With plans to be in Munich for
the weekend, the final of the Champions League soccer tournament dictated that
was not going to happen.
The best soccer teams from all
the leagues are thrown into this tournament, and turns out we had actually been
watching it all throughout our trip (go Barcelona!). But it also turns out the
final was to be played in Munich on the weekend we were supposed to be there,
and it just happened to be Chelsea FC against the Munich team, Bayern Munich.
You trying to tell us
something Munich?
Almost every hostel and cheap
hotel was booked out for the weekend, and no way were we going to pay €200
each for a 40 person dorm room.
Time to change our plans.
We sat with the help of two
fantastic Busabout guides, Joel and Carley until 2am rearranging this whole leg
of our trip due to the bloody Champions League. It meant that our plans for the
next few destinations would also change because we would be delayed in getting
to Munich until after the weekend. After a few stressful hours we were back on
track and happy with our compromise. Thank God for Joel and Carley.
True the soccer was a pain in
my butt, but it meant we got to visit the Austrian town of Gruenau. And Gruenau
turned out to be great.
Just chillen in the forest
All three of us were sick,
tired and needing a few days out, and Gruenau delivered on the R & R.
We stayed at ‘The TreeHouse’,
which is essentially a huge house up in the forest and the trees. It is run by
a man named Gerhard, with his two pet dogs and pet cat. Gerhard is a retired
chef, so he prepared home cooked meals for us each night and day. A home cooked
meal?! Is this heaven?!
The TreeHouse, chillen in the trees
Real home cooked food?!
Drank from the stream, wish it was like that Boags ad
Hanging with Lorixy (Lola-Crunchy-Trixie)
There was an outdoor area where we could relax in the sun, tennis courts, and a fresh water stream running past the hostel which we could drink from. We were at the foot of the Austrian Alps, surrounded by trees and nature. Ah the serenity.
Can bird watch
There are a number of outdoor
activities to try in Gruenau, such as horse riding, archery, bike rides, walks,
and all day hikes to the top of the big mountain.
We got up one day and decided
we wanted to walk into town. 10km later and it was probably the most exercise
we’d done in two months, but it felt great to get active and breathe in the
Alpine air.
Austrian Hairy Coos
But perhaps the highlight of
our whole stay was watching movies on the old VHS in the lounge room with cups of
tea and chocolate bars.
It was wonderful. Two months
on the road and we needed a little creature comforts – no TV?? Can you blame
us?? We even had many of the other guests join us with their blankets, Kit Kats
and Snickers Bars.
Screening was the classic
Forrest Gump. It had everyone laughing, and the three of us in tears by the end
of the movie. Typical.
The next night it was the
Disney classic, Monsters INC, with James P Sullivan and Mike Wazowski.
“Put that thing back where it
came from or so help me!”
Fair to say that we were three
very happy girls by the end of our stay at the TreeHouse. It was amazing to
unwind with some good movies, catch up on some reading, eating home cooked
meals, and enjoying more real shower towels.
Gruenau was a happy accident,
so maybe I should be thanking the soccer.
I watched the match in the
hostel bar with the fellas, all of us leaving for Munich the next day, hoping
they would win so we could join the continuing celebrations when we arrived.
But bloody Chelsea and Drogba
had to win, didn’t they?
Come on Munich, what are you
doing to me?!
At least the
cat likes me
Run Nikki, ruuuun
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