To a certain extent, Austria, like many ‘other’ world countries, remains a mystery for most of us. The opposite can be said for the UK and US. Their cultures and lifestyles advertised worldwide. Both views distorted of course. One, by too little knowledge – the other, by too much of the inaccurate kind.
We gather we must be passing through the flat industrial heartland of Austria. The city of Linz typical. Monstrous mountains of smoke spew skyward from ginormous factories below. Man-made cumulus clouds billow and blot out the blue. Out in the sticks we figure they must do the same. But on a smaller scale. Is the end result any different? Every house of every village we pass through surrounds itself with a barricade. Stored logs are not in short supply. All householders on standby. Ready to do battle against the winter elements. Many less wooded areas we pass give witness. Are these burners carbon neutral?
Five hours out on the road finds us finally parked up at Camping Am Fluss, a thirty minute riverside hike away from the historic ‘zentrum’ of Steyr. The passing landscape to Steyr reveals no sign of lake, mountain or thigh-slapping lederhosen-clad yodeler. No sheep, no wonder. Just an enclosed pen of grass-eating baby bambis. Unknowingly fattening themselves up for local cuisine. A bit like veal. Cute, but tasty.
On our way into town we stop off at St Michael’s Church. A Mozart Requiem is going through its final rehearsal. A 7pm performance looms.