Day 46: Obertrum to Salzburg to Hallein

June 14, 2014

Camping at Obertrum was really enjoyable. On the one hand, we were right beside the lake, with the beautiful mountains across from that. On the other hand, the services building was directly on our other side. This second feature almost outweighed the first in the overall enjoyment. So often the camping spots in Europe stick the tents in the furthest possible corner, away from the services of the place. You know you are in for it when the desk clerk calls on someone with a bicycle to show the piece of grass. But in Obertrum, the washroom/shower and kitchen room were only steps away. So we could plug in the electronics and keep an eye on them while at the tent, or go for a shower without going for a hike first.

Another day for the Grampies, starts at Obertrum

The town of Obertrum was first up for us, as we headed back toward the Salzach to complete our circle tour. Obertrum has a "one and a half onion dome" church, standard for the towns in this region. It also, of course, has at least one bakery. This time there was no need to stop. Yesterday I had gobbled up my half of the pastries we had, but Dodie had sagely conserved some of hers. At breakfast, she shared. It was quite unlike the outcome in the tale of the Grasshopper and the Ant. Dodie is a good ant!

We got to ride down a big hill into Anthering. This hill is well known to anyone who has cycled it in the other direction, such asRichard Hughes, last year. We continued to follow the Mozart Radweg, and this led us into a forest. At the entrance there was a locked gate and a form of style, for bikes to get in. The strange part was that the style was in the form of a steel ramp up and down, very steep. Going over this was almost like lifting the bikes vertically. The metal was patterned, so the great traction needed to push the bikes was there, and over it we went. We were just puzzled about why anyone would have put in such a loaded bicycle unfriendly structure.

At the other end of the forest there was the matching style for getting out. The only thing, it had rained in the mean time, and the metal plating was now slippery as ice. Somehow we made it over again, and wondered again why this physical test. We got the answer on the other side - a sign that said watch out for wild pigs in the forest, enter at your own risk. We swear there was no such sign for us when we entered. Good thing we did not choose this forest for a wild camp - could have been really wild.

Goodbye for now to the mountains and meadows

When we popped out of the forest we found ourselves right back on the path by the Salzach. Now we cycled the short stretch down to Salzburg, for maybe the sixth time in our lives. For this little bit, it was beginning to feel as comfortable as if we lived here. I looked at locals on the path, and tried to imagine really living here. What is it like to live in or near a really serious World Heritage site?

The outskirts of Salzburg, though, are like the outskirts of every beautiful old town - ugly. In modern times, people have almost completely abandoned beauty in favour of utility. In two or four hundred years' time how many tourists will come to photograph the power plant or car dealership - none! Fortunately we rounded a corner in the river, and there it was - the glorious city, looking like something almost from another planet.

We debated which of the many bridges to cross (one is as good as another) and wound up at the gate to the city. Right beside the main way to Mozartplatz is the first thing I photographed two years ago - the shop selling nothing but Mozart branded chocolates. Hey, I'm not proud, I recorded it again!

Our first objective was the Tourist Information. This time we really needed their help. Our dilemma was that we really wanted to go and tour the salt mine at Hallein, wanted to walk around the city again, and wanted to think about one of the several other tours we had read about - castle and palace tour, ice caves, open air museum, Grossglockner mountain road, alpine lakes tour, etc. We could camp 5 km outside the city, but would have to ride the bikes in (lacking any knowledge of the public transit). Then we would have to lock them somewhere, using our toy locks. Since that was not going to happen, we needed a guest house/hotel/hostel in walking distance. The tourist information lady threw us a large booklet listing accommodation within about a 15 km radius. Anything in walking distance clocked in at 300 to 1000 or more euros per night, as least as far as we could see, sitting on a bench in the spitting rain.

Since the salt mine tour was really our main wish this time, could we cycle the 15 km to Hallein and find a place to stay there? Well, hey, don't ask Salzburg Tourist Information about a place in the next town. We phoned Hallein Tourist Information after looking up the number on the internet. They have three locations - each produced a recorded message only, in German.

The custom of "love locks" on bridges has not come to North America, we think. This bridge is really covered with them!

Look Joshua, a Steiff giraffe - but check the price tag!

Did Mozart really like chocolates? Is that the connection?

Not everything on offer is Mozart branded. Many of these have other Austrian or German themes.

If the Chinese tourists are here, we must be in the right place!

St Michaels church and the famous horse fountain

That it folks, we are beating it to Hallein!

So, we reluctantly decided to abandon revisiting the city, or going on any other tours, and just toddled off toward Hallein. Quite quickly we tripped over the youth hostel. Hey, why didn't the TI lady mention that? No matter, with our minds already made up, there was no stopping now.

Salzburg was built with revenues from the salt trade, and the source of the salt was a mountain of salt upriver - near Hallein. We passed the mountain and looked up at it. We knew well that we were not cycling up that. Rather we needed some sort of bus or tour out of Hallein. So Tourist Information. Tourist Information Hallein is quite well hidden, but after some extensive scouting around we found it. The hours are 9-5 M-F - brilliant! typical tourist hours, right?

Ok, so we went into the town and found an old hotel on one of the main streets. 65 euros with breakfast. Our bikes are downstairs, in the hall. Our room is really neat. The ceiling is plastered, and incorporates about six domes. It's intriguing to think what the framing behind that is. We also have a spare bed and, one could say, four rooms - an entry room, toilet room, shower room, and main bedroom. It is just the kind of crazy thing we like.

We went out into the town, with the freedom of having lots of time. Hallein is not a dressed up place, but it does have unique and interesting buildings, and streets going off at all angles. We happened on a direction sign for the "Silent Night Museum". We had read that this was here, but found it puzzling, since Oberndorf is Silent Night central. We soon found the museum and the reason.

Franz Gruber, who wrote the music for Silent Night, had become the choirmaster and organist for the church at Hallein, in 1833. This is already after he had composed Silent Night, and performed it at Oberndorf in 1818, where at the time he was cantor and organist. Gruber, however, stayed in Hallein and lived in a house just across from the church until his death in 1863. Inventories he made of the musical works held by the church here seem to show that he had composed 116 pieces. Of course Silent Night is the only one we common folk know about. I wonder if Gruber considered it just another routine tune?

We arrived at the museum just 10 minutes before closing, but the man at the desk let us in, and for a reduced rate. 99 percent of the contents are in German, but we still enjoyed it. There was, in particular, the guitar that Gruber had used for the performance. That would be the same one depicted in the stained glass at the chapel in Oberndorf.

Just down the street from our hotel was a Billa - small supermarket. We bought way too much food, for supper, and also for tomorrow. It is all so good looking (except for vegetables - German and Austrian people have no understanding of vegetables!). We got many treats to go with our bread, meat, and cheese - creme caramel, Manner brand wafer cookies, and Punch Krapfen - those super yummy pink iced rum flavoured calorie bombs we first found in Vienna and were hoping for during the misunderstanding at the restaurant this time in Bayreuth.

At the checkout, a clerk brought up about two dozen one kilo boxes of beautiful strawberries, and we were offered to take some at two for one - since they were getting outdated. Ah, I said to the checkout lady " ah, edbeeren angebot - halbe preis!" Magically, after thinking for a second, she recognized what I had said. If you allow the inclusion of the "ah", it was my first 5 word German part sentence that someone understood (I have done others that they have not understood!). Dodie also is doing well. For example, with the same lady, Dodie was able (after some thought) to answer "nein" after being asked if we had a Billa customer loyalty card!

The riverside path to Hallein. This is the Tauern Radweg.

Linzertorte is a form of raspberry pie. We will research it more, in Linz!

Our haul at the Billa, and the lady that understood my German. The lady incidentally in the background is from Sweden.

At the eis cafe - zimt (cinammon ice cream)

If you don't like zimt, how about these?

Figures from nativity scenes, not sure why Gruber museum has these

Gruber's organ in the church across the street

Apparently the organ is broken, and a fund raising campaign is underway to replace it

Last look at Hallein. It is an interesting and genuine town.

Today's ride: 44 km (27 miles)
Total: 2,460 km (1,528 miles)

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