down the danube part 5... linz to grein...

Despite some overnight rain, we awoke to clear skies and light winds for our fourth day on the road. Our party decided to split up for the morning with most heading into Linz to check out Austrias third largest city while Jack, Ally and I embraced the best of holiday relaxation by beautiful Pichlingersee.
After a midday meetup we were soon back in the saddles on our way to Mauthausen, which provided us with some testing times both on and off the bikes.
Sitting above the town is the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp memorial site. Though it isn't as well known as Auschwitz, Dachau or Sachsenhausen, it's history is no less atrocious, and the remaining buildings, information and memorials left us feeling quite drained. 

However, the show must go on and the remainder of our journey onwards to Grein was a combination of some of the nicest and foulest weather we'd experienced. Needless to say, when we arrived at our campingplatz and were offered a cheap upgrade to cabin accommodation, we jumped at the chance to recharge ourselves sheltered from the wind and rain...
Again, if you'd like to read more about our trip, check out http://at-eleven-eleven.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Danube or http://heirstoall.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/down-by-river.html

Jack, Ally and I relaxing by the picturesque Pichlingersee...

Team Danube amongst the fields of green...

Oh the excitement...

A guard tower and wire topped wall outside Mauthausen-Gusen...

The "execution facility" was pretty overwhelming, the most grim of which was a working bathroom which had been deliberately converted into a sealed gas chamber so as to be able to walk prisoners to their death without them realising... Hectic...

Not that long ago...