Last night’s sleep was a mixed bag. Ric slept well, while I woke up every 1–2 hours. Breakfast this morning made up for it though—plenty of hot and cold options to set us up for the day.
After packing the last of our things, we headed to the train station. The bus was waiting outside, so we decided to catch an earlier train, and I’m glad we did. The first leg (about 45 minutes) was packed, but luckily we managed to find seats. We arrived at Munich East to a sea of bratwurst stands, sandwich shops, and even a few bookstores. Tempting—but since we’d only just eaten, we thought St. Johann would have something similar. We were wrong!
Two more trains took us deeper into Austria, and these were much quieter. The ride was beautiful—green fields rolling past, clusters of white houses with wooden balconies and flower-filled window boxes. It felt like stepping straight into a postcard.
Our boutique hotel in the centre of St. Johann is charming, and once checked in, we went for a late lunch at a café near the market square. A sandwich and pizza, shared between us, was more than enough, and very tasty. With only minimal clothes packed for the hike, we did a quick hand wash of a few things, then wandered out to find the starting point of the Adlerweg. Supplies for tomorrow in hand, we treated ourselves to ice cream, played a game, and got our packs ready.
Since lunch was late and filling, we skipped a proper supper and just kept it light. Tomorrow is the real test—our first stage of the Adlerweg: 13 km with 1100 m of ascent, ending in a mountain hut. Excited, a little nervous, but ready for the adventure.