It was raining as I entered Austria and it was raining as I left. Most of my four weeks here has been spent unsuccessfully dodging rain clouds. My feet have turned into rudimentary flippers.
In such weather, highlights have been few and far between. It was great to finally see Linz and discover that it’s a far more bustling place than my former home, Graz.
The real joy was seeing friends Nige and Nem again and their super-smart daughter Daisy. It nearly ended in disaster when their lovely dog – let’s call her Fenula although it’s the Irish spelling with about 47 letters – did a runner as I was locking up to leave. Cue a panicked five minutes with me guiding cars around her before coaxing her back inside the house. It’s never a good move to kill a friend’s pet.
In conclusion, this has comfortably been the least enjoyable country so far, especially as it’s now outrageously over-priced.
So on to Hungary, the point at which Europe starts getting interesting. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like the weather will improve. Ten more days of drizzle is forecast. Maybe I’ll develop a blow hole.
7. Austria
