We had a rest day in Velden. There was no launderette there, but there was one in Villach, a 15 minute train ride away. We had a large breakfast and then walked to the station where we boarded a huge intercity train. It had come from Venice and was going onwards to Munich and Stuttgart. The launderette was a short walk from the station and we got everything washed and dried (and not shrunk). Christine was able to rake up enough German to explain to an Austrian woman how to add credit to her laundry card, select the correct machine, and get the wash going. We then walked into the old town area. We had stayed here a few years ago on an earlier walk. Villach is famous for having been destroyed by an earthquake in 1348, one of the largest ever experienced in Europe. The mountain to the south lost about half its volume in a landslide. The earthquake is well documented as the local bishop requested reports from all the churches and these have been used to map the effects. We had coffee and cake and then went back to the station. Trains were delayed, but we were just in time to catch a replacement bus service, which allowed us to see a bit more of the countryside.
The forecast for the next few days is not good, the very exposed ridge walk for Stage 22 to Kranjska Gora has been in cloud every afternoon, and we have therefore decided not to walk over the mountains to Slovenia, but go by taxi instead.
Today’s forecast was for the morning to be overcast and then heavy rain later. We decided to take the train from Velden for a couple of stops to cut down on today’s walk and maybe beat the rain. We had a short walk to the station, then rode two stops to Foderlach, where we had a short walk to join the trail. The route took us around another small lake, and through forest and pasture. The rain started and we covered our bags and put our jackets on. The rain wasn’t too heavy, but it was sweaty wearing jackets. As we started the final ascent the sun started coming out and we thought we were going to be lucky. We arrived at Finkelstein castle and found a cafe, where we decided to stop for a drink. As we sat down, the rain started to come down really hard, with big rolls of thunder and some lightning.
We’ve enjoyed our apfelstrudel and are now wondering what to do. It’s about 900m, or 15 minutes to our night’s accommodation. We could go the direct route along the path, which by now will be very wet, or go the longer route by the tarred road which will be faster walking and better underfoot. We’re hoping that there may be a break in the rain and we can make it without getting too wet.
We finally put our jackets and waterproof trousers on and started on the direct route. The rain wasn’t too heavy, and the track was well kept. There was a short final climb through the woods, then across a field to the hotel.
We have a great view from our room, and the sun came out as we unpacked, showing Villach, the lakes, and Gerlitzen.
The rain is now pouring down again, there’s low cloud, and it’s good to be inside!
