Day 224 - Budapest to Vienna - Sat 5 Oct

Day 224 - Budapest to Vienna - Sat 5 Oct
OMG - temperature frozen overnight - clothes stiff as board! No breeze, but frozen yellow leaves falling from trees in a silent shower. Farewelled city, good secondary road, soon need to travel on motorway to drive to Vienna via Gyor. Gleaners collecting corn cobs after the harvesters have been through - mostly old couples. Drove by Vertesszolos, site of Homo Erectus, Samu, who used tools and fire. Past Lake Oreg and Tatar Castle on shores. Turning into lovely sunny day (out of the wind). Past large agricultural enterprise "etanol" surrounded by corn fields. Wagonloads of small Suzuki cars in railway yards. Fort Monostor also looked interesting, but no time to stop if we are to have two days in Vienna. Ran parallel with river with Slovakia on other side. 

Lunch of bread wraps in corn field, trying to use last of what's in fridge (sadly including last of Anthony's home-made chutney). Fueled up at Mosonmagyarbovar, using as many forints as possible, have heard fuel much more expensive in Austria. Turned north planning to cross Danube at Hainburg an der Donau, from next village houses all joined together along main street. Lost sun at 2pm, cloud coming in, instantly colder. Round spherical water towers. 

Spent less than half hour in Slovakia across corn fields and wind farms, could see Bratislavia across river with tall tower on the hill. Coming up on west side of Austria's capital. Rang through to camp grounds and woman confirmed they were open and to choose a site and register in morning when the office reopened. 

                                                       

Then “Hello Austria!” with no border to cross (another first!). Drove through charming Hainburg, through old castle gate, cobbled streets, shop and houses joined together close to road.

 

Across Danube (a brownish green today) and through an intermix of villages and intensive horticulture, including turnips, carrots, onions, squash, corn, cabbages, kohl. Reached outskirts of Vienna, and navigated to find that the inner city camping grounds had closed at the end of September! Rang the woman and she said, "oh, their number transfers to us when they close!" It was late and cold and the other park is an hour away on the other side of the river, so decided to camp in front of the locked gates for the night! (and PS, three other camper vehicles turned up after us, saying they'd booked, or been told it was open, and one joined us for the night).