The sun only shines on Tuesdays-Austria

As I sit here, in the playroom of the campsite, the rain is still going. The weather forecast for the next few days looks absolutely dire. Mum and Dad came here to go climbing with Jimmy, but if I had any desires to repeat their adventures the lightning and rain have put an end to it. Reading back through their diaries this was their first main port of call and they spent about a week here in Kufstein, and across the Alps in Zell-am-Zee, pretending to climb but really just lying about in the sunshine and going for a stroll here and there. They did do some climbs but there was a lot of chilling being done in the sun.

Dad somewhere in the Austrain Alps

The drive down from Offenbach was fairly pleasant but the estimations of the time it would take were right out. It was a Tuesday, the one week anniversary and seven days since I had seen the sun. The day was golden and reached the high thirties. Lovely to drive in, but a little too hot for Austin, but neither of us thought it would be a ten hour day. The longest we had done to this point was six hours and that had exhausted me.

 

The stop off in Germany had given me a moment to see the doctor. I thought I was being a wimp, but in the end common sense prevailed and I went. Long story short-got told off for not having my tonsils out as a child (apparently in adults they simply act as a sponge for bacteria and infection, great!) and was given a set of antibiotic. Somehow I had managed to sprain my foot as well and I was sent into town to buy some new walking boots.

Awaking the next morning in the sunshine was brilliant. Warm at last! I sorted out the mess I had made in Austin and did my laundry, before heading out into the Alps. The foot was feeling better but we have a long way to go so I took it carefully. 

Climbing up through the perfume of pines in the cool shade was lovely. I startled a family of jays who took off noisily and the forest resonated with their alarm calls. As I made my way towards the waterfalls above (I forget their name at the moment) thunder began to roll about the valley. By the time I reached the top lightning was getting a little too close for comfort so it was a dash back down.

I made it back just in time but then the heavens opened. And joy of joys, my tent was leaking in several places. Pools of recently invading rainwater had begun to form on the floor. Luckily the rain had only just started so I was able to rescue the sleeping bag and dry clothes. As the lightning flashed on and off and the thunder risked collapsing the tent altogether, I weighted up the possibility of getting into Austin dry.
 

It was looking likely I might well have to sleep in him until I created the Tent Nappy.  Although there was no guarantee that it would work, but once it's checked I'm off to the Dragons Den...

I give you the Tent Nappy.

The forecast for the rest of the week, for here and Zell-am-Zee, is thunderstorms and heavy rain. So depending on the danger level of taking Austin through the Alps in the thunderstorms vs. staying here wet, bored and fed up, tomorrow I might be here, in Zell-am-Zee or over the border in Slovenia. We’ll see....

Don't forget there are loads of photos, old and new at the facebook page The Escape Committee by Matthew Button

Have a good week folks, Cheers Matt