Rattenberg, Oostenryk

Blou roete vir Dinsdag / Blue route on Tuesday

Van die Sahara tot by die Alpe / From the Sahara to the Alps

Rattenberg, Oostenryk

Ek dink ek het die Afrikahitte saam uit die Sahara gebring: Oostenryk en dele van Duitsland het vandag oor die dertig grade gehad!

Vandag se ry was ‘n fees vir die sintuie: Pragtige rose by vulstasies en langs die pad, soms ook in wingerde geplant; Mere en riviere waarvan die kleur gewissel het tussen turkoois blou-groen tot helderblou; Die Suid-Tiroolse Alpe met nog sneeu op die pieke, onder aan die voet van die Alpe groen grasvelde vol geel “Löwenzahn”-blomme.

Ek het die klein ss 12-pad gekies. Daar was min motors saam met my op die pad. Soms het ek die KLR teen 60 km/h net laat aanluier: Vrede op aarde.

Ek is vannaand in Rattenberg in Tirool, Oostenryk. Ek ken die stadjie reeds sedert my tyd wat ek in Duitsland gewerk het. Rattenberg het vir meer as 800 jare al stadstatus. Dit is egter nie ‘n stad nie, net ‘n klein dorpie met skaars ‘n 1 000 inwoners. Dit het ‘n pragtige ou-stad wat weerskante van die enigste straat deur die dorpie lê. Geen voertuie word binne toegelaat nie. Mens stop buite die “stad” op een van die twee parkeertereine.

Rattenberg staan bekend as die Venesië van Oostenryk, nie weens waterkanale nie maar weens die glaswerke wat hier te vinde is.

Die turkooskleurige Innrivier vloei binne 100 m van die ou-stad verby.

Daar is net een gastehuisie, geen selfoonwinkel en geen internet nie. Ek gaan vannaand die satelietmodem vir dié berig gebruik. Jammer dat ek nou geen e-posse kan beantwoord nie!

More gaan ek ‘n baie interessante begraafplaas besoek. Ek hoop ek kan julle more-aand laat glimlag. Ek was laas daar in die voor-digitale tydperk. Hou julle sakdoeke vir die (lag-)trane gereed moreaand! Selfs in die dood kan baie humor wees, veral as die agtergeblewenes ‘n laaste appeltjie met die oorledene te skil gehad het!

Tot more toe!

Rattenberg, Austria

I think with me came the heat of the Sahara to Europe. Austria and the southern part of Germany had temperatures of more than thirty degrees Centigrade today!

My ride was a festival for the senses today. Beautiful roses planted at filling stations, next to the road and even in vineyards. Lakes and rivers with a turquoise green-blue colour; The Alps in South Tyrol with snow-capped summits; At the feet of the Alps green meadows with spots of yellow “Löwenzahn” flowers.

I chose the ss 12 road and not the highway. To my surprise there was little traffic with me on the road. Often I let the KLR idle at 60 km/h, enjoying the scenery.

Tonight I am in Rattenberg, Tyrol, Austria. I know the small city since the years that I worked in Germany. Rattenberg is a city for already more than 800 years. The city status was granted as special favour to Rattenberg as the population is not more than 1 000. In any other country it would have been just a small village. You can imagine how proud the people here are to have their own “city”.

Rattenberg has a beautiful old city center with old buildings on both sides of the only street through the city. One cannot drive or ride into the “city”. You have to stop outside on one of the two parking areas.

Rattenberg is known as the Venice of Austria due to the many glass shops here. It is a real shopping paradise for anyone interested in glass and crystal.

The beautiful Inn River flows within 100 m of the city center.

There is only one guest house in the city with no cell phone shop and no internet. I am going to use the satellite modem tonight. Unfortunately it is too expensive to reply on emails, Sorry guys! Perhaps tomorrow night. (There were more internet cafes in Ethiopia than the regions in Italy and Austria that I’ve traveled through J)

Tomorrow I am going to visit a very interesting graveyard. I hope I can make you smile tomorrow night. Last time I was there was in the pre-digital era. Tomorrow I am going to take many pictures in the graveyard. Keep your hankies ready tomorrow night! There is even in death much humor.

Enjoy your evening!