Today was a basically a rest and recovery day. We've been pretty much on the go every day without too much thought of a break, so when Auds woke up with a headache (eventually becoming a migraine) and it was rainy and cold outside, we both were quite happy to just pull the covers back up and hibernate in our barrel for a while. We hadn't really planned anything particular to see in Innsbruck apart from the standard walking tour, and maybe some hiking about if the weather was right.
Auds took one of her 'miracle pills' and went back to sleep. From experience those things took a couple of hours to work, and there was no point trying to rush anything. I had the final few chapters of Lincoln Rhymes' latest adventures to catch up on, and then snuck out to go exploring when the rain eased a little. We'd seen very little of the camp last night as we had desperately tramped about in the rain trying to find someone who could give us a key.
This is the biggest caravan park I’ve ever seen. There is a big lake with canoes, kayaks, dodgem-boats, a waterpolo area and a couple of waterslides. There are table-tennis and billiards tables, a shooting range (air-pistol by the looks of it), and somewhere there was supposed to be a go-kart track but I couldn't find it. It was mostly mobile homes dotted about the place, but there were also many caravans, cabins, some keen campers, and of course – barrels.
I wandered about for 30 or 40 minutes and then got back to our barrel just a few minutes before Auds started to stir. Headache gone... miracle tablets for the win! The rain had completely stopped now, but the cloud cover wasn't going anywhere. As soon as Auds was dressed we went for another tour of the park, and I excitedly pointed out all the things I'd found. As a side bonus we came across what we assumed was an area set up for school camps. There was several American-Indian tepees and a totem pole, a recently extinguised campfire and some catering marquees. What a fun school camp this would have been (especially if we came all the way from Aus).
The fog, then drizzle, then rain, returned. Even a bit of donder and blitzen; we've both definitely felt more secure before than being tucked up in a little barrel. But it passed soon enough and the reassuring tap of rain on the roof was our soundtrack as we blogged/read/snoozed our way through the afternoon. A much needed recuperative day.
We headed to the onsite restaurant for some excellent Austrian cuisine at very reasonable prices. Not cheap, but given the location, they had most of us over a barrel (some of us in them) and could have charged what they liked. I had a classic viener schnitzel with a delicious potato salad and Auds went with a goulash soup you could eat with a fork. Two excellent choices. Having polished those off, our minds soon drifted to dessert. The old bloke at the next table must have said at least 6 times 'That is the best apple strudel I've ever eaten'. Not sure if he was doing it for our benefit but it sure seemed like it. I think more likely no one was listening to him, perhaps he was used to it.
In any case it was enough to convince us to try some … perhaps he'd never eaten apple strudel before, or perhaps they do a particularly crappy one in York (he was from 'oop nooorf' somewhere). It was nice, but I reckon my Grandma does a better job. Hi Grandma! … hint hint :) Slightly disappointed we paid up and headed back to our barrel in the rain. We still had no internet access so we fished out the maps and guidebooks to see what we might be able to get up to tomorrow if the weather improves.
