After the part-like previous trip, two months ago, it is now back-to-normal. I travel to Austria for a three-day hiking trip. The autum sets in very late this year, in the whole of Europe, but in the past few days the real autums weather (including fogg, rain, wind) has arrived. Today I am lucky, because it remains dry although there is a lot of overcast. I arrive with the night train, again, like in the previous dozens of stages.

Around 10.00am I start my hike at the Reichsbrücke on the Donauinsel. Many trees are showing their prettiest colours. The first part of the stage goes along the very straight Donauinsel-island (for two hours). Unfortunately the inflight route for Austria’s national airport is today exactly crossing the Trail. Every 3 minutes an airoplane flies only a few hundred meters over head.

road & aeroplanes

After a forrest section I get on the dam along the river, eastbound. Kilometer after kilometer I follow the concrete road straight ahead, with only trees left and right of me.

change of seasons

It’s like Flevoland in quadripple. Just before I pass the village of Orth I cross the 2000-kilometer mark of my E8-trail. The last part of today’s stage continues along the Donau to Eckartsau. The signs that I folow along the river are extremely well, they even indicate the distances that need to be covered in hectometers.

In Eckartsau I stay in one of the local inns.