I have been away sporadically in hot and humid climes quite a bit this summer. When I got back to Belgium in early July I felt the emergence of the European summer heat in the air. I was again away for 2 weeks in mid July to Saigon and Penang. I think I have gotten used to the sweltering heat. Before I flew back to Belgium, hubs told me that there were heat waves all over Europe. Belgium was not spared, with the mercury level soaring to as high as 39 deg C some days. The prolonged periods of warm and dry weather were the intrinsic theme of the summer across Europe anno 2018.
Wednesday 8th August was my last day at work. Although it was nice to work in a fully air-conditioned office, I was more looking forward to our family trip ~ our annual summer hols.
It’s completely different this summer, because we have entirely excluded the predictable definition of ‘Provence‘ in any shape and form. You will understand this statement if you have read several of my previous posts about our annual summer hols ~ yup, always to that predictable location called the Provence! 🙂
Last summer, we included both the Provence and Spain in our holiday plan. We wanted something different, but obviously, we did not let go off the South of France part that easily. Ha ha …
So this summer, we’ve gone 180 degrees. We chose Austria and Italy (yup, no Provence) as our holiday destinations. That’s why I was excited and was looking forward to these different itineraries. It has been a while since we did something different now that the boys are no longer little …
A fluky Journey
The road trip to Tirol, Austria was 790km with the ETA time of 15:44. The BIG question was, would a quarter to four remain our ETA more or less??
Hmm… let’s see …
We left on a weekday for the obvious reason to avoid reaching gridlocks.
But ….
Just 20 minutes of driving, we were trapped in a 45-minute long of traffic congestions due to an accident and roadworks on the Brussels-Luxembourg highway!
Not long after we left Luxembourg enroute Germany, the skies turned immensely dark and gloomy with the most unwelcoming thunderstorm. Visions were blurred and signposts were literally illegible.
With all these obstructions, our ETA was stretched further. Hmmmmph…!!
We tried not to stop or rest too long lest our ETA would be too late.
We did, however, stop briefly for the last 97km to stretch our legs.
We continued on with the journey until we saw the majestic mountainous landscape before us. It was a welcoming sight. We knew we would be reaching our ultimate destination soon.
A Frigid ETA
With the heat waves across Europe, I expected the same for Austria, but I have miscalculated. We arrived in Tirol with grey skies cascading above us. It was cold at 14C after leaving Belgium at 32C! And guess what? I did not pack any warm clothing. Ouch!
But the lovely B&B looked so cosy with the breathtaking mountains just in front of our balcony! That took the cold temps off my mind a bit.
With the long journey we had gone through, we hit the sack and went down slumberland as soon as our heads hit the pillow.
Quest for Warmth
The following morning was equally numbing and frigid.
We had wanted to walk to the centre of Nassereith, but with the unforeseen cold summer temperature, we drove to the centre, instead. Nassereith is a very tiny village which is self-contained. My intention of getting a warm shawl was dashed. There were none in sight, hence, we took to the road and headed for Innsbruck.
There was a traffic jam on the road to Innsbruck. If you noticed, Austrians would drive on extreme ends of both wings of the lanes, right and left. That, to give way to motorbikes to slide through the parted traffic and as well, for emergency vehicles to pass through. I give the Austrians 10/10 for road traffic etiquette 🙂
Secluded Nassereith is just the opposite of crowded Innsbruck.
Innsbruck is a very touristic city. Lots of shopping galleries and eateries. Well, that’s where we had our lunch. It was cheap with enormous servings. We were famished and ate all up. Mind you, that was our first proper meal after binging on unhealthy snacks during our 11-hour drive the day before.
Oh by the way, I found a pashmina to keep the cold away 😀
A Jinx?
The day we left Tirol, the temperature went up to a lovely 24C.
I’m sure we jinxed our way to Austria. Lol!
We shall miss the fresh mountain air of Tirol.
Tschüss! Auf Wiedersehen!
By the way, I think it is appropriate that I end my post here, in the famous catchphrase of an American Austrian-born actor and politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger… Hasta la vista, baby! I’ll be back!
Off to Italy next!
Stay tuned 😉
Ciao!
I wish you a Blessed Assumption Day!
Cheers!
By the way ... 