We wake up before the alarm, though we haven’t got that much planned today we want to get going early. Getting everything back in the luggage is a challenge, but I’m getting the hang of it by now and have succeeded quicker than the first time I tried on Monday. Arne takes care of all other bags while I stack bags of clothes optimally with as little lost space as possible.
We take off around nine am towards the Liechtensteiner Klamm. The original plan was to go up to the Eagles Nest in Berchtesgaden, but the weather is not great so we expect there would be no view from the top except onto clouds. So we drive to the gorge, which is actually more or less on or way south. The highway winds through the mountains, frequently on bridges or through tunnels to get over valleys or through mountains. Our altitude on the highway goes up to 1140 m, the mountains around are still quite snowy. It’s sunny but still quite cold, about 12° outside.
The visit of the gorge is done via a series of raised wooden walkways and bridges with the occasional tunnel. It is very impressive to the ear, as the water is rushing over rocks and making a huge rumbling sound. It’s also very impressive to look at, it seems that the cliffs above you go up for 50 m or more, while the gorge is so narrow you could jump across (if you had a place to land). In one place, the spray and sun conspire to form a rainbow.
From the Klamm we drive on south, first through Slovenia and then inland, off the highway, to Istria. It becomes overcast, but the weather fortunately remains dry. Our hotel is situated high on a slope overlooking the Kvarner bay. It’s a great view, but by consequence the drive to the hotel is adventurous. The road is curvy and some stretches are a succession of hairpins tight enough to make you dizzy. We arrive around five pm, so I have enough time for a long shower and the sorting of yesterday’s and today’s pictures, before we have dinner in the restaurant of the hotel. Dinner is very nice (it’s supposed to be one of the best restaurants in the area), it includes a glass of local bubbles (okay) and local white wine (nice). We share a fish stew with white wine and tomato sauce, absolutely delicious.
Febe writes 