Sunday 10th of July - Ardagger Markt to Vienna
Having discovered our location we took the long and slow but beautiful route to Melk, following the Danube River, to visit an 11th century Benedictine Abbey. The Abbey had lovely gardens, an educational museum and a spectacular church and library (twelve rooms) with frescoes and gold bling. It is built on a hill, so it has a fantastic view over the river.
The Danube is so large that there were big barges going up and down using the lock system and going under high bridges, just like Holland and Northern Germany. To cater for the big barges, cars have to either go under the river by tunnel, over by high bridges or across by ferry.
It is 10.00am and the temperature at the Abbey has already hit 30 degrees; 
more sorbet needed and some shade.
We took the long country route to Vienna and stopped at a spargel for apricots and then to the edge of Vienna for clothes washing. Tonight’s camp is almost right in Vienna and our parking place is nicely set up for motor homers between rows of herbs. It is not badly priced and has all the facilities, complimentary brochures and a free gift - we haven’t worked out what ours is yet, but it resembles a cross between a dinner place mat and a mouse pad.
Each parking place has a name of a famous Austria and we are Josef Strauss. We were going to be Joseph Haydn, but the lavender was attracting too many bees and with the temperature still being 30 degrees at 8.00pm we don’t need anything preventing us from having the door open. Unfortunately the heat has brought the sun worshippers out in their budgie smugglers, watch out Benidorm! The camp also has a burger bar on site which does really nice chilli burgers, chips and a beer for 5.50 euro. In the morning they have fresh bread delivered, but we hope to go into town to one of the many markets and go to one of their famous coffee houses.
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View from Benedictine Abbey
Benedictine Abbey, Melk
View of Melk from Abbey
Restaurant at Vienna parking