August 5, 2023
Leoben -> Graz (By Train)
A down day in Graz: Seeing Schwarzenegger's Childhood Home
While I sat in my hotel room watching the rain pour down endlessly, I had a change of heart about the whole bike touring thing. I had one week left before I had to fly home to real life, and I decided I wanted to do something else besides being cold, wet, and miserable on my bike. I decided that today would be my last day on a bike in Austria.
I wanted to make a pilgrimage that thousands (millions?) of other German speaking tourists had made before me: The Mediterranean. While the weather forecast was still predicting rain along the Adriatic, it was 15 degrees warmer. This sounded very appealing to me. I deliberated over logistics, and realized that bringing the bike with me on such a short trip would be more hassle than it was worth. I could instead leave it at the secure bike storage facility at the Graz HBF. Besides, I could always rent a bike from a hostel.
At this point, I had not figured out the exact trip logistics, but I knew I would be heading south, and leaving my bike behind for a few days. I booked a hostel bed at the Graz train station for tonight, and headed down there. My plan was to ride around the city, ride to Thal to see Arnold Schwarzenegger's childhood home (now a museum), and then use the evening to plan the rest of my time in Europe.
I bought some breakfast at a grocery store in the Leoben train station on my way out: two rye bread sandwiches (one ham and cheese, one fig and brie), and a package of blueberries. I have to say european rye bread is nothing like American Rye. This stuff was moist, didnt crumble apart, and tasted like strong fermented sourdough. It was delicious. Why cant American bakers figure out this recipe?
Anyway, the train ride was quick and uneventful, but when I got to Graz I realized I had left my sandals in the bike garage of the guesthouse I stayed at. Woops.
I wasn't about to go back for them, so I pressed on to Thal. I rode about 30 minutes from Graz HBF to Thal. A couple of other crazy road bikers passed me, but I was intentionally going slow. I realized that the only way to stay dry in pouring rain is to suit up with waterproof gear, then take it easy and avoid sweating.
The Arnold Schwarzenegger museum was initially underwhelming. Im really not sure what I was expecting. This was his childhood home afterall. The home of a police officier and a housewife (Arnold's parents). It was a modest looking house in the suburb town of Thal atop a small hill overlooking the valley. The bottom story consisted of three rooms: the checkin area where you paid, Arnold's childhood bedroom (complete with photo albums, and his childhood bed), and a room showcasing his achievements as California's Governor (including the desk he used while in office). The upstairs was slightly more cool. There were many movie props Arnold had saved from the films he'd been in: jackets, costumes, and a motorcycle to name a few. There were also two rooms dedicated to his bodybuilding career, including his start as a teenager. In the house was his original weight bench from 1963, and his original pullup bar, mounted on a doorframe.
After I walked through the house and read all the exhibit signs, I returned to Thal. By now I was hungry, and had a craving for Doener. I found a Doener place, and got a giant Doener Kabob for 5 Euros. By the time I was done eating, it was 3pm: hostel checkin time.
I made my way back to the Graz train station and checked into the hostel. I laid on my bed, drying out my wet rain gear while I listened to the thunderstorms roll by. I told my bunkmate about my plan to go south. She warned against it: Slovenia, Austria's southern neighbor, was experiencing its worst flooding on record. The capital was experiencing major floods, and the government was warning against unnecessary travel. Anecdotally, she said her trains had to be rerouted and it took her twice as long as expected to get from Croatia to Graz.
After careful deliberation, I decided to go anyway. I booked bus tickets to avoid rail line closures. The route I decided on was: Graz -> Pula by bus, spend 2 nights there, Pula -> Venice by ferry, spend 1 night there, Venice -> Graz by bus. From Graz I would pick up my bike and continue by train to my final destination: Vienna. I spent several hours planning details, and making hostel/bus/ferry reservations then went to sleep.
Today's ride: 15 miles (24 km)
Total: 2,088 miles (3,360 km)
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