Pernegg to Eibiswald

Monday November 8, 2010

My campsite for the night in Pernegg an der Mur, Austria.

I had quite a vivid dream overnight. I often have vivid dreams, I could write a whole blog describing my dreams if I wanted to, but I thought I'd mention this one.
So I was on my bike touring, presumably touring through Europe, just as I am now. It was night time and I'd just ridden into a town and it was time to set up the tent for the night [I know, this is sounding just like real life]. Anyway, on this occasion it was raining, and I'd had a good look around the town for a camping spot, but the only place I could find was beside a road on a little paved area surrounded by a few deciduous trees and a red brick wall. So I was just setting up the tent on this paving, and I noticed a young couple watching me from the balcony of the building over the other side of the road, and I could tell they were talking about me.
Then another guy came out onto the balcony of the building next door, and he had a sketch pad and pencil and started sketching me. I realised it was Matthew Barron [friend from school] and I called out to him. He realised who I was and we exchanged enthusiastic greetings, but surprised because he certainly didn't expect to see me there and I had no idea he was living there either. Actually I couldn't even remember where I was. But he invited me in, and told me there were about eight people already staying over but if I could find a spot on the floor then I'd be welcome to sleep there. So I packed up the tent and went in. The living room was huge so I would have no problem finding a spot. I think I knew everyone there too, I can remember seeing other friends of mine: Charley Anderson, Chris Nixon, Shae Rook and Shane Emanuelle.
The next chapter of the dream, which I think took place the next day, involved Shane who had just recently bought a new bike, but not a normal one. The tubing looked like that of a flash road bike but the frame was almost triangular shaped with very small wheels (about 15 inches) and the pedals were at the top of the triangular frame, because you pedalled using your hands and arms, and you had to lean on the frame in an almost upright position, but leaning slightly forward, with your feet positioned on a little platform at the back wheel. Everyone was keen for a turn on it, I had to wait until almost last for my turn.
And that's the end of the dream. Hmm, bit of an anti-climax there...
I think I woke up after that, it was the middle of the night and it was raining, argh what a bummer!
When my alarm sounded at 6:30 am, it was still raining, so I decided to keep sleeping a little longer in the hope that the rain would stop, since I didn't fancy getting up in the rain.
I think my new sleeping routine of getting to bed early and waking up early is working, because I could only sleep until 8 am, then I was just awake, and got up, still with light rain falling.
I had a bit of a sore neck, must have slept on it the wrong way. Probably because the mat is useless, it just keeps getting worse, it goes flat in about fifteen minutes, so I've been trying to find camping spots with soft ground. The ground I'd just slept on was very lumpy though, so it was an uncomfortable sleep.
Okay I'd better get onto the events if the day.

A view of the mountains from Pernegg an der Mur, Austria.

A view of the mountains from Pernegg an der Mur, Austria. 

Following a bike path heading south towards Graz, Austria.

I started by dropping into the supermarket for supplies, and ate breakfast there, in the rain. What miserable weather! The spell of sunny weather had finally ended.
I rode the 50 km into Graz in this weather, and then rode through Graz without really stopping. I was looking for the information centre to ask about riding through the Alps, but I never saw it. I was also on the look-out for some unlocked Wi-Fi, but I never found that either, so I just kept going.
At about 3 pm I was getting pretty hungry, and needed to stop for lunch, but I wanted to find somewhere under shelter - it was still raining, relentlessly, it had been raining the whole day.
I found shelter under the veranda of a shop specialising in grains and flours. I ate left over pasta from the night before and mostly sat there getting very cold, since I was wet all over.
For some reason, I'd come down with a headache, the kind where any sudden movements of your head make it hurt, and where if you move your eyes while keeping your head stationary, that hurts as well. And my sore neck was getting sorer :(
Also today I was having trouble regulating my body temperature. I normally do this by adding or removing layers of clothing as appropriate, using winter gloves or fingerless summer gloves as appropriate, but the best tool for temperature regulation while out on the bike is body heat from riding. Because I'd spent a while sitting in wet clothes in the cold eating lunch, I was shivering with cold and very stiff when I got back on the bike. I was glad to be back on the bike just so that I could warm myself up, even though it was still raining. Because of the rain, I had to keep the iPhone in the handlebar bag, which meant I couldn't listen to music or navigate as easily. I've noticed there are a few songs that I recurringly have stuck in my head: "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger, "Time Flies" by Porcupine Tree and "Even Less" by Porcupine Tree, "Alright" by Supergrass, "Building a Wall" by Hello Satellites. Actually Hello Satellites was the last gig I saw in Australia before I flew out. They had their album launch at the Northcote Social Club, and it was so good, I was really impressed. Their bassist is Peter Emptage who used to play in a band with my housemate Jim's older sister, called Lucky Hunter. They were one of my favourite Australian bands with great potential, led by Cam Nicol who also occasionally presents a show on Triple R, a local Melbourne radio station. Anyway, I digress!
A little later on in the afternoon, the rain cleared and I was so happy to see the sun peek through from behind the clouds!
I kept riding through the countryside as it got dark. The terrain started to become quite hilly in places, and there were some very short steep ascents. Now that the rain had stopped, I could sit my iPhone back in the dock, and I put on a Ween album to alleviate the boredom and motivate me more. The cycling wasn't actually that boring, but I began feeling worse as the day progressed, I wasn't well.
I realised I hadn't taken many photos during the day so I presently stopped and took a few:

On Petzles, Stückleiten, Austria.

About to descent a slope of 30 % according to the sign. On Pernitsch Weg,  heading down towards Pernitsch, Austria.

I stopped in a town called Gleinstatten for tea, spotted a pizzeria and ate a pizza for tea. It was so smoky in there though, I had to eat outside.

A pizzeria on Mitterweg in Ziegelwerk Gleinstätten, Austria.

It was probably the thinnest pizza I've had, I was rather disappointed. It didn't fill me up.
I continued on, I decided I'd get to the base of the next climb and camp there for the night. I reached this location at about 9:30 pm, a town called Eibiswald. I wasn't being fussy and set up the tent in a clearing beside the main road.
I really wasn't feeling quite right, something was wrong, and I was worried that I'd get sick, worried because I was all on my own in the Alps, with the toughest terrain of my trip just ahead. I laid down in the tent, and my face felt really hot, so maybe I was coming down with a fever. I was really thirsty too, but I'd run out of water.
I got to sleep early, before 11 pm.

My route for the day, Pernegg to Eibiswald, Austria.

An overview of my route so far from France to Austria.

Ride stats:
Distance: 133.84 km
Average: 17.9 km/h
Maximum: 51.0 km/h
Time: 7:28:18
Total ascent: 693 m
Total descent: 782 m