Driving to Bulgaria - Day 1 - Austria

Our drive from Germany to Bulgaria took three days. Kind of. In typical fashion we got a very late start out of Starnberg--5 PM, just in time to hit rush-hour traffic in Munich. But after that it was fast going on the autobahn to Salzburg and beyond.

We sped through southeastern Germany and most of Austria. This view from a gas station near the Austrian border represents the drive fairly well. Alps in the distance to the south, lots of precision-engineered German cars, usually driving 160+ km/h.

We stopped around 10 PM in the town of Tulln, Austria, just west of Vienna on the Danube. It was a short day of driving, but after long days of preparing and packing, we were all ready for some solid sleep.

Over breakfast the next morning, we read that Tulln is proud of its Roman heritage. Hence the, um, Roman statue in the lobby.

We decided to take some time to explore Tulln. It seemed like a proud town rich in history, but struggling against the pressure of modernization. Here's our first view of the city center area--blocked by construction, a mess of signs and traffic signals, and a shirtless man.

In the main plaza, we found several bands of school-age kids playing traditional Austrian folk tunes. It was apparently some kind of festival. As far as I could tell, the only participants besides the kids forced to play in the bands were the parents, a few street vendors, and us.

Each band had one of these funky folk instruments. Kind of like a banjo crossed with a tambourine and then consumed by a puppet.

The highlight of the town was this funereal chapel adjoining the church of St. Stephen.

Here's the multi-arched doorway.

The celestial ceiling.

And crazy gothic paintings on the walls.

Then it was time to hit the road again. The song "On The Road Again", as sung by Willie Nelson, may go through your your head. The song "Time To Make A Pot Of Tea," to the tune of "London Bridge," went through mine.

Tune in next time for Driving to Bulgaria Day 2 - Hungary.