The journey on Friday proved a test of patience for some due to an accident at Wechsel in the roadworks area, but everyone arrived safely and on time at Kapfenstein Castle. The welcome and preview of Saturday’s programme before dinner are a regular feature of every excursion and were warmly received. The meal at the Jägerstüberl was spectacular and the wines paired perfectly with it; the atmosphere was accordingly lively. The service at the castle was extremely friendly and professional throughout – a perfect combination.

On Saturday, in glorious weather and after a hearty breakfast from the buffet, the journey took us along small roads that were easy for everyone to drive on to the ‘Nostalgia on Wheels’ museum, where there was far more to see than just vehicles of all kinds – there were also radio sets (still referred to as ‘sets’, really), televisions, record players, tools and promotional material for a wide variety of products, all of which brought back memories of the 1950s to the 1980s.

We continued on to Mureck to visit the watermill and the Mühlenhof, where we first pleasantly satisfied our hunger and thirst, followed by a tour of the mill, which included a ultimately unsuccessful attempt to get it up and running.

Onwards – or rather, back – the journey proved complicated (I can’t think of a better word) as we navigated a roadblock at a building site (sabotage by the new-car lobby?), travelling through a small stretch of Burgenland to Kapfenstein Castle. Various attempts to fill up on Saturday resulted in journeys that wound their way like a pretzel, but in the end all the ‘tankers’ arrived with full tanks (the tanks were full, not the drivers!) and back at our accommodation safe and sound.

We discussed the day’s events; everyone expressed their satisfaction with the route and the sights with lively applause, and so even the alarming news – that we were to set off at 0800 on Sunday – was taken in good spirits and didn’t spoil anyone’s appetite or mood.

After a quick breakfast (to keep to our ambitious schedule), we set off on time on Sunday and travelled along a wonderfully chosen selection of roads and lanes to the Schwarzenegger Museum in Thal. It was a real, pleasant surprise, not least because of the brilliant introductory talk given by a classmate of the ‘Terminator’, who brought the situation of the 1950s and 1960s to life in a clear and vivid way.

We continued through the scenic landscape of the Jogelland – which is more mountainous than hilly (bringing back memories of Qualtinger and the ‘Bundesbahnblues’) – to the Hotel Retter. The only slight downside – fortunately a minor one – was the boiling coolant in Nicole and Werner’s MKII. The hotel has a truly remarkable family history, having evolved from a small farm into a resort with organic farming and a bus fleet of over 60 buses! Exquisite food and equally fine drinks, along with the subsequent guided tour of the organic farm, rounded off the excursion in the best possible way.

To sum up, it’s clear from all the participants’ comments that it’s a real pleasure that such excursions take place, so a heartfelt thank you to the organisers!