we got back to the car which was loaded with our luggage. I stood in the garage doorway praying to the gods to stop the rain but of course my prayers went unanswered. We had a long way to go to reach Vienna...350 miles ( 560 KM)

I was itching to get moving.

We got in the car and moved.

It takes plenty of concentration to drive on the autobahn at speed and even moreso when it is raining.

Factor in the fact that it was August and road crews were out and about repairing roads and we had several stoppages for Orange Cones where the traffic had to filter into one lane.

Factor in that we have to stop every now and then to use the restrooms at the Autobahn stops.

The restrooms along the way are immaculate as there is a person in them whose job it is to keep them sparkling. They usually have a little plate with coins in it near the door and we always drop 50c in there for a job well done. The Germans and Austrians set the standard for cleanliness that is hard to find in the road-stops in the USA. They have fantastic rest-stop restaurants where you can get a full meal and a beer or really good coffee. The foods are mouthwateringly displayed. If you are driving there and you see one of the rare AXXE restaurants stop and eat even if you just had a meal ten miles ago. They are state of the art in roadside dining. They only have 24 outlets so not easy to find.

Otherwise any road-stop has a clean gas station (diesel for us) with a shop selling anything you need on the road, including huge arrays of British chocolate bars (lots of Cadbury treats!) and lots of stuff you won't find in the USA. It's like being in a foreign country!!

Conversations in these shops take place in German but if you are struggling they can usually speak English to help you out.  The bathrooms are squeaky clean.

We drive on in comfort, mile after mile, seeing Vienna getting closer. The rain eases for a while then returns with a vengeance. We see beautiful mountain and valley scenery, a castle here and there.

While still in Germany I hit 130 mph as much as possible as once we enter Austria there is an 85 mph limit (130 KPH) and we want to arrive before dark. We are listening to German classical radio as the Jaguar purrs along, barely breaking a sweat. Before the Austrian border we stop for diesel and to buy a 20 E Vignette-a windshield sticker that shows we have paid to drive on Austrian roads. You also need an orange vest to wear if your car is disabled and you are walking around outside the car, but I have one since my last Austrian drive in 2008. You also need an International Driving Permit. In Germany I just use my regular US lisence.

So now we are in Austria. We had hoped to visit the scenic Germany city of Passau before doing this but it was so wet we decided to just keep going and see it another time in better weather. We saw it through the mists as we drove over a high bridge along the way.

Our last rest-stop in Austria before descending down the winding valley into Vienna 50 miles away was one we had been to before and it is one where there are only bathrooms and some vending machines. These produce pretty decent espresso and I was in need of a couple of cups. The rain abated and allowed us to walk and stretch our legs in the warm wet August air.

Spartan by our normal standards but welcome. Now for the last push into Vienna! We hadn't eaten in about 9 hours. Yikes!

I enjoy the challenge of driving in European cities. The Navigator is essential-no paper road maps being fumbled with. As we get down into the city I recognize where I am which is a great relief and makes me less reliant on the Nav. Like Munich you have to be aware of the trams as you are often driving over their rails. As in Germany-no jaywalkers as people wait for their signals to walk.

Once in he heart of the city I don't need the Nav any longer and we turn her off. We are making a bee-line for our favorite hotel there....The Grand Hotel Wein (Grand Hotel Vienna). It is right on the Ring Road which circles the inner city and we pull up at the front door via a little slip-road that leaves the Ring.

Liveried footmen hustle to get the luggage from the car, welcoming us as returning guests and the car is taken away by a valet.

I am done driving for the day and see a cold refreshing beer in my future!