Fri 7 September - Gasthof Messnerhof, Bad Dreikirchen

Yesterday's walk really took it out of us and when the alarm goes off I set it to snooze. We are staying two nights at the Gasthof Messnerhof, which means we aren't forced to walk anywhere today and so for once we allow ourselves to have no plans. Today's suggested walk is up to the Rittner Horn, but we did that yesterday, so feel perfectly justified!

We eventually get up and go for breakfast at the Gasthof Dreikirchen. Unfortunately, we have left it too late to claim a table on the balcony, so we have to sit inside, but the extra snooze was worth it. After breakfast we sit outside and look at the view, it's already quite hot, but the big mountains are still shrouded in mist.

After a while we go back to our room and do some stuff we have never had time to do, like sort out the luggage, do a bit of washing so we have clean clothes for the entire trip etc. It sounds dull, but actually it's quite nice pottering about.

As lunchtime approaches we decide to go out for a short walk. We set off down the hill and after about 10 minutes find a shady bench where we sit and eat the remnants of yesterday's picnic. We've been trying not to eat very much at lunchtime as we've been having four and five course evening meals, we've also tried to cut down on what we eat for breakfast. One thing we've become very keen on though is the caraway seed bread and we joke about how we'll cope without it when we get home!

After a hard boiled egg and some fruit, we continue down the hill over a small stream and eventually find ourselves at a little Gasthof. We sit outside on a terrace with gorgeous views of the mountains, as the mist has now burned off. We sit there with a drink watching the flocks of swallows careering around the sky. It's so peaceful, all we hear are their wings in flight and excited little chirps. It is very different from the over-excited children around our hotel. Eventually we decide to wander back.

Once we've returned, Alistair orders another beer and looks for the map, then realises he has left it on the table back down the mountain. It's not just that we might have lost tomorrow's map, but the fact we may have lost our waterproof map pocket. Alistair sets off wearily down the hill to retrieve it (the map has been his responsibility all holiday)!

Eventually he returns and luckily he has the map & map pocket with him. We laze around a bit more until dinner - the only excitement being a cow and bull bellowing at each other just outside our window and looking like they are going to crush the Fiat Panda parked in front of the garage. When we go over to dinner, there is a beautiful sunset which lights up all the big mountains with a pinkish hue. There are fewer children in the restaurant tonight and things seem a little calmer. Although we love walking, it has been nice to have a day off.