Getting lost can be fun! [Backpacking over 60]

This is the next instalment of Libby’s awesome European adventure… To read her previous post, click here.

What a debacle that was: it took us ages to to get to Oberong, the town where the Socceroos were based. We got lost sooooo many times and we were all getting hot, stressed, tired and cranky. We eventually arrived and in one piece. We found the BIG compound where a game was being telecast – Germany vs. Sweden.

We didn’t feel comfortable there were too many young people and too much beer. We thought it better to leave before there was a riot! So what better thing to do than to find accommodation? It’s no mean feat when you don’t read German; I only understand a bit of the spoken language thanks to my grade 8 teacher. We drove around for about 2 hours we were tired and it was getting late. We inadvertently found the Socceroos training ground and yet only 3 of the boys were training.

We eventually found a very seedy pub but were told we couldn’t book in until the owner came on duty in about 10 minutes – well, that’s what I thought they said? While waiting I was looking over the map and saw there was a camping ground just out of town. We took a vote and decided that we would go and check it out. We drove out of town and found what we thought must have been the entrance: lots of big trees, nice flowers and not much signage, but hey we most likely wouldn’t have been able to read the signage anyway.

Wrong! It was the exit or tradesman entrance to a very exclusive hotel and unbeknown to us the accommodation of the Socceroos. We almost ran into the team, literally as they were having races with the golf buggies. My husband had opened the door of the car and literally hit the road running (he had too as we hadn’t stop at this stage). We managed to get photos and hubby got his Australia shirt signed by a lot of them which we had framed on our return to Oz. It hangs beside the photo of him with Mark Viduka; they were a credit to our country so friendly and willing to stay and chat, my husband had just been handed the best present he has ever had!

We decided to hit the road as we had forgotten about the camping ground but were both tired and hungry. On the way out we drove past a group of Aussie fans at the front entrance to where the Socceroos were staying and they were excitedly taking pictures of the team bus… If only they knew.

As we were going back into Oberong we were sent down a detour as there were police cars everywhere, maybe our intuition had saved us being part of soccer riot?

Fortunately for us we had been sent on this detour as we again found a beautiful hotel where we booked ourselves in for the night and had a lovely dinner and again some lovely red wine and a non-alcoholic beer (there are a lot of beers on the continent that are non-alcoholic). We rang our dear old mum and told her about our exciting day and I’m not sure she believed us about the Socceroos until we actually got home and sent her a copy of the photos.

We again had chosen well: the rooms were nice, the beds comfortable and the meals yummy.

It was now another day so we studied the map. I’m not sure why as we manage to get lost every single day! It has got to the stage that if we appear to be going in the right direction and are all OK, we tend to head off the highways and get lost just for the heck of it!

Today was to be no different…Austria here we come, we took the highway for about 50 kilometres and then headed bush. The countryside was beautiful, daisies, poppies and cornflowers. The fields were full of them and we saw wild deer grazing on the side of the roads. We bought food off roadside stores or from little villages we came across and all I can say is the cheese, bread and red wine is to die for!

We eventually arrived in Munchen (Munich) early afternoon and went for a walk in the old walled city the architecture was magnificent. We left the old city in search of accommodation again and found another beautiful hotel with lovely owners that were very helpful.We booked for two nights this time as we were in the city where it was all happening for the World Cup.

We needed food and were sent to a nice Bavarian restaurant about a kilometre away and we really enjoyed the walk. The restaurant was very busy but it had an enormous screen that had soccer games on and it made its own beer! The still looked to be made out of copper it sat behind a glass screen and the bar was built around it, it was amazing. We bought our drinks but before we could eat an enormous storm went over it only lasted about 15 minutes but it cooled the place considerably.

Afterwards we walked back to the hotel and all was well in our world.

Tomorrow… Fan park! Stay tuned to read about that in my next post.  

How many times have you got lost on your travels? What is the most confusing place you’ve ever been to? Tell us in the comments below…