Thursday 14th July Bregenz to Lingenau

If you read yesterday's diary entry you will know that I wasn't exactly looking forward to today's walk. Well as usual I survived and after going without anything to eat last night I more than made amends tonight.

It did rain all night and was raining this morning but the weather gradually got better as the day went on. Not exactly sunny but only occasional showers. The ground and grass however were very wet and with the shoes I'm wearing you might as well put your foot in a bucket of water as walk through wet grass as your feet will get instantly soaked either way.

Today's first drama was that I couldn't find my hat. This is a sentimental blow as that hat has come a long way and would definitely have taken centre stage in a limited range of walking memorabilia. Not sure where I could have left it but yesterday it was smelling and I know that on several occasions I ripped it off my head as I became aware of the fact. Suspect it's feelings were hurt and on one of these occasions it decided to make itself scarce.

After leaving Bregenz the walk takes you towards Wolfurt. Went right into Wolfurt to get some money and food and was disappointed not to see any of the amazing posters which had been outside the Wolford Outlet shop yesterday.

After Wolfurt the route leaves the suburbs and climbs up a fairly step ridge before heading down to the town of Albershwende. The top of the ridge gave views back over Lake Constance, but although the steady rain had stopped at this point the weather prevented you seeing much.

Perhaps the most dramatic sights were the waterfalls from the small mountain streams which, after all this rain, were very noisy.




Albershwende is quite a big town, huge church, had accommodation and lots of places to eat. Was tempted to stop as I wasn't sure whether the place I had got booked this evening did evening meals. Instead I found a nice bench just beyond town, had two bananas and four Snickers. The Snickers were in a multi-pack and having lost my hat I was worried that loose Snickers might also go astray.

The Austrian signing system is essentially the same as the Swiss, although they use a lighter shade of yellow. As in Switzerland you often get multiple choice as there can be more than one way to get to the same place. I definitely went the long way to Lingenau heading downhill and along the side of the Bregenzerach (which flows back to Bregenz and along the side of which I had walked first thing this morning). This was actually a nice walk made even better by a whole series of installations. My favourite was the pencil but there were lots to choose from.


Bregenzerach




Dropped my pencil

Got to Lingenau at about 4. Very reassuring sign proving that I am on the E4 (and the E5 and the 04, the long-distance Alpine trail). The Gasthof Walderhof Christine booked for me was brilliant, huge portions of food and everyone very friendly and helpful.


Good if I knew what they meant


6 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear about the hat, think it was for the best though

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  2. When I hiked for a month on the Appalachian Trail, I stayed just 2 nights in shelters. The 'symphony' was too much for me so I slept out in the open instead.

    Patrick C

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  3. I missed the giant pencil, probably because I followed a route for the Maximiliansweg downloaded from the Internet rather than following signs for Lingenau. The route led me up a long, steep path to the top of Bruggelek, although I was rewarded by a Gasthof offering food and drink at the summit, with a rare sign for the E4 attached to it (rare until you reach Germany). However, the climb up and down this mountain makes for a very long day to Lingenau from the Bodensee (I stayed at Camping Rohrspitz).

    John P

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    Replies
    1. Great to hear from you, I trust you enjoyed better weather than I did 5 years ago!

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    2. Only 5 wet days in 35 between Bodensee and Vienna. Either I was lucky to get excellent weather or else September is a better month

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    3. September is supposed to be the month with the most settled weather, definitely was this year (remember June) and it was when I walked across the Alps 5 years ago.

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