rainy day in Salzburg

Salzburg 20/06/2014

Determined to squeeze the last out of our Salzburg cards before the time runs out, we set off early….. for the zoo. It is raining, not a heavy rain, but rather a persistent drizzle of low damp cloud. We have struggled into our leathers, all feeling a bit too tight, and not having motorcycle boots with us, we have attached plastic bags to our ankles to overlap the laces on our walking boots. Hope for the best to stay dry, and off we go. We have umbrellas, and it is better to go out than to stay in.

The problem with riding a motorcycle in the rain, is that you can’t see much through a rain spattered visor, and keeping the visor up gives you rain spattered glasses, which is worse. And everything steams up at the lights with the visor down as there is no air moving through the helmet. Oh well, we get to the zoo, after riding carefully, and with umbrellas up, take a leisurely stroll around.

Salzburg zoo has some wonderful enclosures; the flamingoes are a lovely sight, 

and there is a large enclosure for the jaguars, and a huge space for the white rhinos, which share with waterbuck and sable antelope. The gibbons and monkeys are a sight, but move too fast to be photographed, except for one or two very small varieties, possibly capuchins – are they a type of monkey?

Carol saw this dear little mouse, actually lots of them, but this is the best photo.

There were snow leopards, which along with the jaguars, I had never seen before, and a brown bear. 

The snow leopards were very tricky to spot, until Carol used the flash on her camera, and then they came out of various shadows and caves. Unfortunately the wire cage is a little distance from our barrier so photographs are useless. They are rather lovely to watch, very graceful, and they move slowly.

We ate a hearty lunch of German sausage and chips, with salad, and came home after lunch, to our site and van. We had kept pretty dry in leathers, just the odd damp bit around the bum. Unfortunately the van roof light has sprung a leak and there is a plastic lunch box catching the drip from the rain. I think this is another job for duct tape when it is dry and I can get onto the roof.

The site is very quiet; mostly folk staying inside and keeping dry now. No idea what they are all doing.

We think that we have seen most of the lakes and waterfalls, and most of the city sights, so shall move on, but not before doing a load of washing. Washing day tomorrow and hope the sun comes out!