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| On the banks of the Salzach river |
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| The village of Mondsee |
Salzburg is a lovely , quaint city proudly situated on the Salzach river. We spent a total of 5 nights in Salzburg with all the days bar one being rainy and cold. It wasn't a drizzle of rain here and there. It came down in bucket loads and it didn't stop once it started. Despite the rain we set out to explore Mozart's birthplace and found that the city truly is a live with the sound of music. Speaking of such we did the Sound of Music tour. Panorama tours www.panoramatours.com were our hosts and managed to take us on a journey through the film and some areas where it was screened. I personally expected a "sing along" of the movie and trip down memory lane. This the tour was not. There was a little bit of singing and alot of talking about why the movie was not filmed in Austria and the controversy behind the real story and the film. I didn't want to hear all of that and just wanted to enjoy what the film was for me. None the less the bus drove us through some magnificent scenery of Austria. We went to Fuschl, St.Gilgen and stopped for an hour in the town of Mondsee. A lovely town or village it was offering us a taste of the lakes district. This was a truly enjoyable experience. From my perspective I can say , don't go on the tour expecting to sing and dance like Julie Andrews and then you will enjoy the experience. The tour guide was great as well as the driver Herman but feel that the journey was slightly spoilt when we were asked for a small token of our appreciation for their work. Coming from an experienced and professional operator I didnt feel that was the right place to add the comment and could have easily and diplomatically been done by leaving the basket at the exit with a sign. They sold soft drinks and beer on the bus and then the "token of appreciation". Understandably people need to make money but we did pay 37Euro each for the journey that lasted 4 hours which included a 1hr rest stop in Mondsee. My view need not be yours . The rest is up to you to decide and see "How do you solve a problem like Maria?"....
During our short stay in Salzburg we pitched our camper in the camping grounds of Camping Nord Sam. www.camping-nord-sam-com The camping ground is clean and has all the necessary amenities that a motor home stop needs. A heated sanitary block with Hot water/ showers, (included in your tariff) laundry facilities which cost 4euro per wash or dry, as well as the service stations for water homes which include waste water and sewage dumping stations and freshwater refill. There is electricity and tariffs start form 27Euro a night for two people and a motor home. If you have the camping card then it is cheaper. For us Australians we can't apply for the camping card as you need to have an address in Europe to be eligible. There is Internet access for a fee but when we were staying at the site there seemed to be a problem and hence it could only be accessed from inside the office at reception. When it is constantly raining and cold no one wants to go to the office just for the Internet. They are open typical Austrian hours from 8-11 and then from 5-7. Closed all other times. The staff were helpful and made the stay a pleasant one for us.
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| The camping ground "Camping Nord Sam" Salzburg Austria |
To get into the city centre from Camping nord sam we had to get a bus to the hopbanhof and then another bus to the city. The buses ran frequently 7 days a week. To get into town we purchased a 24hour ticket which when purchased from reception at the camping ground cost 3.50Euro. If you buy it on the bus it costs 5Euro. One would assume that it is cheaper on the bus but no it isn't. There is also the Salzburger card that costs 22 Euro in the off season and 25Euro in peak season. Its a great card to buy if you are doing alot of sightseeing as it enables you to get into the sights and use of the public transport system without paying extra. It doesn't include special tours like the "sound of Music tour" or the hop on hop off bus. However the 22 Euro purchase is well worth it.
It was time to move on from Salzburg , enough rain for us and looking for some rays of sunshine. So we packed up our supplies and made our way South to Bruck. Before we drove off from Salzburg we invested in the purchase of a navigation system. The salesman suggested a "Becker" system for us as we have a motor home. It enables us to enter the dimensions of our vehicle and ensures we don"t get stranded on any side streets. You will read about that in another blog. Our new travel companion is called "Toma".
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| Our new home for the next week Woferlgut sport camp in Bruck |
We are now settled in the alpine resort town of Bruck in the sport camp complex called Woferlgut www.sportcamp.at It's truly amazing here. Luckily we are here when there are no tourists as the winter season has finished and now the village is preparing for the summer influx of guests. Bruck is approximately 120km south of Salzburg, The road is pleasant and not too narrow. Our motor home managed the journey with ease. The complex has great sanitary facilities with nice marble wash basins and lovely shower cubicles. There is a sauna and spa as well as a fitness centre and tennis courts. . The complex has a mini putt putt area with tricking water falls and wells. The flowers are just starting to bloom and I would imagine that mid Spring will be just divine. From our location we can see the snow on the mountains which has not melted yet from the winter fall. This is an oasis amidst mountains and we will certainly enjoy our restful time here. If you choose to arrive between seasons as we have you will find that the restaurant and other amenities are closed. We have what we need in our motor home and there is also a huge supermarket walking distance from us so we have an abundance of fresh supplies daily.
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| Walking in Bruck beside the river |
Sending you much love and joy from the resort sport camp of Woferlgut in Bruck/Grossglockner Austria
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