England - Easter In Dorset

Out on the bike in Dorset

Up on the Purbecks with Corfe Castle in the background

Swanage Station and the 34028 Eddystone

Million Pound View on a One Pound Ride - Sandbanks Ferry

And the next train is the 2pm from Swanage to Corfe

Not a bad way to travel but my transport of choice is the bike of course. Easter Monday was brilliant weather for cycling - sunny, not too hot and very little wind. 

Austria - Bad Hofgastein - Skiing on the Schlossalm in April

End of the Ski Season in Bad Hofgastein

Last run of season on the Nord Abfahrt

With a late Easter in 2014 the lifts on the Schlossalm were open until the 21st April.  It has been a decent year for snow. No massive dumps but very timely top-ups throughout the season to keep things ticking over.
Only the Valley runs were closed.  A cold snap in mid April meant that conditions were perfect for our last day, the 17th April. We needed our Thermals on the 15th and 16th as the temperature was minus 10 Celsius and windy brhhh!

A cold snap in April brings new snow

A brief return to Winter on the Sendleiten on the 16th April

A balaclava and thermals day in April

H4 to the Middle

Cool run in April

Last day - waiting for the 08:26 bus

New Snow, blasting complete on the Hohe Scharte so time to ride

Nice snow on the Stubnerkogel as well

Our home piste - the Haitzinglam from the Sendleiten

Not too busy on the Haitzingalm today

Top of the T-bar and the view to the South and the Stubnerkogel

A useful T-bar for the link to Angertal

Must be getting near lunchtime

Last Lunch at the Haitzingalm

A great last day on favourite pistes in Gastein

A favourite spot - at Tom and Waltrauds place

Better get skiing again

Where pistes collide - H1 meets H2

So season over, a last beer with Berwyn at the GasteinAlm  before heading back to the apartment to pack things up and put the ski's and boots in the cellar. We certainly had a great season - 65 days of skiing and 551,353 vertical metres climbed. That was the result of 1200 lift rides which works out at around 40 cents a lift, if you don't count the 130 bus rides. Plenty of fine hospitality, particularly in the Haitzingalm with lots of good company. TW gained confidence and has now conquered all the pistes apart from the steep Sender run, maybe next year? We feel very privileged to be regular visitors to the Gastein Valley.

Do I have to go home - waiting for the train

We always get the train back to Salzburg. We normally take an early train at 08:30 and we know we can get seats in the carriage at the front. This time we were on the 12:30 and climbed on at the front only to find all the seats were taken. The train had come up from Zagreb and Ljubljana and was on its way to Frankfurt. The incumbents were well settled. Any spare seats were occupied by feet or baggage. The two biggest negatives about train travel are (a) the other passengers and (b)attempting to negotiate the corridors with baggage in hand. On a busy train, corridors are blocked by massive suitcases and progress is hampered by automatic doors that only open when you swear at them. We did the sensible thing, we went to the Buffet Car and had a coffee and a strudel! The ticket collector told us there were plenty of seats at the rear of the train but we sat tight at our dining table. Bit odd riding a train in a movable seat but hey-ho.

Austria - Spring Skiing in Sportgastein in April 2014

Sunny day Skiing on the 14th April
The air was crisp and fresh and the snow to the middle station was perfect. On a day like today it is difficult to beat Sportgastein. No queues for the Gondola and friendly people on our shared rides to the top. It's not always like that, there can be dumb, glum snow-boarders or free-stylers intent only on on their next run.
It can be icy first thing in the morning but not today, just soft powder.
TW enjoyed the Blue Run and a great lunch at the Valerie Haus. It was standing room only for the ride home on the bus but we had the front seats. TW is an ace at bus-boarding these days!

The view North down the Gastein Valley towards Bad Hofgastein

Giving a lift - the T-Bar at Bad Hofgastein

Looking out from the gondola

Postcard from Bad Hofgastein in April 2014

Spring in the Alps in Austria
A very late Easter this year so the lifts are running until April 21st. A very good opportunity to get some late season skiing. Fresh snow meant the snow conditions when we hit the slopes on the 26th March were absolutely perfect. Whilst other resorts struggled with a lack of snow we had loads on our pistes - and very few people. We did take a day out to Dienten and the Hochkonig but the snow there was a lot thinner so we were glad to be back on the slopes in Gastein the next day.

Empty seats on the Hohe Scharte chairlift

On the Hohe Scharte - now shall I take the Nord or the Sud Abfahrt?

Wonderful mountains - snow on the rocks

A stone splitter blooms above 2000m

Plenty of elbow room at the Haitzingalm

Room to turn and run

Saturday Party at the Weitmoseralm

On the South Facing side of the Angertal Valley it is getting green

On the North Facing side of the Angertal Valley the runs are parfect

Two Gentlemen from Bremen insisted I have an early Williams!

TW walking on the Kaiser Willhelm Weg

Fresh cut logs - ideal for smoking apparently

March in England

When the rain stopped

Old Harry Rocks have changed shape this Winter

The fierce winter storms have changed the shape of the coastline.

TMIL and TW head to the beach

Bournemouth and  Boscombe Beach have weathered the storm pretty well. Bit tricky for the rollator with all the sand on the road.

On a Sunday cycle

A ride back in time on a sunny Sunday in March. We took the high road over the bridge whilst the pony took the wet route.

Daffodils bloom around the Chestnut Tree

Posh Wedding Reception at Wentworth

An excellent atmosphere at the wedding of D and S.  We enjoyed ourselves.

Before the Feast

After the Feast

Job done! Food and Wine demolished.

Thames - water receding

Down by the Thames the water was at last getting back within its banks. Be biking on tow-path before we know it. Small matter of a trip to Austria first!

Bike in the Chilterns in February 2014

Back on the road again

It took until the 16th February but, at last, I am back on the bike. The dire weather, which seems to have been with us since November, has meant that the bikes have been locked away. The trusty Trek 520 had a run out today to Henley via Turville and Christmas Common today. It's had a makeover since the entanglement with the rather large beech tree. With the very necessary replacement handlebars and stem plus a new chain and block it is 'all systems go' for the old tourer.  Met TW for lunch at the Chocolate Theatre Cafe and then pedalled back via Lower Assendon and Northend. Quite a few trees down but the roads were fairly dry. There is no real evidence of the wet weather unless of course you go down to the Thames where the riverside residents are still struggling. Up in the Chilterns the sun was shining and the snowdrops were in bloom. For the first time did not miss skiing too badly today. Only 5 weeks to go!

Fire Service asking for a top up at the The Angel in Henley

Chocolate Theatre Cafe - a wet outlook

Henley on Thames - a bridge over high water

And the trees keep tumbling!