Heading Home ... via Three Countries

I'm homeward bound.  However, in a rather relaxed sort of way since I have done little leapfrogs through Austria, Germany and now France.  My first port of call was Graz, which unfortunately was sweltering in 34 degree heat.  So apart from climbing the hill to the castle (of course there was a castle and of course it was on top of a hill) and admiring the buildings and the views, I didn't spend a lot of time here ... 

Kunsthaus Graz (art gallery)

Graz didn't suffer from much bombing in WWII so many of the original red tiled roofs survived ... one of the things Graz is famous for.

The tunnels under the castle were built by prisoners of war and forced labour.  There are 6.3 kilometres of tunnels that could accommodate over 40 000 people in air-raid shelters

The clock tower up at the castle has the hands the wrong way around (deliberately) ... very confusing!  So the time here was actually 1:15 pm NOT 5 or so minutes past 3

I'm not saying anything!

I left Graz and headed to Salzburg.  Why?  To see the beautiful buildings?  Explore The Sound of Music?  Head off into the Alps?  No!  To use the washing machine at the youth hostel.  After putting everything through twice, my clothes are now officially clean!

Coffee is SO expensive now ... take me back to Albania!  Remember, these prices are euros - so double them and then add in the factor that the cups are half the size of those in Australia and you'll see what I mean. 

There was a pretty good market around the corner of the hostel

But goodbye Austria and hello Ulm in Germany.  I loved Ulm!  I was sorry I only had 2 days there.  It was a city/town that had everything ... amazing buildings, beautiful green spaces, brass bands, good food, even a great museum ... and beggars.  Beggars everywhere.  According to my Strasbourg friends, these beggars are part of organisations and they get bussed in every day and have their own areas.  But I felt very sorry for the men with limbs missing and who were so thin and dirty.  It's the first time I've seen this level of homelessness.  Ulm is also very multicultural, with a large number of people who seem to be refugees.  It certainly was different to everywhere else I've travelled in this area - perhaps this volume and visibility of people has helped the conservatives of Germany regain power.

Ulm cathedral has the tallest church spire in the world!

Ulm rathaus was gorgeous ... its entire surface covered with paintings

Ulm seemed to be having a bit of a brass band moment while I was there.  Bands walked down the streets, oompahing away ... although I was most impressed with the glockenspiels, that put out quite a bit of noise.  One band seemed to have the right idea - they'd play a few tunes and then stop at some bar for a beer, before moving on towards the next one.  On my second day, I sat on a wall and listened to a concert.  No glockenspiels here ... this was serious (they even had a program).  The poor musicians were dressed in lederhosen, waistcoats, long socks, layered dresses ... my! they looked hot.  Should have called for beers!

In the old part of town, there is an area known as the Fishermen's Quarter, where half timbered houses straddle little rivers and canals.  There are waterwheels and little 'box' boats and, finally, some tourists.  Many of the houses have their foundations under water so there is a rather crazy effect where buildings tilt this way and that, hardly a vertical line to be seen.

And although I had sworn not to do it anymore, I visited a museum.  It was fantastic!  It was called Museum Brot und Kunst, which translates as the museum of bread and art.  Really?  How are these linked?  The museum was in an old grain warehouse and had three floors exploring all things bread ... different types, history of grains, milling, baking, anything about bread.  And interspersed with all this interesting information were beautiful artworks that were linked to the theme.  There were Breughels, a Chagall, a Dali sculpture and many, many other lovely paintings and artifacts.  I spent 2 hours there ... and never yawned once!

Dali's Retrospective Bust of a Woman

There were a few works that I fell in love with ... this is called The Plowman by Gerhard Marcks

Egyptian figure, grinding grain, from about 2000BC

There was also an exhibition (installation) by Daniel Brag called Cool Blossoms where he had put apple blossoms in jars in refrigerators to preserve them.  However, they were decomposing, giving really interesting effects ...

And on to Strasbourg.  It has been lovely catching up with my friends Ralf and Juergen and Wolfgang again.  Isn't it great when you can just slot back into a friendship, after a gap of years.  I first met Ralph and Juergen in Nepal (Chitwan National Park) in 2009 ... for one night.  And we have been friends ever since with me trying to visit whenever I come to Europe.

Wolfgang with Barry, an Irish terrier

Fracking damage, building in Staufen

Deer in the Black Forest ... well, actually they were domestic but I can pretend!

So we have visited here and there and survived some very hot days.  I've eaten Flammekueche and a lot of cheese ... in fact last night, to say goodbye, we went to a cheese restaurant.  What an experience!

Everyone thinks it's hot!

A raclette - where the cheese is melted and you scrape it off and eat it with vegetables, bread and meats

Our entree - a cheese tasting plate of the seven different types of cheeses.  I learned a lot from the man who explained it all.

The cheeses ... under the world's biggest cloche

Lunch with Ralf - five cheeses, a pinot noir and a crusty baguette.  How good!

So now the trip is finished.  I'm just waiting to go to the train station to take the fast train to the airport.  I've had a great time!  From the success of actually being able to walk in Ireland with Merran to the joys of Albania and the Balkan countries, I have enjoyed every minute.  It's been easy travelling (touch wood!) with so many lovely places, sights, experiences and people along the way.  But it's time to go home ... thank you for joining me on the journey.  I hope you've enjoyed it!